GEORGE H. HIMES
162
Upon
Dr. McLoughlin's arrival he began the practice at once
of reading the services of the Episcopal Church every Sunday, and frequently would read a chapter in the Bible, a sermon or
Most of the gentlemen of Fort Vana tract or a prayer. to Mrs. Whitman, who arrived there in couver, according September, 1836, were Scotch Presbyterians, and a few were However, many of the laborers were Roman Episcopalians. Catholics and had a service of their own, at which Dr. McLoughlin officiated in French, and sometimes would translate a sermon or a tract, but this kind of service was not satisfactory. Accordingly two petitions were sent to the Bishop on Red River for a priest, one on July 3, 1832, and the other on In response two missionaries were 23, 1833. granted Rev. F. N. Blanchet and Rev. Modeste Demers but they did not arrive at Fort Vancouver until November 24, 1838, after enduring incredible hardships in coming over the northern lake, river and horseback route. These fathers toiled
February
1842 were reinforced by two 1843. the Oregon Mission was This was erected into an erected into a vicariate apostolic. ecclesiastical province on July 24, 1846. with three sees Oreeon City. Walla Walla and Vancouver Island. Rt. Rev. F. N. Blanchet, Rt. Rev. A. M. A. Blanchet, and Rt. Rev. Modeste alone for four year?, and in
more
priests.
On December
1.
Demers being
constituted the presiding: Archbishops Bishops respectively, with perhaps forty helpers.
So much for
Now
and
the planting of the Roman Catholic work. of the Protestant work among the
I will recite the origin
Indians.
By
the close of the vear 1832 the knowledge of the Indians'
St. Louis became generally known throughout Protestant missionary circles, and plans began to be formed Dr. Samuel with reference to responding* to their request.
trip
to
Parker, of Ithaca. N. Y., a Congregational minister and a supporter of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions the foreign Missionarv Societv of the Congrewas gational. Presbvterian and Dutch Reformed Churches
one of the
first,
and
I
am
not sure but the very
first,
among
