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THE 
 
 CHURCH'S MISSION 
 
 TO THE 
 
 ONEIDAS 
 
 ONEIDA INDIAN RESERVATION 
 
 WISCONSIN 
 
 1902 
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 
 P. B. HABER PRINTING CO., 
 FOND DU LAC, WIS. 
 
£"?? 
 
 
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 HOBART CHURCH 
 (Church of the Holy Apostles.) 
 
The Indians of the Oneida Nation 
 
 Popular Misconceptions of the Indians 
 
 "TjREJUDICE has ever, until the present time, held before the public 
 .A. eye and mind a shabby and useless specimen of humanity in the 
 
 Indian: and the quotation "Better keep some of them wild, Bishop, if 
 you would keep the Church interested," shows one of the most evident 
 misconceptions of the cynical mind. To make the Indian attractive to 
 ihe majority of persons you must picture him in the gay paint and 
 feathers of the wild, untutored savage, It is hard to arouse the inter- 
 est even of Christian people in the Christianized and civilized Indians, 
 .and most persons seem incredulous and almost disappointed when you 
 tell them that at the present time within the United States the real sav- 
 age is hard to find; that all the Indians of whatsoever grade have learned 
 something of Christianity: that all have abandoned in some degree 
 their ancient superstitions. Indeed it is rather surprising to find how 
 little is known of the number and condition of the North American In- 
 dians. It is a popular fancy that there are comparatively few Indians. 
 That they are rapidly disappearing, and that in the ordinary course of 
 nature they all will soon have passed to the "Happy Hunting Fields" 
 of their forefathers. The facts are, there are nearly 250,000 of them 
 exclusive of the Alaskans, they are not rapidly decreasing, and, with 
 their improved surroundings, the absence of destructive wars, the grad- 
 ual improvement of sanitary conditions, and the spread of Christianity 
 and of education, the North American Indian will long survive among 
 us as a distinct type. Another fact to be remembered is that the In- 
 dian nature is simply human nature bound in red and the Indian has 
 the same affections, passions, desires and capacities as other people. 
 A careful study of the Red men aided by contact with them on the Res- 
 ervation, in their homes, and in the government schools, leads one to 
 the firm conviction that, as a class, under favorable conditions, they are 
 self-respecting, noble-minded, and responsive to all rightful appeals to 
 their better nature. There are now more than 20,000 Indian youths 
 enrolled in schools, and they show the same aptitude as white children 
 under similar circumstances. It is said by the United States Commis- 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 LOG HOUSE 
 
 sioner of Indian affairs that they excel in penmanship and drawing, are 
 not defective in musical talent, can be trained to habits of industry and 
 study, take readily to the ruder mechanical arts, and many of them 
 
 have acquired very- 
 respectable scholar- 
 ship, general and pro- 
 fessional. 
 
 Give to all the In- 
 dian children a good, 
 common, American 
 gggjj— industrial education, 
 send to every tribe 
 the Christian Mis- 
 Hj sionary, with the 
 Church's influence, 
 SSsSM and time will do the 
 rest. When the In- 
 dian has the full 
 rights of American citizenship, with Christian influence to mould and 
 protect him, he will soon achieve for himself a respected place among 
 his fellow-men. It is another popular fancy that the Indians are all 
 alike, and that whatever is true about the Sioux of the Dakotas is equally 
 applicable to 
 the Apaches of 
 Arizona or the 
 Pueblos of New 
 Mexico. The 
 truth is, they 
 differ among 
 themselves in 
 every respect ; 
 in language, 
 dress, mode of 
 living, manners 
 and occupa- 
 tion. The In- 
 dians of the Oneida Reservation have long ago abandoned the blanket 
 and feathers. The rudely constructed tepee is unknown. They live in 
 houses, and although the majority are still log cabins, they are substan- 
 tial and neat. Among the younger generation, and the more prosper - 
 
 MODERN HOME 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 5 
 
 ous, good frame buildings are now being erected, and these with ver- 
 andahs, large windows, and cellars, are rapidly taking the place of the 
 little log dwellings, the great cracks of which were filled with hard sun- 
 baked clay, and where in cramped quarters the Indian family with dif- 
 ficulty made its home. Our illustrations of the exterior and interior of 
 some of the modern houses will show that an elevating love of home 
 adornment is growing, that pictures and books are to be found in the 
 "best room," while lawns and gardens and shade trees are to be seen 
 about their homes. 
 
 Nowhere will you find the, blanket as the chief and only wearing ap- 
 
 MODERN HOME 
 
 parel, for the Oneidas dress in white man's clothing, and although the 
 older women prefer the more quiet dress and the becoming shawl or 
 kerchief in place of some guady millinery, yet even here fashion has its 
 followers among the younger generation, and on Sundays, you would 
 find our congregation wearing as fine clothes as the average white 
 farmer. 
 
 One more popular fancy that needs refuting is that all these 250,000 
 Indians are paupers, lazy vagabonds, fattening at the public crib. As 
 a matter of fact probably less than one-fourth of them receive anything 
 from the Government, while the great mass are self-supporting. They 
 subsist, either by the labor of their own hands, or upon that which they 
 receive from the Government in payment for their lands. The last cen- 
 sus of the Oneida Indians compared with those taken in the past shows 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 INTERIOR OF MODERN HOME 
 
 that at least among their tribe, the story that the Indian race is dying 
 out, has become as untrue as it is time-worn. The Oneida Reservation 
 -is, however, one of the few in which a complete census can be taken, 
 
 and it shows the In- 
 dians to be more civ- 
 ilized than those up- 
 on any other Reser- 
 vation in the coun- 
 try. 
 
 The Oneidas 
 have a 1 w ays been 
 close friends with the 
 •American or English 
 speaking people. 
 Their early home was 
 in the beautiful val- 
 ley of the Mohawk 
 River, not far from 
 where the city of Utica now stands. During the early settlement of the 
 Dutch in New York State, and later, at the time of the French and Indian 
 war, the Oneidas were found faithful to their white neighbors, taking up 
 arms in their defence against other tribes of their own race. The tribe 
 has also been noted for its loyalty, and by none is the flag more honored. 
 During the civil 
 war this tribe fur- 
 nished 135 volunteers 
 to the Union Army. 
 Death has thinned 
 their ranks, but of 
 this number about 
 thirty are still living 
 and they are among 
 the leading men of 
 the community. The 
 Oneidas have always 
 been known also as a 
 self-respecting, self- 
 supporting people. 
 They have never been 
 the recipients of Gov- OLD ONEIDA WOMEN 
 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 7 
 
 ernment rations, clothing, horses, or other bounties, nor have they held 
 the strings of any of Uncle Sam's money bags. The only cash payment 
 made to our people is the munificent sum of fifty cents per capita which 
 they receive annually for services rendered to the Government during 
 the Revolutionary War. Loyal to their country in all its struggles, 
 making steady progress, in all that belongs to civilized life, a living wit- 
 ness to the Church's power in the development of character, if the 
 Indian in his natural state was ever an object of interest, he is now one, 
 whose farther development in Christianity and civilization every Amer- 
 ican and Churchman should be ready to aid. 
 
 The Origin of " The People of the Stone" 
 
 For the legend of "The Oneida Stone " we are indebted to Dr. M. 
 M. Bagg of the Oneida Historical Society, Utica, N. Y. At a promi- 
 nent position near the entrance of the Forrest Hill Cemetery, Utica, stands 
 the Palladium of the Oneidas, the sacred stone which gave them their 
 national name, and which is said to have followed them in all of their 
 wanderings. The legend is that the Oneidas, whose territory extended 
 from the country of the Onondagas to that of the Mohawks, occupying 
 all of Central New York, were descended from two Onondaga Indians, 
 who were brothers. At a very remote period they left their native home 
 and built wigwams on the Oneida River, at the outlet of Oneida Lake, 
 where, like the antediluvians, they " builded a city " and " Begat sons 
 and daughters." At their resting place there appeared an oblong round- 
 ish stone, unlike any of the rocks in the vicinity, which came to be their 
 sacrificial altar, and gave a name to their children. " Onia," in their 
 native tongue, is the word for a stone. As their descendants increased 
 in number and became a community, they were called after this stone 
 " Onionta-aug," "the people of the stone," or " who springs from the 
 Stone." A mispronunciation has given us the word Oneida. The stone 
 was the altar upon which all their sacrifices were made, and around 
 which their councils and festive and religious gatherings took place. 
 After the lapse of several generations, the Onionta-aug, now become 
 numerous, removed from the Oneida River to the place where the creek, 
 which now bears their name, is discharged into the Oneida Lake, and 
 the sacred stone, unassisted by human hands, so the legend runs, fol- 
 lowed them and located itself again in their midst. Here they flourished 
 until the confederation of the Five Nations was formed, and the children 
 of the stone became second in the order of precedence in the great con- 
 
8 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 federacy. At length it was determined by the old men and warriors of 
 the nation to remove their council fire to the summit of one of the chain 
 of hills skirting the valley of the Oneida Creek on the east. When the 
 council of the nation had selected this new home for its people, the stone, 
 true to its mission, a second time followed in the train of its children, 
 and seeking one of the most commanding and beautiful points upon the 
 hill, deposited itself in a beautiful butternut grove, from which the eye 
 could look out upon the wide landscape, the most lovely portion of the 
 national domain. Here it remained to witness the subsequent history 
 of its people. It saw the Five Nations increase in power and importance 
 until their name struck terror from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of 
 Mexico, and from the Hudson to the Father of Waters. Around this 
 unhewn altar, within its leafy temple, was gathered all the wisdom of the 
 nation, when measures affecting its welfare were to be considered. 
 Here, eloquence as effective and beautiful as ever fell from classic lips 
 was poured forth in the ears of its sons and daughters. Here, Scon- 
 ondoa, the last orator of his race — the warrior chief, the lowly Christian 
 Convert — with matchless power swayed the hearts of his countrymen. 
 Here the sacred rites were celebrated at the return of each harvest moon 
 and each new year, when every son and daughter of the Stone came up 
 like the Jewish tribes of old, to join in the national festivities. Here 
 to-day lies the Stone, perhaps to take another journey to rest among its 
 own people. Who knows ?* 
 
 Early History of the Oneidas 
 
 Let us relate some reminiscences of the early history of the Onei- 
 das, a tribe of the once powerful Six Nations. The tribe can boast of 
 being the oldest of our Church's Indian Missions, dating from the year 
 1702 and starting under the direction of the Society for the Propagation 
 of the Gospel. A mission to them was one of the earliest enterprises 
 of that noble society. Mr. Robert Livingston, Secretary for Indian 
 Affairs in New York, had interviewed the Society on the subject. The 
 Rev. J. Talbot had reported to the home authorities in Nov. 1702, that 
 
 *Upon investigation, it has been found that the Oneida Stone, in 1 850, was bought with the 
 Cemetery, from Madison County, with the approval of the resident Oneidas, as well as by con- 
 sent of the owner of the farm where it rested. The Cemetery was opened, and 200 Oneidas and 
 Onondagas came, and after the ceremonies many of them stooped to kiss the stone, and ad- 
 dresses were made by chiefs of both tribes and interpreted by the Interpreter of the Oneidas de- 
 claring that the tribes gave their sanction to this final disposal of the altar of their fathers. It is 
 stated also that, the large space around the stone was left for the interment of any Oneidas who 
 might wish to be buried there. May this legend of the Stone now resting under the trees by their 
 graves, be to these red men an abiding prophecy or type of that Saving Spiritual Rock which of 
 old followed Israel's children in their journey to the Promised Land. The last of the Oneida 
 Chiefs, our present interpreter, hearing the proposal to move the great Stone from Utica to 
 Oneida, shook his head in disapproval and said, "We have the True Stone here," pointing 
 to the great stone Church. 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 9 
 
