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zontal marks and thirty-nine points showed the time
elapsed since the death of the Saviour. The lesson
proved successful. The Indians took home copies of
the stick, which they called the Sa-cha-lee-stick, and
which is known as the "CathoUc ladder". On the
completion of his architectural labours, Father
Blanchet made several short visits to the Wallamette
Valley settlers.
Meanwhile Father Demers followed the route of the hunters and trappers, and visited the Indian settlements in the interior. He was welcomed ever>-where by both whites and natives. During the following four j'ears the two missionaries met but rarely — twice a year in Vancouver to console and encourage each other. The only change made in their lives during this period came when Chief Fac- tor Douglas notified them (October, 1839) that his company had no longer any reason for preventing their estabUshing themselves south of the Columbia. In consequence of this notification, Father Blanchet took up his residence at St. Paul, Oregon, while Father Demers was left at the Cowlitz mission. From this moment he was in charge almost exclusively of the whole present State of Washington, although Father Blanchet made a few journeys to the Nes- qually Indians, and even planted the cross on WTiit- by Island, where he said Mass in 1S40. Manuel Ber- nier of Newaukum Prairie accompanied Father Blanchet from CowUtz to the Nesqually Prairie and to \\'hitby Island, where they built the first church on Puget' Sound. The Oblate Fathers also estab- lished missions for the Indians and whites on Puget Sound. The semi-annual meeting in 1842 was of special importance for the Oregon missions. Father De Smet, who had come from the Rocky Mountains missions to Vancouver in quest of supplies, was pres- ent, and, as a result of the conference, he set out for Europe to obtain help and to expose their needs to the sovereign pontiff. Archbishop Signay was like- wise interested in their work; he had not only sent an appeal to Rome, but, as soon as available, despatched to their assistance Fathers A. Langlois and J. B. Bolduc. These priests arrived at Vancouver on 17 Sept., 1843. The former took charge of Walla Walla. Father Demers retired to the newly-founded Oregon City. Father De Smet returned in August, 1844, ac- companied by four Jesuit Fathers and six Sisters of Not re-Dame de Namur; and almost simultaneously, on 4 Nov., 1844, at St. Paul, letters arrived, contain- ing the news that the territory had been created a vi- cariate, with Father F. N. Blanchet as vicar Apos- tohc. The briefs appointing Father Blanchet as Vicar Apostolic of Oregon were received at Vancouver on 4 Nov., 1844. He was named bishop with the titu- lar See of Philadelphia, which, on some representation to Rome, was changed to that of Drusa, after his con- secration at Montreal, on 25 July, 1845. Bishop Blanchet sailed for Europe to lay the news of his ex- tensi\'e vicariate before the Holy See, and Father De- mers was appointed vicar-general and administrator of the vicariate during his absence. In the autumn of 1847 Bishop Blanchet returned to the Oregon coast, accompanied by five secular priests, two deacons, one novice, three Jesuit Fathers, three lay brothers, and seven Sisters of Notre-Dame de Namur. Meanwhile Rome had transformed his vicariate into an ecclesi- astical province, and on his return he found himself the first Archbishop of Oregon City which comprised all the territory west of the Cascade Mountains. His suffragans were to be his own brother, Magloire, as bi.shop of the newly-created Diocese of Walla Walla, which extended east of the Cascade Mountains, and his vicar-general Father Demers as Bishop of the new Diocese of Vancouver Island.
A unique historical feature characterized the erec- tion of the ecclesia-stical Province of Oregon. The three constituting dioceses were created rather simul-
taneously than successively ; they were the result of
a wise division of a large field of labour rather than
the dismemberment of a constituted and governed
see. Vicar Apostolic F. N. Blanchet, while retuining
from Rome, was suddenly raised to the archiejiiscopal
dignity, and his brother, A. M. A. Blanchet, seem-
ingly without the archbishop's knowledge, was nom-
inated and consecrated his suffragan before the
former had actually taken charge of his archdiocese.
Bishop A. M. A. Blanchet (consecrated 27 Sept., 1846; d. 25 Feb., 1887), was formerly a canon of the Montreal cathedral. Accompanied by Father A. B. Brouillet and two students from Montreal, and Fa- ther Rosseau with five Oblate Fathers from St. Louis, the new bishop an•i^•ed at Fort ^^\alla Walla, on 5 Sept., 1847. Aided by his experienced brother, he soon acquainted himself with the new conditions and the great task before him, and during his long apos- tolic career he showed himself at all times a man of great seK-sacrifice and wisdom under the most trying circumstances. His tact was especially tested when the deplorable massacre of Dr. M. \Miitman and his family by enraged Cayuse Indians occurred in No- vember, 1847. The troubles following this massacre and the reprisals by the whites during the subsequent Cayuse war placed the whole vicinity of Walla Walla for more than two years in such a state of turmoil that the bishop was obliged to remove permanently to Fort Vancouver. Here he constructed of logs his residence and a church, his cathedral, which he dedi- cated to St. James in memory of the St. James Cathe- dral of Montreal. A few years later these buildings were replaced by better, though wooden, structures. With the approval of the Holy See, the name of the diocese and the bishop's seat were changed on 31 May, 1850, the diocese becoming known as the Diocese of Nesqually. The first priest ordained for the Walla Walla diocese was Father Chirouse, O.M.I. He was stationed at St. Rose's mission, w'hich was estab- lished in 1847 among the Yakimas. On account of the Indian wars this mission with St. Joseph's was abandoned, but was revived in 1866 by P^ither St. Onge and Rev. J. B. Boulet. The register of the Ob- late Fathers for Puget Sound contains no less than 3,811 baptisms from January, 1848, to August, 1868. The Tulalip mission among the Snohomish, Swini- mish, Lummis, and St. Pierre Reserve of Seattle or Duwamish Indians was opened in 1860. Bishop De- mers held the first religious service in Seattle. The present state (territory of Washington) then seceded from the old Oregon territory. This political change caused a new division of the Diocese of Nesqually, whose limits now became identified with those of the new territory. Little more remains to be said of Bishop Blanchet's e[)iscopate. A source of joy for him was the arrival, on 8 Dec, 1856, of several Sis- ters of Providence from Montreal, who on that day began their mission of charity in the hospitals of the North-west. Broken in health and strength. Bishop Blanchet resigned his office in 1879.
Bishop A. Junger (consecrated 28 Oct., 1879; d. 26 Dec, 1895) became the second Bishop of Nes- qually. He had been in the territory of Washington since his ordination in 1862. His active missionary life as a priest was short. After two years as assist- ant to Father Brouillet at Walla Walla, he was re- called by Bishop Blanchet to Vancouver, \yhere he laboured until he was left in charge of the diocese as its bishop. To him is due the erection at Vancouver, in 1884, of a large cathedral, Gothic in design and built of brick and stone, to replace the wooden struc- ture erected thirty years previously. Bishop Jun- ger's chief aim was to relieve his clergy, who were hardly able to attend the wants of an increasing Catholic population throughout the state, and to fa- cilitate attendance at the Divine Services. Many small churches and chapels were built during his in-