 "The Indians have promised obedience to the faith." Five of the 
 Sachems or kings told Lord Conbury at Albany, that " They were glad 
 to hear that the Sun shined in England again since King William's 
 death." "They admired that we should have a 'Squaw Sachem, or 
 woman king,' but hoped she would be a good mother and send them 
 some to teach them religion." In 1709 we find four of the Iroquois 
 Sachems crossing the great seas and presenting an address to Queen 
 Anne, with " Belts of Waupum " as sure tokens of the sincerity of the 
 Six Nations. They touchingly said " Since we were in covenant with 
 our great Queen's children, we have had some knowledge of the 
 Saviour of the world. If our great Queen would send some to instruct 
 us they would find a most hearty welcome." The address being re- 
 ferred to the then young society it was resolved to send Missionaries, to 
 provide translations of the Bible and Prayer Book in Mohawk, and to 
 stop the sale of intoxicating liquors to the Indians, "this being the 
 earnest request of the Sachems themselves." Along with the other 
 tribes the Oneidas shared in the ministrations of the society's first Mis- 
 sionaries. These servants of Christ carried on the work with varying 
 success. At one time we read of a " regular sober congregation among 
 the Mohawks of 500 Christian Indians, of whom fifty are very serious 
 communicants." Then again, we read of some oppositions and of some 
 falling away. As now, so then, light and shadow followed each other 
 even in the ever brightening day. The work of civilizing and Chris- 
 tianizing the natives suffered through the wars between the French and 
 English, but most of all by the bad behavior of the white men, who 
 cheated the Indians in trade and ruined them by drink. The Mission- 
 ary reported to the Society, "It is from the bad behavior of the Chris- 
 tians here, that the Indians have had and still have their notions of 
 Christianity, which God knows, hath been generally such that it hath 
 made the Indians to hate our religion." He added, " The Christians 
 selling the Indians so much rum is a sufficient bar, if there were no 
 other, against their embracing Christianity." The evil came along with 
 the good. The effect of the fire water on these red men is to madden 
 and brutalize them more readily than it does the whites. The toma- 
 hawk and scalping knife are slow in their murderous work compared 
 with the destroying effects of intoxicating drink upon the aborig- 
 ines. Yet they are not incapable of reformation, and sometimes God 
 in his mercy leads them to it through their very falls. He makes as He 
 often does with all of us, the stones over which His children have 
 stumbled, stepping stones to heaven. 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 The work of God's planting never perishes. In spite of many obsta- 
 cles and set-backs the Christianizing of the Red men went on, though 
 the Missionaries had to toil and surfer and lay down their lives. We 
 read of one Andrews, a Missionary to the Mohawks, walking through the 
 forests to visit the Oneidas a hundred miles away, and " lying several 
 nights in the woods on a bear skin." This was a common enough occur- 
 rence. Sometimes the Indians it is said stirred up by some emissary 
 from the French, or unfriendly Tuscaroras from North Carolina, would 
 turn against their leaders and desert and mock them. A Missionary 
 had not only to bear the pinch of poverty and all the exposure of a life 
 in the wilderness, but also the savage attacks made sometimes upon 
 home and Church. The tomahawk and flambeau were not pleasant 
 neighbors. Nor was the opposition confined to the Indians alone, Lord 
 Conbury the royal Governor at New York, whom Col. Morris character- 
 izes as a " man certainly the reverse of all that is good," summoned Mr. 
 Moor, one of the Mis- 
 sionaries, before him. 
 Mr. Moor had rebuked 
 him for s o m e of his 
 openly scandalous con- 
 duct. The Governor 
 had Moor arrested and 
 imprisoned in Fort 
 Anne. What do you 
 think was this good 
 man's great offence ? 
 The alleged irregular- 
 ity was " The celebrat- 
 ing the Blessed Sacra- 
 ment as often as once a 
 fortnight," which fre- 
 quency, he the Gover- 
 nor, was pleased to for- 
 bid. In the middle of 
 that century we find the 
 Indians ministered toby 
 one Rev. J. Ogilvie, who 
 attended the troops in 
 the expedition to Niag- 
 ara. Almost all the Six RT . REV . BISH op HOBART 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS II 
 
 Nations co-operated. The Indian fighting men numbered nine hundred 
 and forty. He records that he " officiated constantly to the Mohawks 
 and Oneidas who regularly attended Divine Service." Twelve of the 
 Mohawk leaders fell in the battle at Lake George, six of them regular 
 communicants. When at home writes another Missionary, the Rev. J. 
 Stuart, "The Indians regularly attend service daily, and when out 
 hunting some would come (of course on foot) sixty miles to communi- 
 cate on Christmas day." The Revolution brought its embarrassments 
 and its trials and hinderances to the Church's progress. The Mohawks 
 and others abandoned their property, and their dwellings, under a sense 
 of loyalty to the crown, and eventually took shelter in Canada. Those 
 who remained were left without regular ministrations for some years. 
 Finally they came under the protecting care of Bishop Hobart who was 
 consecrated in May 1811. The mission had indeed dwindled but this 
 godly servant of God immediately revived it. Consecrated in May 181 1, 
 we find him at once visiting the Indian members of his flock. At that 
 lime there were left several baptized persons and one communicant. The 
 work grew rapidly. In Bishop Hobart's address to his Diocesan Con- 
 vention in the year 1S18 he speaks of the Oneidas as having erected a 
 handsome Church. The cost of this we learn from an address made by 
 the chiefs was between three and four thousand dollars which they had 
 raised themselves. The Bishop thus describes his visitation : "On 
 my visit to them several hundred assembled for worship ; those who 
 could read were furnished with books ; and they uttered the confessions 
 of the Liturgy, responded to its supplications, and chanted its hymns of 
 praise, with a reverence and fervor which powerfully interested the feel- 
 ings of those who witnessed the solemnity. They listened to my address 
 io them, interpreted by Mr. Williams, with much solicitous attention ; 
 they received the Laying on of Hands with such grateful humility, and 
 participated of the symbols of their Saviour's love with such tears of pen- 
 itential devotion, that the impression which the scene made upon my 
 mind will never be effaced. Nor was this the excitement of the moment, 
 or the ebullition of enthusiasm. The eighty-nine who were con- 
 firmed had been well instructed by Mr. Williams ; and none were per- 
 mitted to approach the Communion whose lives did not correspond with 
 their Christian profession." Even after their removal to Wisconsin 
 Bishop Hobart still extended to his Indian friends his watchful and pro- 
 tecting care. Both he and Bishop Onderdonk visited them in their new 
 home. Long years after when a portrait of Bishop Hobart had been 
 presented to the congregation and hung in the Church, one very old 
 
12 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDA3 
 
 woman asked to see it, and as soon as she could see the face she raised' 
 her hands, "So glad, so glad," she said the tears running down her 
 face, " Good picture, just like him," was her exclamation ; " he put hi s - 
 hands on my head," she said ; " I am so glad to see his good face once 
 more. " The old chief also said that the picture looked as he remenr 
 bered him. That when he was a young man in New York the Bishop was- 
 coming to visit the nation, and a hundred of the men went on horse- 
 back five miles to meet him. They formed in line as he rode up, with 
 the heads of the horses facing the road, and the Bishop rode past the 
 line and took off his hat and bowed to them all. As expressing their 
 own spirit, we give an extract from the address thirteen Oneida chiefs 
 had sent to him. It was written by a young Indian chief. " Right Rev. 
 Father. We salute you in the name of the ever-adorable, ever-blessed, 
 and ever-living sovereign Lord of the Univers ; we acknowledge this 
 great and Almighty being as our Creator, Preserver and constant Bene- 
 factor. Right Rev. Father, we rejoice to say we see now that the Chris- 
 tian religion is intended for the good of the Indians as well as the white 
 people ; we see it and do feel it that the religion of the Gospel will make 
 us happy in this and in the world to come. Right Rev. Father. As the 
 head and father of the Holy and Apostolic Church in this state, we 
 entreat you to take a special charge of us. We are ignorant, we are 
 poor, and need your assistance. Come, venerable father and visit 
 your children and warm their hearts by your presence in the things which 
 belong to their everlasting peace." The Bishop calling them, " My 
 children," addressed them a most earnest and loving exhortation, tell- 
 ing them that " The great Father of all hath made of one blood all the 
 nations of the earth ; and hath sent His son Jesus Christ to teach all and 
 to die for them all that they might be redeemed from the power of sin. " 
 He besought them to unite with their Missionary in the Prayers of our 
 Apostolic Church, and to receive the Sacraments and ordinances of the 
 Church, and in his wise and practical way also said, " My children, let 
 me exhort you diligently to labor to get your living by cultivating the 
 earth. You will then promote your worldly comfort, you will be more 
 respected among your white brethren, and more united and strong; 
 among yourselves." We may in our day lay to heart these words of his 
 Convention address, "The exertions made for the conversion of the 
 Indian tribes have not been so successful, partly because not united with 
 efforts to introduce among them, those arts of civilization, without which 
 the Gospel can neither be understood nor valued." The Indian must be 
 taught and helped to work as well as to pray. 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 13 
 
 The Tribal Government and Some Eminent Oneida Chiefs 
 
 The early name given to the meetings of the chiefs was, "The 
 •Council Fires." Each Indian tribe was divided into clans. There were 
 among the Oneidas three clans, having for their totems the Bear, the 
 Wolf, and the Turtle. The chiefs were of two classes, hereditary and 
 and council ; the former inherited their rank from their mothers. The 
 council chiefs were of later origin and were those who had won recogni- 
 tion for their abilities without respect to their parentage, and were 
 elected to the office by the clan to which they belonged. 
 
 The tribe had a republican form of government. The elected 
 officers were called Sachems and councilors. Sachems held office for 
 three years, and Councilors two years. In the olden days there were 
 two councils — the special and the general. The special council was 
 composed of the chiefs only. When questions came up for decision, a 
 general council was called, summoning all the warriors. For these 
 assemblies a runner notified all chiefs, warriors and people, and the 
 councils were held until the tribal organization ceased, and the people 
 became subject to the laws of the State of Wisconsin. 
 
 A conspicuous chief was Skenandoah, whose heroic figure stands out 
 so prominently on the side of the English, in the French and Indian 
 wars. The first authentic reference that we have to him bears date of 
 the beginning of the war of 1775. With other chieftains of his tribe he 
 had gone to Albany to be present at a treaty between the Colonial au- 
 thorities and the Iroquois. He had not as yet felt the touch of any 
 kindly guidance or molding influence, and being a savage of the savages, 
 was revengeful and fierce. From an over-free indulgence in liquor, he 
 found himself one morning in the gutter, despoiled of all his chieftan's 
 ornaments, in fact robbed of almost every stitch of clothing. So 
 chagrined and mortified was he, and his pride so humbled, that he vowed 
 from that day forward no drop of " strong waters " should pass his lips, 
 a determination from which nothing could move him during the sixty re- 
 maining years of his life. On one occasion, in his old age, when address- 
 ing his people, he is said to have thus adjured them: " Drink no 'strong 
 water.' It makes you mice for the white men who are cats. Many a 
 meal have they eaten of you." During the American Revolution, 
 Skenandoah played an important part. Harold Fredric states that he 
 was present among Herkimer's forces at the battle of Oriskany, and 
 also that he was the avenger who breasted the swollen waters of West 
 Canada Creek, that bleak day in late October of 1781, and killed the 
 
14 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 infamous Tory, Walter Butler. He it was who warned the Settlement 
 of German Flats, of the intended descent of Brandt and his Mohawks 
 and thus saved the inhabitants from massacre by giving them ample 
 opportunity to seek the protecting shelter of Fort Herkimer and Fort 
 Dayton. Washington is said to have commended his services. After 
 the Revolution he was unquestionably first among the Oneida Sachems. 
 Twice his name appears attached to treaties made at Fort Stanwix 
 between the Six Nations and the Government of the United States. 
 Skenandoah was of commanding figure and a man of great eloquence 
 and solid judgment. From his interest and sympathy with the white 
 people, from his fidelity to all his engagements with them, he was dis- 
 tinguished among the Indians by the appellation of the " White man's 
 friend." He became a Christian soon after the establishment of the 
 mission to the Indians by the Rev. Samuel Kirkland, about the year 
 1764. His Christian character was remarkably strong and well defined, 
 A short time before his death, he thus expressed himself to a friend: — 
 " I am an aged hemlock ; the winds of an hundred winters have whistled 
 through my branches ; I am dead at the top. The generation to which 
 I belonged have run away and left me ; why I live the Great Good Spirit 
 only knows ; pray to my Jesus that I may have patience to wait for my 
 appointed time to die." Skenandoah died at Oneida Castle on the nth 
 of March, 1816, aged no years. An account of his death was given in 
 the Utica Patriot. The old chief heard prayers read by his great-grand 
 daughter who sat at his bedside, and having again expressed the oft- 
 repeated desire that his body might be laid to rest beside his friend and 
 minister Mr. Kirkland, "that he might cling to the skirts of his gar- 
 ments, and go up with him at the great resurrection." When in 1856 
 Kirkland's remains were removed to the cemetery of Hamilton College, 
 Skenandoah's body was also transferred thither, so the Christian Min- 
 ister and the Indian Warrior now sleep side by side in their graves. 
 Above the Chief's resting place the Northern Missionary Society erected 
 a monument, upon which is engraved an inscription commemorating his 
 virtues and noble deeds. 
 
 Foremost among the hereditary Oneida chiefs was another Sken- 
 andoah. or " Running Deer," the last of the New York chiefs and one 
 of the most famous ones of the West. He was a descendant of the 
 Skenandoah whom we have previously described. It was this later 
 Skenandoah who headed the Oneidas when they came from New York 
 to Wisconsin. In his younger days he was of very striking appearance, 
 being six feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. A most noted orator 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 '5 
 
 CHIEF SKENANDOAH 
 
 of his tribe, he had much to do with its affairs. He was a delegate to 
 the conference at Albany, N. Y., when the lands of the tribe in that state 
 were sold, and also a representative to Washington when the present 
 
 Reservation was arranged with the author- 
 ities. He was looked up to and had much 
 authority as an adviser of his people ; he 
 retained much personal influence and the 
 respect of the tribe until the last. He died 
 October 6th, 1897, at the age of eighty-six 
 years, and was buried from Hobart 
 Church, the Bishop of the Diocese coming 
 for the occasion. The chief 's body lay in 
 state -for an hour before the service and 
 hundreds of the tribe came to show their 
 respect for the old chieftain. The scene 
 was beautiful and impressive as the coffin 
 was borne from the Church and carried 
 along the road to the burial ground of the Oneidas, followed by the 
 Bishop, the Clergy, the Choir, and a long procession of men, women 
 and children, singing their Indian hymns. What a change had taken 
 place since with heathen rites they gathered round the Stone. Pagan- 
 ism had disappeared. The Cross had won 
 its victory. 
 
 Another famous chief of the Oneidas 
 and the most noted of all the Council 
 Chiefs was the great orator Daniel Bread. 
 He was born in New York in the new year 
 1796. His love of nature early revealed 
 to him many truths, and his young spirit 
 was attuned to all her harmonies, so that 
 he was lead to higher thoughts of life and 
 felt within himself a yearning for a 
 broader vision and a wider action. He 
 keenly watched the Chiefs in Council and 
 stored each word they uttered in his reten- 
 tive mind. At the age of 16 he was pre- 
 sented at the Council House of the Nation, where his remarkable power 
 of speech won for him the recognition as king of orators. 
 
 By common consent he was elected a Council Chief, an office en- 
 tirely new to the Nation. During this year he also represented the 
 
 CHIEF BREAD 
 
l6 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 Nation at Washington, and by his arguments, and stern eloquence won 
 much regard. 
 
 This was but the beginning; from then on, until the end of his 
 career in 1872, he was ever a man of mark and his nation looked up to 
 him as a leader. The story of outraged Indians has never been fully 
 told. They have been cheated and robbed b)' agents, nor has the 
 Government been free from blame. Efforts have been repeatedly made 
 to take away the lands which had been granted in exchange for their 
 own. 
 
 Let us try and imagine the scene of one of the famous Councils as 
 it has been described. Picture the goodly array of Chiefs in coats, 
 more, in blankets and decorated with flowers, wampum and vermillion. 
 No one has brought his weapon of war, but all have come with the pipe, 
 the sacred emblem of peace. They have been called to the council to 
 meet the Governor and receive his proposition to sell their country and 
 go beyond the Mississippi. This involves the removal of the Menom- 
 onees and the three remnants of the New York Indians, the Brother- 
 towns, the Stockbridges and Oneidas. They are told they had already 
 agreed in 1831 to sell their country whenever the President wished to 
 purchase. This clause however had been fraudulently inserted after the 
 treaty was signed at Washington. The Brothertown chiefs said their 
 tribe had long since lost their own language and had become so entirely 
 identified with the whites in manners, habits and pursuits that they were 
 reluctant about moving and wished they might be permitted to remain 
 as citizens of the United States. The Stockbridges wished first to ex- 
 amine the country which the President proposed to give them. It is 
 said of the Stockbridges that with their venerable Chief Metoxen at their 
 head, they had for a long time professed Christianity, and every morn- 
 ing and evening during the session of the Council, they sung hymns to 
 the Saviour and offered prayers. 
 
 Their quiet behavior was also remarked upon as being in strong 
 contrast with the noise and misconduct of some of the white men. 
 The Oneidas were totally averse to removal. The chiefs of the first 
 Christian party, as the Oneida's were called, did not come to the 
 Council, until they were sent for the third time. And then their speaker, 
 Daniel Bread came into prominence. His speech made at this council 
 shows the dignity of his clear oratory. 
 
 " Father: What we have long feared has at last come to us. We 
 have just settled in this country; have hardly laid down the packs from 
 our shoulders and recovered from the fatigue of our journey here, when 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 17 
 
 you wish us again to remove. It is discouraging. It discourages those 
 that have come, and those behind. Father: The white men are power- 
 ful, and they are rich. You can turn the river of the water; you can 
 dig away the mountain, why then do you want the little spot that we 
 have ? It is but a little time since, and we possessed the whole country; 
 now you have gained all but a few spots. Why will you not permit us 
 to remain ? Father : We are thankful for the good example of the white 
 man. They have taught us to cultivate our lands ; we wish to follow 
 that example still; we have felt the effects of removal. It is like a 
 feather blown about by the wind ; we wish to be like those heavy sub- 
 stances which stay in the ground. If we are like the feather, we may 
 soon be blown beyond the Rocky Mountains. Father : we are in great 
 distress. We go to our work, and while cutting down the trees, it seems 
 as if a whip were held over us. Something tells us, ' This is not yours.' 
 Father: You promise us a good country beyond the Mississippi. We are 
 satisfied with the soil and climate where we now are, and besides how 
 can we live in peace with the natives there? Informer years, they have 
 had war with our people ; we killed many of them ; blood is yet on the 
 knife. How can we meet them in peace? Father: we have long shown 
 our good feeling to the white man, by giving them room. We have 
 given them lands, until they have a greater country than Great Britian. 
 It is not yet full. Why then will you not suffer us to remain? The white 
 people in our neighborhood do not disturb us ; we wish to live with them 
 still ; we want to remain where we are." 
 
 Another interesting figure in the tribe 
 is Chief Cornelius Hill. It is noticeable 
 how the Indians select and train up their 
 chiefs. It was while at school at Nasho- 
 tah that Cornelius Hill was made a chief 
 of the Bear Clan, when only thirteen years 
 of age. Upon his return to the reserva- 
 tion a national feast was given in his honor 
 at which all the other clans were present. 
 The new chief took the name and the 
 place of one of their oldest chiefs, known 
 as Great Medicine. He was the youngest 
 and consequently is the last chief of the 
 CHIEF HILL Oneidas. When about eighteen years of age 
 
 he began to go with the chiefs to council and received honor from them. 
 For a number of years he was made treasurer of the annuities paid by 
 
T 8 the church's mission to the oneidas 
 
 the U. S. Government. He was chosen with one other to take the cen- 
 sus of the tribe which in 1856 numbered one thousand. The last census 
 gives us a population of two thousand. Chief Hill was chosen Sachem 
 and held the office for several terms. He was early chosen a delegate 
 to our Church Councils, and he has loyally upheld her Missionaries since 
 the time of Bishop Kemper. When there was some opposition to a Mis- 
 sionary who was opposing the sale of their lands and the removal of the 
 tribe, and some, instigated by the Government agent, made menacing 
 speeches advocating the removal of the Missionary, Chief Hill quietly 
 said, " Well if you do get rid of the Missionary, it will be over my dead 
 body." It was by his brave support that the Missionary was protected, 
 and it is due to both, that the Oneidas remain unmolested in their peace- 
 ful homes to-day. In order to show that -the Oneidas have not pur- 
 chased this peace without a struggle we quote from an article written 
 many years ago by Chief Hill, when an attempt was made to remove the 
 Indians farther West, and much pressure was brought to bear upon all 
 the chiefs to sell their lands. He describes the life and manners of his 
 people in the past and shows their steady advancement in the paths of 
 civilization, and then very justly says, " The whites are not willing to 
 give us time to become civilized, but we must remove to some barbarous 
 country as soon as civilization approaches us. The whites claim to be 
 civilized, and from them we must learn the arts and customs of civilized 
 life. The civilization at which I and the greater part of my people aim, 
 is one of truth and honor; one that will raise us to a higher state of 
 existence here on earth, and fit us for a blessed one in the next world. 
 For this civilization we intend to strive — right here where we are — being 
 sure that we shall find it no sooner in the wilds beyond the Mississippi. 
 1 Progress' is our motto, and you who labor to deprive us of this small 
 spot of God's footstool, will labor in vain. We will not sign your treaty; 
 no amount of money can tempt us to sell our people. You say our 
 answer must be given to-day. You can't be troubled any longer with 
 these Council Meetings. You shall have your wish — and it is one that 
 you will hear every time you seek to drive us from our lands — No." 
 
 The following pen-picture of two of the older men of the tribe closes 
 the account of our chiefs and great men. Among them were two nearly 
 the same age ; they were intelligent, active, industrious and enjoyed the 
 respect and confidence of their people. . They were formerly of differ- 
 ent clans ; the totem of the one being the turtle, of the other, the bear. 
 Some little jealousy was excited, and the turtle chief looked with envious 
 eyes upon his neighbor. The disposition of the bear chief was any- 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS ig 
 
 thing rather than that indicated by his totem — he was mild, peaceable 
 and retiring, and moreover, beloved for his piety as a Christian. Find- 
 ing that the jealousy of his brother chief was likely to mar the harmony 
 of their public councils he voluntarily signified his intention to act no 
 more as a chief. " Brothers," said he, " you must no longer look upon 
 me as a chief ; from this time I wish you to regard me as a little child." 
 He ever afterwards absented himself from the council fire, and would 
 have no voice in public affairs. When, by treaty, he with other chiefs, 
 was to receive five hundred dollars, he refused even to sign the receipt 
 upon which the money could be drawn. He thought the peace and 
 harmony of his tribe, of more account. He had rather be hidden, and 
 esteem others better than himself. There are few white men who might 
 not take a lesson of humility and simplicity from this Oneida chief. The 
 bad side of the Indian has often been painted, and his bravery, endur- 
 ance and skill often dwelt upon. The poets have told us of the devo- 
 tion of his love and the fidelity of his friendship. But there is also a 
 very touching beauty of moral perception hidden beneath his rugged 
 nature. 
 
 The Church History of the Oneidas 
 
 We have with our fondness for the past, lingered among its legends 
 and the stories of its heroes. We wish that we could make others see 
 the vision, and hear the voices of the fading past, but we must hasten 
 on to answer the question rising in our readers' minds. What of the 
 Oneidas to-day? It is no exaggeration to say that the first interest of the 
 tribe centers round its Church, and the church history of these people 
 is most interesting and 
 instructive. On the 
 removal of the Oneidas 
 to Wisconsin one of the 
 first buildings erected by 
 them was a little log 
 Church. Photography 
 was then an almost 
 unknown art, and there 
 is no picture of this first 
 house, built to the glory 
 of God and the service 
 
 of the people. The 
 
 r r LOG CHURCH— BUILT ABOUT 1822 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 accompanying sketch was made from a description of it given by one of 
 the very old women of the tribe who can just remember how the build- 
 ing looked. In this building the Oneidas worshipped until a frame 
 Church was built and consecrated by Bishop Kemper in 1839. It was 
 the first Church in Wisconsin, but from this root, poor and humble as 
 it looks, the present strong and healthy work has grown. 
 
 The first Missionary to the Indians in 
 Wisconsin, was the Rev. Eleazer Williams. 
 Much romance is interwoven in the story of 
 his life, and from various sources we have 
 gathered the following account of this 
 remarkable man. Mr. Williams was born 
 at St. Regis, New York, near Lake George, 
 May 1788. He was considered to be a 
 descendant of the Rev. Mr. Williams who 
 resided in the frontier village of Deerfield, 
 Mass., which was sacked and plundered 
 in one of the inroads of the Indians on 
 the white settlement, and the wife and 
 children of the minister, who was absent, 
 were carried off as prisoners. Upon his 
 return to a desolate home the distracted 
 father set oft immediately in search of his family, but years elapsed 
 before any trace of them was found. When at last he found them 
 the children who had survived were unwilling to return to their own 
 people, and like many other captives they had cast^in their lot with their 
 captors by marriage. The children of the marrirge of one of the 
 daughters, Eunice Williams, with a chief of the tribe assumed the name 
 of Williams and from this family Eleazer Williams derived his name 
 and lineage. Williams lived among the St. Regis Indians until the age 
 of fourteen. Early in life he became greatly interested in the work of 
 evangelizing the Indians of New York, and in 1815 desiring to know and 
 understand the teachings of the Episcopal Church went from Oneida, 
 Central New York, to see and take counsel of Bishop Hobart, who 
 received him with great cordiality. In 1822 Mr. Williams led his people 
 from New York to Wisconsin to the lands which the United States Gov- 
 ernment had set apart for them. He was made a lay reader, catechist 
 and schoolmaster by Bishop Hobart, at the earnest request of the heads 
 of the Nation. On July 18th, 1826, he was ordained a deacon at Ver- 
 non, Oneida County, N. Y. During the same year he asked to be 
 
 THE REV. ELEAZER WILLIAMS 
 
 The First Missionary to the Oneidas 
 
 1822-1830 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 21 
 
 appointed a Missionary to the Oneidas. His request was granted and 
 in August he began his work among them. In addition to his other 
 labors he translated the Prayer Book into the Mohawk tongue, and pub- 
 lished an Indian spelling book. An extract from a letter, published in 
 a western paper, says of Mr. Williams, "That his work among the Onei- 
 das was one of lasting benefit to the whole tribe and he is gratefully 
 remembered to-day as the first minister who really taught them as a 
 people the doctrines of Christ." Mr. Williams was a man of exceptional 
 gifts. He wrote music and poetry, and preached excellent sermons of 
 great length and earnestness. In the earlier part of his life he con- 
 ceived the ambitious scheme of removing the New York Indians to Wis- 
 consin and there organizing them into a great federation, and to accom- 
 plish this end he made his first western trip in 1820, but was met by 
 numerous obstacles and obliged to abandon the enterprise. Persisting, 
 however, he persuaded John C. Calhoun to favor the plan, and through 
 his aid he was enabled to make another attempt, this time under Gov- 
 ernment patronage. It was necessary in order to successfully carry 
 out this scheme of imigration of the New York Indians to obtain the 
 consent of the Menominee and Winnebago tribes, and for this purpose 
 he arranged for a great council at Green Bay. As a preliminary to the 
 treaty the Winnebago warriors entertained the visitors with a great war 
 dance. However at the conclusion of the dance the Winnebagoes 
 departed, and with them vanished the dream of an Indian Empire. A 
 treaty was made with the Menominees which existed several years, but 
 Williams was unable to fulfill his promises, and the treaty was finally 
 broken. The New York Indians thus found themselves in a strange 
 country, without a home. At this time the United States Government 
 concluded a treaty with the Oneidas, giving them 65,000 acres of land 
 in the State of Wisconsin, in consideration of yielding their lands in 
 New York. 
 
 About the year 1842 a widespread interest was aroused concerning 
 Mr. Williams. It was claimed that he was the lost Dauphin of France, 
 the son of Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette. It was believed tbat the 
 young Prince had been secretly taken from his prison in Paris, and 
 brought to America by a secret agent of the royal family, and placed in 
 an Indian family in New York. A Frenchman named Belanger stated 
 on his deathbed that he had brought the young Prince to America and 
 left him with an Indian family in New York. When his supposed 
 Indian mother was interrogated she refused to state whether or not 
 Eleazer Williams was her own son. Upon looking up records it was 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 discovered that while the birth of all her other children had been duly 
 Recorded, this child's birth had been omitted. As the family w e re 
 Roman Catholics and very strict in the matter of recording births, it 
 seemed a little singular that this particular child should be forgotten, 
 and the fact went far to corroborate the tale of his royal birth. In later 
 life his resemblance to the Bourbons was very striking, and he also pos- 
 sessed many characteristics of their Princes. In 1841 Prince de Join- 
 ville visited America and had an interview with Mr. Williams at Green 
 Bay. According to Mr. Williams' account of the interview, it was said 
 that the Prince told him of his probable origin and tried to induce him 
 to sign a formal abdication of the throne of France. Investigation of 
 the claims brought many interesting facts to light and the affair created 
 intense excitement. Many people of high moral character gave credence 
 to the claim. It was the foundation of many a story, that of " The 
 Lost Prince " in Harper's Magazine being the most interesting. But 
 minute inquiries failed to substantiate his claims. The excitement 
 gradually subsided and Eleazer Williams after a short period of exalta- 
 tion, went back to his former life, and died in obscurity at St. Regis, 
 August 28th, 1858. 
 
 Mr. Williams was succeeded in 1830 
 by the Rev. Richard F. Cadle, the pioneer 
 Missionary of Wisconsin, who remained 
 with them until 1836. Then the guide of 
 one of the later parties from New York to 
 the West, the Rev. Solomon Davis, or 
 " Priest Davis " as he was generally called 
 was settled over them for eleven years. It 
 was during this time, in 1842, that the Rev. 
 James Lloyd Breck and the Rev. William 
 Adams, the founders of Nashotah House, 
 were advanced to the Priesthood. It was 
 their desire to be ordained in a consecra- 
 ted Church, but there were at that time 
 only two such buildings in the whole Ter- 
 ritory of Wisconsin— the Church of the Oneidas, and the Church at 
 Green Bay. The Ordination took place at Oneida. The journey 
 from Nashotah was made on foot with an occasional lift in a lumber 
 wagon, and occupied four days each way. As a memorial of the event 
 the Indians gave them the old bell «« Michael," which for many years 
 hung in an oak tree near the house, and though its position has been 
 
 REV. RICHARD CADLE 
 Missionary 1830 1836 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 23 
 
 changed, this same bell still calls to duty and prayer at Nashotah House. 
 On their return to Nashotah the Revs. Adams and Breck took with them 
 three Oneida lads, and one of them, the Rev. Cornelius, Hill, has for 
 some time been our Indian Deacon and Interpreter. While we are giv- 
 ing an account of the pioneer missionaries in Wisconsin we may let one 
 of them speak for himself. In the "Gospel Messenger," under date of 
 Dec. 14th, 1836, he thus writes : 
 
 "After encountering excessive fatigues and difficulties I reached 
 this place on the evening of the 30th of November. I was confined to 
 my room some time from the excessive exertions it became necessary to 
 make during the last days of my journey. When we entered the Bay 
 we found the navigation closed by the ice, and no possibility of approach- 
 ing the head of the Bay by vessel. The Captain therefore made Menom- 
 inee river where the vessel is expected to winter. From that place to 
 the Mission is between sixty and seventy miles by water, and the dis- 
 tance is much increased by following the indentations of the coast. Of 
 course it is a dense wilderness the whole distance. No roads and no 
 alternative but to find my way along the beach on the ice. To add to 
 my difficulties I had my eldest son with me, aged eleven years. For 
 him to walk that distance was entirely out of the question, and to leave 
 him that distance from any white settlement, in the heart of an Indian 
 country, required greater strength of nerve than I possessed. Under 
 the circumstances I obtained an Indian hunting sled, wrapped my son 
 in some Indian blankets and placed him upon the sled. I obtained two 
 stout Indians as guides, and they drew the sled. We exchanged our 
 boots for moccasins, and with some provisions furnished by an Indian 
 woman who became much interested for my little boy, we commenced 
 our journey through immense masses of ice in following the beach, for 
 on the west side of the Bay are extensive swamps, not yet sufficiently 
 frozen to admit our crossing them. We traveled about twenty-five miles 
 the first day and encamped for the night upon the beach. 
 
 "It being intensely cold I obtained some cedar boughs on which I lay 
 down, with the snow for my pillow, and the heavens for my covering, 
 and taking my son into my arms drew my cloak close around him. In this 
 manner I passed one of the most painful and anxious nights of my life. 
 The next morning, we commenced our journey again. The loose bodies 
 of ice were now united, sufficiently to bear us, where the day before the 
 ice left large open places. Our guides continued their Indian pace until 
 four o'clock in the afternoon when we came to a small river, on the 
 banks of which we found a white family residing, for the purpose of 
 
24 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 lumbering. Here we obtained a cup of hot coffee, the first warm article 
 that had entered my mouth for two days. Here we remained until the 
 next morning. My feet were much swollen from traveling upon the ice, 
 and were so painful that sleep was impossible through the night, and the 
 next morning the attempt to walk was so painful as to be sickening. Still 
 the thought of being thirty miles from home added to my resolution to 
 attempt it once more. Our guides were resolute to go through, but for 
 me to walk in my crippled condition for thirty miles appeared impossible. 
 But after walking a few miles I found my feet less painful and we con- 
 tinued our journey without interruption until near night, when we ap- 
 proached the village, having walked thirty miles. Here I discharged the 
 guides and drew my son on the sled the rest of the way. At the village 
 I met a friend who kindly took us into his sleigh, and in a short time 
 I was in the arms of my family. The kindness of these poor Indians 
 to us on this occasion was most gratifying, particularly the Indian 
 woman mentioned. Although she could not speak a word of English she 
 saw our situation and did everything in her power to assist us. She ob- 
 tained the guides for us, provided moccasins, showed us how to guard 
 against freezing, provided such provisions for us as we had, and actually 
 drew a pair of mittens from the hands of her son and put them on to 
 my son's hands, over a pair he had already on. And when I offered 
 her money to compensate for her kindness she refused, and replied to 
 me through an interpreter, that she could not receive any compensation, 
 for she might, she knew not how soon, want assistance, and if I never 
 had an opportunity to repay her, if I would do it to any of her people 
 whom I might find in distress it was all she asked of me. Noble, phil- 
 anthropic woman ! Though she is of the tawny children of the forest, 
 wild and uncultivated with no distinct ideas of God, of a Saviour, or of 
 the Gospel salvation, still she has a better title to the appellation of the 
 Good Samaritan than thousands who never think of these people but as 
 beings unworthy of the least regard, as savages fit only to be annihilated. 
 I trust and pray that in that day when Jesus Christ shall make up His 
 jewels, a far more glorious reward will be allotted her than could be 
 rendered in this life." 
 
 It is a matter of much regret to the compiler of this book that there 
 is so little data to be obtained of the work done by the Revs. Cadle, Davis 
 and Haff. But from the old pages of the Gospel Messenger we gather 
 the following notes of those good men. Rev. Solomon Davis writes June 
 ist, 1836 : "This day was spent in visiting and in religious conversa- 
 tion among my parishioners. On approaching a house, at about the 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 25 
 
 going down of the sun, I distinctly heard a person at prayer. I waited 
 at the door till the Amen was pronounced when, on entering, it proved 
 to be the mistress of the family offering up her evening sacrifice. How 
 gratifying and cheering to the soul to find one of my dear people thus 
 employed." 
 
 There is a temper and spirit truly Christain in the following, from 
 the letter of the Rev. Solomon Davis. They who thus take "joyfully 
 the spoiling of their goods " for Jesus' sake, will not lose their reward, 
 let the world frown as it may. " Dec. 9th, 1837: While at Green Bay 
 yesterday, with a view of forwarding my missionary report by the Chi- 
 cago mail, I received the unwelcome intelligence of the destruction of 
 my dwelling house by fire. On my leturn to the Mission I find that not 
 only the house but nearly all it contained is reduced to ashes. My 
 library, of about 500 volumes, is entirely destroyed, as iseven our wear- 
 ing apparel, etc. The fire took from the chimney and the wind being 
 very high, the work was quickly done. The property (though of little 
 value) which we regard as belonging to our committee is safe, viz., the 
 Missionary, his wife and daughter, and, by the blessing of God, are in 
 good health and spirits." In another letter dated Sept. 16th, 1841, 
 Mr. Davis writes concerning the Oneidas : "Their customs and pecul- 
 iarities after a lapse of twenty years ( during which period the present 
 Missionary has been among them ) have finally been made to disappear, 
 and their advancement in civilization is beyond that of any other tribe 
 within my knowledge. They are becoming an agricultural people, with 
 fairly comfortable homes. They have, also, a Church edifice, in good 
 taste, and possessing all the requisites for a worshiping assembly. 
 Divine service is well attended and everything pertaining thereto done 
 ' decently and in order.' Nearly one hundred out of a population of 
 five hundred souls are professed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ." 
 In August 1838, Bishop Kemper paid his first visit to Oneida, the occa- 
 sion being the laying of the corner-stone of a new Church soon to be 
 built. This was the first ceremony of the kind that the Indians had ever 
 seen, and no small interest was manifested by them. A large number 
 of chiefs and warriors went on horseback and met the Bishop about five 
 miles from the Mission. When they met, the Indians were told by 
 Chief Daniel Bread that " They were now in the presence of their spirit- 
 ual father, who had no doubt been sent by the Good Spirit to see his red 
 children, the Oneidas, and to do them good." The Indians, at this pre- 
 sentation, uncovered their heads and bowed most respectfully. They 
 hen opened ranks, and the Bishop and Clergy passed through and were 
 
26 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 escorted to the Church. The Services began by chanting the Te Deum 
 in the Indian language. At the close of the Service the congregation 
 formed in a procession, and with the Bishop and Clergy went to the site 
 of the new Church, which was on an elevation overlooking the settle- 
 ment. The services at 
 this place were solemn 
 and impressive. The 
 deposits were placed in a 
 tin box under the stone 
 by the chief orator of the 
 tribe. A memorandum 
 was placed with other 
 documents as follows : 
 " This corner-stone was 
 laid on the seventh day 
 of August, A. D. 1836, 
 by the Rt. Rev. Father 
 in God, Jackson Kemper, 
 Bishop of Missouri and 
 Indiana, the first Mis- 
 sionary Bishop of the 
 Protestant Episcopal 
 Church in the United 
 States." Four of the 
 chiefs then took hold of 
 the stone at each corner, 
 and placed it in position. 
 The Gloria in Excelsis 
 was sung and after an 
 address by the Rev. 
 Richard Cadle the Service closed with the Bishop's benediction. In the 
 following year Bishop Kemper again visited Oneida for the purpose of 
 consecrating the First Episcopal Church in the Territory of Wisconsin. 
 This consecration took place on September 2nd, 1839. The service was 
 indeed most interesting. The Bishop accompanied by the Missionary, 
 the Rev. Solomon Davis, was received at the door of the Church by the 
 chiefs of the nation. After being seated within the chancel the instru- 
 ment of donation was presented to him by four of the oldest chiefs in 
 the tribe, each taking hold of it by the corner, and in this manner plac- 
 ing it in the hands of their chief spiritual Father. After being read by 
 
 RT. REV. BISHOP KEMPER 
 (From a photograph taken about the year 1 838) 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 27 
 
 the Missionary, it was returned to the Bishop and placed by him upon 
 ihe Altar. The Bishop then performed the usual consecration service, 
 -certain portions of which were interpreted to the Indians. At the close 
 of the service the chiefs and head men of the nation came in front of 
 "the chancel, each placing his hand, as he came up, upon the shoulder of 
 the other, and in this way forming a half circle in the presence of the 
 Bishop. The Missionary stood in the center, and the Chief nearest to 
 
 HOBART CHURCH-BUILT IN 1839 
 
 him on each side placed a hand upon his shoulder, while he read in their 
 behalf the following address : 
 
 To the Right Reverend Father in God, Jackson Kemper, D. D. : 
 " Right Reverend Father: The chiefs of the Oneidas cannot suffer you 
 to depart from their nation without expressing their sincere thanks for 
 your kindness in visiting them at this time. The journey of our father 
 has been long. His children are thankful that the Great Spirit has 
 brought him through it in safety. His presence has made our hearts 
 glad. We will long remember the solemn services of this day. Our house 
 is now ' holy place.' It is duly prepared. It is made sacred to the wor- 
 
2 8 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDA3 
 
 ship of the Great and Eternal Spirit. Right Reverend Father : It is a 
 matter of joy to us that the good work is done. But your children will 
 not stop here. It shall be our endeavor to go on and do as you have 
 told us to do. Here, from time to time, we will come. We will bring 
 our families with us. We will try to worship the God of Christians with 
 sincere hearts. By hearing the good words of the Gospel we may learn 
 how to live well, and how thus we may finally be prepared to die well — 
 our days may end in peace. Right Reverend Father : Your children 
 now feel that they are brought very near to you. The Great Council of 
 the Church has granted our heart's desire. It was our choice that as 
 God's chief minister, you should preside over us. Our wishes are grat- 
 ified. The decision of the Great Council was good news in our ears 
 Could we sit near their council-fire when it is lighted up again, we 
 would thank them with one heart and one voice for what they have done. 
 Right Reverend Father : You will be there. Thank them for your 
 children. Right Reverend Father : We are now about to do what we 
 could not do when last you visited us. A chain of friendship is to be 
 formed, which we trust will never be broken. We now extend to you 
 the hand of the nation. We acknowledge you, and will hereafter hold 
 on to you as our lawful Bishop. Our eyes will turn to you, and to you. 
 alone, for counsel and advice in all our spiritual affairs. May the chain 
 now thrown around us, never become dim. May it bind us together in 
 peace and friendship, as long as life shall last. Father, your children 
 will take care to keep it bright. This is all they have to say." 
 
 The Bishop then took the Missionary by the hand ( the chiefs stilL 
 keeping their position ) and replied as follows : " My children : I deeply 
 feel the solemnities and responsibilities of this moment. It has afforded 
 me much pleasure to visit you and to consecrate your neat and hand- 
 some Church to the worship of Almighty God. My children : I have 
 beheld with pleasure your dwellings, barns and farms, and am convinced 
 that if you persevere in your honest, temperate and industrious habits, 
 your earthly comforts, under the blessing of our Heavenly Father, will 
 constantly increase. My children : I cordially unite myself to you as 
 your Father in the Lord, and fervently pray that the blessing of the 
 Great Spirit may ever rest upon this nation. I will always endeavor to 
 keep bright the chain of friendship now formed. Here may we often 
 worship God together as brothers in sincerity and truth, and hereafter, 
 where there will be no more sin, or pain or death, may unite in praises 
 and thanksgiving which will never end. May God bless you, my chil- 
 dren. Farewell." 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 29 
 
 Our last extract from the Gospel Messenger gives us this descrip- 
 tion of a cottage service in the early days at Oneida. " Our visit was 
 to the home of old Margaret Skenandoah, the daughter of the Oneida 
 Chief Skenandoah, who was known as the friend of Washington. She 
 lives by herself in a little cottage, attended by some of her children and 
 grandchildren, who provide for her necessities. About thirty of her 
 neighbors had gathered to receive with her the Blessed Sacrament. The 
 little congregation was seated, some on chairs or chests ranged about 
 the side of the room, and others upon a bed in the corner. A table 
 stood in the center of the room, covered with a white cloth and had upon 
 it the sacred vessels. Old Margaret, with her hair of silvery beauty, 
 sat in a chair, wrapped in a show white blanket. The rest of her cos- 
 tume consisted of the general apparel worn by the Oneida women, with 
 leggins and beaded moccasins. On either side of her, in picturesque 
 solemnity, were seated a group of women enveloped in white blankets. 
 The floor was scoured to utmost cleanness, and a faggot fire in the open 
 fire-place added a warmth to the chilly day. The service began with a 
 hymn sung in the Indian language ; a prayer was offered in Oneida, a 
 short address followed, which was interpreted. The Communion Ser- 
 vice was in English, and after another hymn, the communicants present 
 knelt around the little Altar and received with great reverence the Sac- 
 rament, after which the concluding prayers were said, the Gloria in 
 Excelsis sung and the Benediction pronounced. The meek and quiet 
 spirit which pervaded this Oneida cottage service was a blessed evidence 
 of its sincere Christian devotion." 
 
 In the year 1847 the Rev. F. R. Haff succeeded the Rev. Solomon 
 Davis as Missionary to the Oneidas, and 
 was in charge of the Mission until 1852. 
 Father Haff is still a working priest in the 
 Diocese, revered and loved by his old In- 
 dian congregation, but his treasury of 
 reminiscences, by his love of hiddenness 
 and self-effacement, is closed to us. 
 
 On October 16th, 1853, Rev. Edward 
 A. Goodnough succeeded Rev. F. R. Haff 
 as Missionary to the Oneida Indians, 
 which position he held until his death, a 
 period of thirty-six years, during which 
 time he never failed to perform his duties 
 each . Sunday, save three times, when 
 
 THE REV. F. R. HAFF 
 [Missionary 1847-1852 
 
3° 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 THE REV. E. A. GOODNOUGH 
 Missionary 1853-1890 
 
 sickness prevented him from so doing. He began his labors in the 
 little frame church built in 1839. Mr. Goodnough, although of a. 
 retiring disposition was a man of staunch purpose and devoted his 
 life to the spiritual growth and temporal welfare of his people. He was 
 to them a father, friend and priest ; a sharer in all their joys, and a com- 
 forter in times of sorrow. He taught them 
 rin a spirit of love and sympathy and so 
 won them to a higher life. During his 
 long stay among them the Indians were 
 encouraged to speak the English language 
 and adopt the manners and customs of the 
 white people. Frame buildings began to 
 be erected, and improved farm machinery 
 used in the cultivation of the land. The 
 Women's Guild was organized and did 
 much good work for the support of the 
 Church. The inception of a much needed 
 new stone Church was brought about by 
 his untiring energy, for the old Church 
 had suffered the glorious but remarkable 
 experience of being " worn out." The Indians had indeed done all in 
 their power to keep the old Church in repair. At one time when they 
 had long been waiting for sufficient snow to go into the woods for lum- 
 ber, they took advantage of the first good sledding to draw logs to the 
 mill. Although the earnings of the day's work were greatly needed by 
 them, seventy-five poor Indians brought all they received as an offering 
 to the Church to help re-shingle it. The Indian women picked black- 
 berries and made rush mats, and then walked miles to sell them for the 
 Church. Work on the new building was begun in 1870, and it is due to 
 Mr. Goodnough's efficient aid and persistency that the plans were car- 
 ried out in spite of many obstacles, hindrances, vexing opposition and 
 disappointments. The Indians were greatly interested in the project, 
 and gave time and labor in quarrying stone, hewing and hauling timber 
 to the site of the contemplated building. At one time eighty men pledged 
 themselves to give every Monday to this work. Festivals were held 
 from time to time, the proceeds of which went into the ever increasing 
 fund for the new Church. The amount raised was about #200 a year, 
 which was deposited in a bank at Green Bay. In 1884 about 300 cords 
 of stone had been quarried and hauled to the grounds, much of the 
 needed timber was on hand, and the savings amounted to nearly $3,000. 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 31 
 
 The building contract had just been signed when the bank at Green 
 Bay failed, and the consecrated savings of years were lost. The out- 
 look was discouraging, but Mr. Goodnough succeeded in interesting 
 many in his cherished plan, and assistance came in from various sources 
 until the sum of $5,000 was raised and so the work went on. On July 
 13th, 1886, the corner stone was laid by the Right Reverend John Henry 
 
 H o b a r t Brown, fi r st 
 Bishop of the Diocese of 
 Fond du Lac. So many 
 and bitter had been the 
 disappointments of the 
 Indians that it was hard 
 to realize that the long 
 looked for event was 
 actually to take place, 
 until it was known that 
 the Bishop had arrived 
 at Oneida. At half past 
 ten the people assem- 
 bled at the Mission 
 House, and were mar- 
 shalled by their chief, 
 Cornelius Hill, in four 
 divisions, under beauti- 
 ful banners which had 
 been sent for the occa- 
 sion from the Cathedral. 
 An immense congrega- 
 tion was present and a 
 large ni ruber received 
 the Holy Communion. Immediately after the service -in the Church 
 the people and clergy walked around the foundation, singing apprcpnaie 
 psalms. The Bishop having laid the corner stone, made a brief address, 
 commending the tribe for their faith and patience with which they. had 
 labored and waited for this day. He dwelt on the goodness of God in 
 condescending to have an abode on earth, and pointed out the gracious 
 uses of his holy places. Chiefly he enjoined the people to remember that 
 their sacred temple was a monument of the Incarnation. of their Saviour. 
 All through the summer and autumn the work on the Church was 
 pushed on rapidly, the Indians giving their labor day after .day. As 
 
 RT. REV. BISHOP BROWN 
 
32 
 
 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 Christmas drew near their desire to use the Church for which they had 
 toiled and waited for the last sixteen years, became so intense that Mr. 
 Goodnough begged Bishop Brown to come and dedicate it. At six o'clock 
 on Christmas eve the Church was filled. The Benediction service was 
 said partly at the door and partly at the chancel. The Bishop preached 
 the sermon congratulating the people on the success of their sacrifices 
 and toils. On Christmas morning a large congregation thronged the 
 new Church. The Holy Communion was celebrated, nearly two hun- 
 
 HOBART CHURCH 
 (Corner stone laid in 1886. Church opened Christmas of the same year.) 
 
 dred persons receiving. Taken all in all, it was a wonderful service and 
 scene. The offertory amounted to nearly fifty dollars. A simple but 
 beautiful token of their love for their spiritual father was given by the 
 tribe. One of the Missionary's daughters was lately stricken with paral- 
 ysis and brought back to her father's home. After the Christmas eve 
 service a little basket was placed in the Missionary's hand. The Bishop 
 opened it and found that it contained two bags of money and the inscrip- 
 tion ' ' Merry Christmas for Miss Alice. ' ' It moved the heart of the Mis- 
 sionary most deeply and added much to the great joy which the blessed 
 feast had brought to him and his loved people. So long as Hobart 
 Church stands it will be the monument of the prayers, labors and self- 
 sacrifice of this devoted man. Mr. Goodnough was not without the 
 severe trials which God allows to perfect the character of his servants. 
 There was for a time a strong party under the domination of those who 
 sought to remove the Oneidas from their reservation. This faction was 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 33 
 
 determined that the Church should not be built. The first step was to 
 get the Missionary out of the way. For as they said, "We can do 
 nothing with the Indians as long as Goodnough is here. " And so they re- 
 sorted to all kinds of petty annoyances, and so far succeeded in making a 
 party against him, that the little he received from the Church and Gov- 
 jernment was withdrawn. His sole support for a number of years came 
 from the faithful Indians alone. When as a final calamity the Mission 
 House was burned, " Now," they said, "they were sure the Missionary 
 would have to go !" No, the poor old school house was left, and became 
 a shelter for the Missionary and his family from March to August. 
 Crowded indeed were the quarters and scanty and poor the fare. Money 
 in those days was not plentiful in the Missionary's home, yet by rigid 
 economy he was enabled to add his mite to the dear Church. The car- 
 pet, credence, two chancel windows and four in the nave were his own 
 personal gifts. The sweetness of his Christian character is shown in 
 the report made to his Bishop when the new Church was built. " The 
 stone Church has been completed. This work has occupied our thoughts 
 and our energies, for the half of a generation. We feel deeply thankful 
 to God for His gracious goodness to us in permitting us to behold this 
 solid structure standing here, a witness of His loving kindness towards 
 us, His unworthy servants. We are truly thankful to our Father in 
 iGod, who has gently led us on, step by step, and has so faithfully taught 
 us to work on in patience and peace, leaving results to Him who knows 
 how and when to reward His poorest and most obscure servants. We 
 [heartily thank all those beloved children of our Heavenly Father who 
 have aided us with their money and their prayers, without whose aid it 
 [would likely have been impossible for us to have built this house. We 
 have it in our hearts also to thank those who have felt it to be their duty 
 to oppose and hinder our work of building this Church, because the 
 harder labor their hindrances imposed upon us, has made it all the more 
 dear to us, and awakened a zeal and a trust in and for God in our hearts 
 which can never be quenched by any devices of the evil one." 
 
 A little anecdote shows also his wonderful patience with those who 
 do not readily change old ideas and customs. During the early part of 
 Mr. Goodnough's ministry the services of the Church were read from the 
 Mohawk Prayer Book. Some years before his death Mr. Goodnough 
 suggested to the chiefs and head men in the Church that the service 
 be read in English, saying, when they were ready, the change would be 
 made. Eighteen years after, they came to him to say that after careful 
 consideration they had decided to make this change. 
 
34 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 He died on St. Paul's day, January 25th, 1890, in the sixty-fifth 
 year of his age. The funeral took place from Hobart Church on Tues- 
 day, January 28th. The Church was filled with Indians, whose genu- 
 ine signs of grief bore evidence of their great love for their friend and 
 pastor, and later found expression in the erection of a handsome monu- 
 ment, costing about $250, the entire gift of the Indians. The inscrip- 
 tion on the monument well expresses the deserved honor of this noble 
 Missionary of the Church : 
 
 " Beneath this stone, awaiting the Resurrection, lies the body of 
 
 Edward^Augustus Goodnough 
 
 for thirty-six years pastor and friend of the oneidas." 
 
 " I have fought the good fight." 
 
 "I thank my God for every remembrance of thee.''' 
 
 " This stone of remembrance is erected by his grateful children in the 
 
 Lord, the Indians of Hobart Church, Oneida. " 
 
 The Rev. Solomon S. Burleson took 
 charge of the work at Oneida in April 
 1891. Mr. Burleson, having made several 
 visits to the Reservation before accepting, 
 the position as Missionary, saw many 
 things to be done. He therefore went to 
 Washington and presented the needs of the 
 people to the Commissioner of Indian 
 Affairs, and it was through his representa- 
 tion that the Government boarding school 
 was established, and the bridge built over 
 Duck Creek. The Mission grounds also 
 were made attractive, and the house re 
 modeled without and within, the necessary 
 funds being furnished by the Bishop of the 
 Diocese. The great need of a resident physician was sadly evident at the 
 time of Mr. Burleson's coming. But having studied medicine, previous 
 to taking Holy Orders, he was enabled with the help of a small grant] 
 by the Government for a supply of medicine, to give medical attendance 
 to those who needed care. He was also the dentist, and his knowledge 
 of law fitted him to give advice to his people upon all matters of a legal 
 nature. He was a man of resolute will and quick to see and carry out | 
 any plans for the advancement ofCthe mission work. In the first yeai 
 of his residence he had repeated calls to attend sick people, and during 
 
 REV. SOLOMON S. BURLESON 
 Missionary 1891-1897 
 
 : 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 35 
 
 the cold winter months he traveled miles over rough roads to visit those 
 who were lying ill, many of them in homes unfitted for their recovery. 
 I wonder if our readers can imagine what must be the visit of him who 
 is both doctor and missionary, in a country where the thermometer 
 frequently registers twenty below zero, and when the snow sometimes 
 lies on a level with the tops of the fences. The following extracts from 
 his letters give an account of some of his labors : " From Christmas to 
 Epiphany I slept in a bed only six times, the rest of the nights were 
 spent by the side of sick beds. Pity it is that my sixty years are begin- 
 ning to unfit me in some ways for the work which I would willingly do. 
 The hard part is that I cannot trust any of them to do the nursing, but 
 must tend to it myself. Churchmen, Methodists, and Romanists, I at- 
 tend alike. Some of them manifest gratitude, some do not. Perhaps 
 it matters little, but when oue gives all that is in him to help another's 
 sufferings, a little gratitude goes a great ways .... And yet, there 
 omes to me the memory of the words of a brave, faithful, little woman, 
 who, after a fearful operation, laid her hand upon my shoulder and said, 
 Dear father, do you think the good Father in Heaven will let me live?" 
 jWhen I told her that I trusted He would, she said : " Then you will 
 thank Him in my house, and tell Him when I am well enough, I go thank 
 Him in His " . . . . Or again, another incident, when just after Christ- 
 mas, I was attending Z. X., who was suffering from congestion of the 
 lungs and erysipelas. The fact that he had been in a saloon fight only 
 nakes it all the more certain that it was Z. I had taken care of him all 
 tright, and just as it was getting daylight, he passed his hand under his- 
 oillow, and drew out a Prayer Book, which he held suggestively. I 
 ksked him if he would like me to have prayers with him. Conceive of 
 (iiy surprise to receiving in answer an empathetic "You bet!" After 
 ny prayers he looked up and said : "Your medicine, that is good ; but 
 four prayer, that is better " . . . . " The thermometer registered twenty 
 degrees below zero this morning when I was called to go and see a child 
 sick with pneumonia. It is a desperate case. Eight in the family, one 
 oom, cooking, washing, etc., done there, doors and walls reeking with 
 noisture, ice on the bottom of the window-panes an inch thick, the air 
 yf the room suffocating, partly from the foulness, partly from vapor, 
 md a case of pneumonia which they expected that ' the doctor ' was 
 oing to cure at once. This is a sample case of many, and you will not 
 a t wonder that I sigh from the depth of my heart for a decent place where 
 he suffering can have a fair chance for life. I am well aware that 
 Hospitals cannot be erected and sustained without money, a commodity 
 
36 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 which missionaries never have in excess, but if any one desires to enjoy, 
 an honest heart-ache, I can furnish him an opportunity in the homes of 
 these poor Indians at any time when it is too cold for them to sleep out 
 of doors." 
 
 It was out of such a 
 need as this that the 
 Oneida Hospital grew. 
 The experiences of the 
 winter when this letter 
 was written made plain 
 the need of it, and so the 
 Mission a r y's youngest 
 daughter laid away 
 thirty-six cents, with 
 which to start a building 
 fund. In a little over a 
 year God sent to the Mis- 
 sionary more than fif- 
 teen hundred dollars, 
 and when the corner 
 
 II 
 
 ONEIDA HOSPITAL 
 
 stone of the Hospital was laid on St. John Baptist's Day, June 24, 1893, 
 among other things placed in it, was a sealed envelope containing thai 
 first thirty-six cents. In the Spring of 1895 the work of adding the new 
 chancel to the Church was begun, and Mr. Burleson was untiring in his 
 efforts to further the plans and aiding the work, on one occasion sitting 
 up all night to keep a fire that the wet plastering might not freeze. The 
 work was finished in 1896 and the chancel was used for the first time 
 on the Feast of the Annunciation. A new and dignified Altar was given 
 and lastly there was presented a beautiful Communion Service of silvery 
 and the inscription on the under side of the paten gives the name ofj 
 Oneida's generous benefactor. '-The Chancel, Altar, Credence, Chalice 
 and Paten are given to Hobart Church to the Glory of God and in rev- 
 erent memory of Joanna Caroline Lewes, who for a period of forty years 
 was a contributor to the Mission — Si Deus pro nobis quis contra nos.' 
 Great and noble as was the work of Mr. Burleson, yet he workec 
 not alone, for every member of the Mission household was both an effV 
 cient and untiring laborer. There was the devoted wife, Ya-gon-donl. 
 "she who is good to the poor," as the Indian women called her, anc 
 their Guild Mother, giving her time faithfully and thoroughly to the 
 work of carrying on this part of Christian service by wise counsel anc 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 37 
 
 nelpful hands. Of their children there were five sons, all now in Holy- 
 Orders. One was the regular assistant to his father, and the others 
 ;ave much time and work at the Mission. The three daughters, one 
 eaching the Mission School, and the other two ably assisting both father 
 ^.nd mother, truly a wonderful Missionary family. For six years Mr. 
 Burleson was priest, physician and adviser of the Oneida Nation. In 
 he latter years his health failed and for two years he suffered intensely 
 rom the inroads of disease, but with incredible determination he would 
 ;o miles over rough and dangerous roads, where every jolt meant acute 
 igony, to visit some sick person who could not have a physician. He 
 vent regularly to his Church duties notwithstanding his illness, and put- 
 ing all thought of his own misery aside, he went forth bravely to heal the 
 mguish of others. Another man of less noble character would have sunk 
 Imder the strain on mind and body, but Mr. Burleson never faltered in 
 he line of duty. On the igth of December, 1896, he was unable to leave 
 lis bed, but on Christmas Day, with the last display of that indomitable 
 esolution which was his, he was carried to the Church and celebrated 
 he Holy Communion and gave the Sacrament with his own hands for the 
 ast time. On February 22, 1897, he entered peacefully into life eternal, 
 rlis funeral was held on the 26th. It was a blessed Christian burial 
 
 with no trappings of woe, and few 
 signs of grief, save the tears of 
 his red children as they followed 
 his body to the grave, chanting 
 their Oneida funeral hymns. He 
 was buried in the place he chose, 
 on the crest of the hill overlook- 
 ing the Reservation, and the gray 
 granite cross which marks the 
 spot, as well as the red corner 
 stone of the Hospital, are 
 "Stones of Remembrance" of 
 lim who for thirty-three years was a Missionary of the Church of God, 
 ind for six years the Father, Physician and Friend of the Oneida people. 
 In May, 1897, tne ^ ev - F. W. Merrill, the present Missionary, entered 
 ipon the work, and it has been his privilege to see the completion of the 
 vork so dear to his noble-hearted predecessors, the completion and con- 
 secration of the stately and dignified Hobart Church. The consecration 
 vas the fruit of years. It was the crowning act of labors begun long 
 a.go in what was then a wilderness. Oneida is historic ground and has 
 
 BURLESON MONUMENT 
 
38 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 been justly called "The cradle of the 
 Church in the North West." Twelve 
 years before Bishop Kemper came, eigh- 
 teen years before Nashotah was thought 
 of, Christian Indians, under a priest of 
 their own blood, were using the ancient 
 Liturgy and Prayers in the old log Church. 
 To the Church of the Oneidas long after- 
 wards (but still fifty years in the past,) 
 Adams and Breck walked from Nashotah to 
 be made priests by the Apostolic Kemper. 
 The log Church, and the frame building 
 which took its place, have now disappeared. 
 The large stone structure, the result of 
 many years of patient self-denial was at 
 last set apart to the perpetual service of Almighty God. The prepara- 
 tions for the consecration showed that the spirit of self-sacrifice and zeal 
 for the honor of God's House still remained among the Oneidas. " My 
 house first, and then God's " is not an Oneida motto, and their stately, 
 
 THE REV. F. W. MERRILL 
 The Present Missionary 
 
 CHANCEL OF THE CHURCH 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 39 
 
 well-appointed Church building is just the reverse of what is too often 
 seen in comparatively wealthy parishes. On the 27th day of October, 
 1897, the Church was ready for consecration. The walls and ledges 
 were outlined with green garlands. In each window was placed a min- 
 ature tree. The floor was covered with cedar twigs ; it gave the effect 
 of a mossy carpet, and filled the Church with the fragrance of nature's 
 incense. The new choir seats were made of oak. The Reredos and 
 handsome Credence were memorial gifts from the people, the Bishop and 
 Clergy of the Diocese, of the Rev. Solomon S. Burleson. On the Altar 
 
 stands a simple Cross. It is of wood only, 
 rather unimposing in its size and design, 
 and at first glance looks out of keeping 
 with its surroundings, but, on account of 
 its associations, it will never be replaced 
 by another. It is the old Altar Cross of 
 St. George's in East London. During the 
 stormy scenes of the riots there many 
 years ago, it was torn from its place by 
 the mob, and rescued from the street by 
 Mr. Paget, and given by his wife to Bishop 
 Brown, with the hope expressed that it 
 might find some quiet resting place, and 
 so it came to Oneida. 
 
 The consecrator of the Church was 
 the present Bishop of Fond du Lac, the 
 Rt. Rev. Charles C. Grafton. On his 
 arrival at the Church, he was received by the Wardens and Vestry. 
 The scene in and around the Church, as the Bishop knocked for admit- 
 tance, was most impressive. The large vested choir, headed by the 
 Bishop and Clergy, proceeded up the aisle repeating the 24th Psalm. 
 Such a congregation is rarely seen in an American Church. Here were 
 gathered fully one thousand Indians, all dutiful and tractable and de- 
 voted to the Church with a childlike faith. After the Rite of Consecra- 
 tion, there was a solemn procession of the choir, the Clergy and Bishop 
 around the whole interior of the Church, singing hymns in the Indian 
 language. The Bishop was Celebrant and Preacher. His sermon was 
 beautiful in its simplicity, the subject being "The Church — Man's meet- 
 ing-place with God." The most impressive musical feature of the ser- 
 vice was the singing of the Te Deum in the Oneida language at the close, 
 as an act of thanksgiving. It was sung, as has been always customary 
 
 ALTAR CROSS 
 From St. George's Church, London 
 
40 
 
 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 as a solo by the leader of the choir, and between the verses the entire 
 congregation joined in a three-fold Alleluia. After the service the 
 
 Bishop, sitting in his 
 chair before the 
 chancel, received the 
 tribe. Hundreds 
 passed him in little 
 less' than an hour. 
 Young men a n,d 
 women, mothers witn 
 babes in their arms, 
 tottering old age and 
 toddling infants, all 
 stopping a moment to 
 clasp the Bishop's 
 hand and for a word 
 of blessing. Such 
 were the ceremonies 
 attending the com- 
 pletion of Hobart 
 Church, or as it was 
 called in the sentence 
 of consecration, 
 "The Church of the 
 Holy Ap-ostles." 
 How Cadle, Davis, 
 Goodnough, and 
 Burleson would have 
 rejoiced to see the seed they planted and watered with their tears, now 
 a noble tree for the shelter of God's children. One might ask why build 
 so large a Church in this far away part of the Mission field ? The 
 answer is that the Church is none too large for the congregation. On 
 Festivals it is filled to its utmost capacity and there is a large congrega- 
 tion on all ordinary Sundays. When we remember that in order to go 
 to Church, the Indians have not to walk a few blocks, or ride in the cars 
 as city folks do, but come from many miles and often on foot, the large, 
 regular attendance speaks well for their Christian principles. Among 
 the twelve hundred who belong to the Church, there are four hundred 
 communicants, and all on the Reservation are Baptized. They form an 
 excellent body of Churchmen as loyal to their Church, and as faithful in 
 their Christian lives as any congregation in the land. 
 
 RT. REV. BISHOP GRAFTON 
 

 THE ONEIDAS AT CHURCH 
 
THE ONEIDA RESERVATION OF TO-DAY 
 
 ITS WORK AND ITS NEEDS 
 
 The Church's work among these Indians is the double one of help- 
 ing them in- their advancing civilization, and educating them into 
 greater self reliance and self support. It also seeks to prepare them to 
 exercise intelligently their full rights of approaching citizenship, and to 
 
 develop that spiritual 
 
 
 NURSE LAVINIA CORNELIUS 
 
 and moral Christian 
 character that ele- 
 vates work into duty 
 and pours its blessed 
 sunshine into every 
 department of life. 
 This is the aim of the 
 present Missionary to 
 the Oneidas. A 
 large and substantial 
 Church, a Hospital, 
 and School are the 
 plant of our Mission 
 at Oneida. They are 
 monuments of the 
 labors of those who 
 have gone before. 
 The work now, is to 
 make the best use of 
 these institutions and 
 spread the principles 
 which they represent 
 in other directions, 
 that they may come 
 into closer touch with the mass of the people. First let us speak of the 
 Oneida Hospital. The good work that has been done at our Hospital is 
 beyond description. One must see it for himself to appreciate its price- 
 less value to the sick, aged and poor of this nation. The Hospital was 
 opened on the first day of January 1898, and the work began as a ven- 
 ture of faith. Since that time, with no pledged support we have gone 
 on doing what we could for our suffering ones. Our faith has not been 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 43 
 
 unrewarded. God has opened the hearts and hands of His people so 
 that they have been ready to give to our necessities, and we have 
 never been obliged to refuse a single applicant who needed our care. 
 During this time we have received many patients, some coming for long 
 and others for a short period of time. We opened the Hospital with 
 
 Miss Lavinia Cornelius, 
 a graduate of Hampton 
 Normal Institute, and 
 the New Haven Train- 
 ing School for Nurses. 
 She remained with us 
 until Sept. ist, 1899, 
 when she received an 
 appointment at the 
 Government Boarding 
 School. We were for- 
 tunate to have another 
 Oneida nurse in Miss 
 Nancy Cornelius, a 
 graduate of Carlisle and 
 of the Hartford Training 
 School for Nurses. She 
 entered upon Hospital 
 duty Sept. 5, 1899, and 
 is still performing faith- 
 fully her arduous duties. 
 Most useful is the work 
 which is being done by 
 this faithful daughter of 
 Oneida. We wish we 
 NURSE NANCY CORNELIUS could here afford space 
 
 for a full list of our benefactors, but they will all be pleased to know 
 something of the work that has been accomplished through their gener- 
 osity. The year 1898 was closed free from debt, and with such gifts 
 and contributions placed at our disposal is due the careful management 
 of our nurse that the work attendant upon the care of twenty -five patients 
 could be performed. In 1899 the year began with an empty treasury, 
 and without any guaranteed income, but relying solely upon the charity 
 of Oneida's friends, we were able to provide comfort and medical attend- 
 ance for all who needed it. Since the 12th of January 1901, we have 
 
44 
 
 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDA3 
 
 had the valuable services of a resident physician, Dr. Zilpha Wilson of 
 the Northwestern University, Chicago. During the first six months, our 
 Doctor made 131 visits, and prescribed for 312 office patients, and in 
 most cases she furnished the medical supplies to her patients. The ser- 
 vice that Doctor Wilson has been 
 able to render in many homes of 
 the Oneidas, has grown beyond 
 record, and none but God can 
 know the depth of our gratitude 
 for her quiet, faithful and suc- 
 cessful labors in alleviating the 
 sufferings of her many patients. 
 We are looking forward to 
 the day when the Oneidas will 
 have one of their own nation as 
 their physician. Through the 
 generosity of friends, a scholar- 
 ship has been provided at the 
 Milwaukee Medical College for 
 this young Oneida. Mr. Josiah 
 Powless was born at Oneida 
 twenty-eight years ago ; he at- 
 tended the district school on the 
 Reservation until he was fourteen 
 years of age, he then went to 
 Carlisle and remained in that in- 
 stitution for six years, earning for 
 himself a splendid record as a student and for his high moral char- 
 acter and attractive personality. The same characteristics have marked 
 his first year in the Medical College, and both in class work and in his 
 final examinations he received excellent standings. We feel sure that for 
 the rest of his course we shall find him a satisfactory student, and in 
 the end a faithful physician. 
 
 HOSPITAL PHYSICIAN 
 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 45 
 
 EDUCATIONAL WORK 
 
 • The Mission School 
 
 Our little Mission School, of which the daughter of the Missionary 
 is the teacher, has for its special purpose the bringing of our children 
 under the influence of the Church. This is what of course they can- 
 not have at the Gov- 
 ernment School. Be- 
 sides the children 
 must live at the latter 
 place, which takes 
 them away from 
 home for nine months 
 in the year. The 
 Reverend Mr. Good- 
 nough instituted the 
 Mission School many 
 years before the Gov- 
 ernment made any 
 provision for the 
 education of the 
 Oneida children. 
 The older people who 
 had been educated 
 under his devoted 
 care were greatly 
 pleased when the 
 school was put again 
 under the charge of 
 the Church a t t h e 
 beginning of the 
 school year 1898. 
 The building which 
 
 for many years had been without repair, had become both dilapidated 
 and untidy and was so old and worn as to be unfit for use. Through a 
 generous gift of $300 from the Bishop of the Diocese, the building was 
 completely renovated. The interior of the school was made to present 
 a very attractive appearance, with new wall maps and pictures. The 
 large front room is fitted up attractively, and is used for meetings of the 
 girls' guild, and during the winter months as a public reading room and 
 
 ..-:• 
 
 JOSIAH POWLESS 
 Medical Student. 
 
4 6 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 lecture hall. Every Thursday morning the school children attend the 
 Celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the Church, and they have been 
 taught to sing devotional and simple hymns appropriate for this Service. 
 They devote the rest of the morning to religious instruction. We are 
 sure that our readers will not think all Indian children dull and unin* 
 teresting after seeing this group of bright and merry little people of 
 Oneida. Some of them are such pretty brunettes, others have brown 
 
 hair and blue or gray eyes, and 
 they are as merry hearted and 
 happy a group of school children 
 as you can find anywhere. Their 
 expression and grasp of English 
 is both picturesque and amusing, 
 and sometimes beyond one's 
 power to understand. When a 
 present pupil of Hampton was 
 struggling over our wet, muddy 
 roads one day in early Spring, she 
 was naturally late at school and 
 excused her tardiness by explain- 
 ing, " I had to cross so many 
 little waters;" a phrase that would 
 have delighted our own Long- 
 fellow and vastly more poetic than 
 " stalking through mud-puddles." 
 By that curious something in our 
 brains that gives a twist to a half 
 understood word, this same pretty 
 child wrote a page or two about 
 the " Conversation of S. Paul," 
 when January brought the festival of that Saint's conversion. As a rule 
 Indians prefer phonetic spelling, and so simple the word " is " was spelled 
 " s. is," in tone of triumph and with a toss of a small foot, while the 
 word " thread " got strangely mixed with " breath " and came forth as 
 "threath." Books, slates and blackboards, however, do not rule unin- 
 terruptedly. Witness the transformation wrought by the advent of St. 
 Nicholas. The famous lover of children deals with no stinted hand 
 when he visits the Reservation, but unpacks yellow oranges, pink and 
 white cornballs and bags of candy more profusely than is shown in the 
 picture, besides multitudes of dolls, (of which there cannot be too many), 
 
 TEACHER OF THE MISSION SCHOOL 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 47 
 
 books, pictures, color-boxes, transparent slates, with all the gifts ex- 
 pected and unexpected, that go to make up a generous pack for the 
 Saint's willing back and threatens to keep him in the chimney. One year 
 the children wrote a few plain suggestions to their old friend about 
 Christmas wishes, and we are sure that the old Saint must have been 
 mightly tickled when he read " Four Santa Cluas," and not a bit mad 
 
 % - 
 
 74':' : 
 
 MISSION SCHOOL CHILDREN 
 
 to be called " My Dear Sand Close !" And here were some of the 
 wants of the little red folk of Oneida. 
 "My Dear Santa Cluse: 
 
 please give me a little Pasket and stove and slate and pencle, book 
 and doll and handkerchief and Thimple." 
 
 Another little man writes, 
 
 " My Dear Santa Claus: 
 
 I want a little gun and a rubber ball and a Knife and a pair of 
 mittens and a Street-Car and some oranges." 
 
 Certainly their wants were moderate enough; fancy another small 
 boy telling his sister he only wanted a pair of suspenders ! His grand- 
 
48 
 
 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 father might have considered the matter from exactly such a standpoint, 
 but while due attention was paid to the little brown back, the little red 
 palate was not forgotten, nor something to amuse the quaint childish 
 brain. 
 
 And what shall be written of the very tiny men and women, the 
 baby Oneidas, two of whom look up at you from these pages ? Very civil- 
 
 SANTA GLAUS AT ONEIDA 
 
 ized, very like ordinary white babies they look, butjwhile one may be 
 fair with golden hair and blue eyes, the next may be a veritable nut- 
 brown maid, and the third, a bit of real bronze, like the small warrior 
 
 brave, which our illustration seems to show 
 in the attitude of listening to some far off 
 spirit, and all these are full-blooded 
 Indians, just as you find in certain Spanish 
 families of bluest blood, a son or daughter 
 with auburn hair and blue eyes. These 
 babies, however, have one experience un- 
 like any white child's, for while Miss 
 America is dressed in her best and carried 
 to Church, it is only for once ; after her 
 Baptism she rarely goes again until old 
 enough to keep still and not distract her 
 neighbors. But red babies appear with 
 
 AN ONEIDA BABY 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 49 
 
 great regularity, coming in white gowns with dainty caps, or plain calico 
 with sunbonnets or sometimes in odds and ends of flannel with a hand- 
 kerchief over the cute little head, and carried over the mother's shoulder 
 
 or in cold weather tucked under her shawl, 
 from which they emerge warm and serene, 
 ready to be interested in a gay-colored 
 window, a cracker from some deep pocket 
 and invaribly keeping up a running com- 
 mentary on the sermon. If opinions clash 
 too loudly, his babyship is gravely carried 
 out to regain his native composure and 
 after his return, may be quietly passed over 
 the back of the pew and slowly rocked on 
 some good grandmother's knees. 
 
 One Sunday, a dear child was most 
 engaging in her small absorption in books 
 and flowers. She arranged all the Prayer 
 Books and hymnals with great precision, 
 AN ONEIDA BABY looked with intense disgust at some crum- 
 
 pled and soiled paper, and finally took up a bag and handed her mother 
 the purse from which to take the offering. Two pennies were given the 
 child to put into the basin with her own 
 pretty fingers, when suddenly it occurred 
 to her that her neighbor might be gratified 
 to offer a penny also, and taking the same 
 she leaned over and extended that small 
 copper coin with most gracious manner 
 and smile, as became a daughter able to 
 count many noble forefathers. Much 
 that is interesting among children big and 
 little, takes place in the old Church, of 
 which the interior is shown in Christmas 
 dress. And right royal it looked in hang- 
 ings of scarlet and festoons of evergreen, 
 wreathes of holly, and gay paper roses, 
 fastened here and there among blue and 
 green spruce branches. Some idea of the 
 size may be had if you are told it would be possible to put the Hospital 
 inside the chancel and leave room enough to walk around it. Here the 
 people come Sunday after Sunday, contented so far, and glad to give 
 
 A YOUNG BRAVE 
 
50 
 
 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 the best house to God, while living themselves in little log houses. But 
 the men who built this Church loved their work and did it for the glory 
 
 of God. Whether 
 the next generation 
 will appreciate what 
 their fathers have 
 wrought becomes a 
 perplexing question 
 not unmixed with 
 sadness, for the In- 
 dian as a returned 
 student, is very dif- 
 ferent from the In- 
 dian learning his 
 " three R's." in the 
 Mission School. A 
 mere veneering of 
 worth and manliness 
 is to be dreaded ; wherefore let all Christian souls reading these words, 
 send up an earnest petition for Indian students, that they may not lose 
 the " faith once delivered." 
 
 The Government Boarding School 
 
 The chief educational work among the Oneidas at home is found 
 at the Government Industrial School. Soon after the passage of the 
 "Dawes Allotment Act," a commission, appointed by the President, 
 came to the Reservation to explain the provisions of the law and to 
 induce the Oneidas to take advantage of the same. At a council with 
 the Indians this matter was thoroughly discussed, and, as one of the 
 inducements to take their land in severalty, the commissioner agreed to 
 
 THE CHANCEL AT CHRISTMAS 
 
 THE GOVERNMENT BOARDING SCHOOL 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 5 
 
 recommend to the President and Secretary of the Interior, that a board- 
 ing school be established on the Oneida Reservation. This recommenda- 
 tion was favorably considered, and in the allotment of lands that soon 
 followed, a tract of land near the center of the Reservation was reserved 
 for a school farm. However, it was not until the spring of 1892 that 
 the erection of the first school buildings was commenced. In July, 
 1892, Charles F. Pierce, a Superintendent of several years experience, 
 and who had successfully organized an Indian boarding school among 
 the Sioux in the west, was sent here under orders from the Commissioner 
 of Indian Affairs, to superintend the construction of the buildings, make 
 
 plans and esti- 
 mates for other 
 necessary out- 
 buildings which 
 were to be erec- 
 ted, and also 
 make estimates 
 for furniture and 
 other school sup- 
 plies. As the 
 buildings neared 
 completion, ap- 
 plications for ad- 
 mission to the 
 school were filed, 
 so that when the 
 school first 
 opened, March 
 
 27, 1893, the number of applicants far exceeded the capacity of the 
 school. The plant has teen increased from time to time, until at the 
 present the capacity is two hundred and twenty-five pupils, and is valued 
 at about $65,000. There are seven brick and twelve frame buildings, 
 equipped with modern conveniences and appliances, such as steam heat, 
 electric lights, water and sewer systems, etc. The school is beautifully 
 located on a high ridge across the Duck Creek from Hobart Mission, 
 near the railroad station. It can be seen from all directions, and its 
 fine brick buildings, over which floats the American flag, present a beau- 
 tiful as well as patriotic scene. The Indian children are taken from 
 their homes at the age of six years, or even younger, and during 
 ten months of the year are kept at the school where they are educated, 
 
 THE ASSEMBLY HALL 
 
5^ 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 
 clothed and cared for by the Government without expense to the parents. 
 The course of study in the school is both literary and industrial. The 
 literary work comprises the work of the first four grades of the ordinary 
 school work, following a course of study promulgated by the Superin- 
 tendent of Indian Schools. Industrial work includes farming, garden- 
 ing, care of stock, and the use of tools, for the boys. Girls are taught to 
 cook, wash, iron, sew, knit, and to do other branches of domestic work. 
 All pupils are required to devote one half of their time to the industrial 
 
 work of the school. A farm is connected 
 with the school and the boys, under the 
 direction of the farm Instructor, are re- 
 quired to perform the work of planting, 
 cultivating and harvesting of the crops. 
 Considerable stock is also kept and this is 
 cared for by the pupils of the school. The 
 girls, under competent instructors, carry 
 on the domestic work in the different de- 
 partments of the institution. 
 
 The present Superintendent, who is 
 also the Government Agent for the whole 
 Reservation, is Mr. Joseph C. Hart. He 
 has under his direction a corps of twenty- 
 five school employes. All are efficient in- 
 structors and are interested in the work of 
 elevating their charges. All positions in 
 the Government Indian School service are 
 under the Classified Civil Service Rules, 
 and, with the exception of Indian employes, are filled by the Civil Ser- 
 vice Commission. Under this method the employes are under no obi igation 
 to the politician, and the baneful influences of the old " spoils system" are 
 no longer prevalent to destroy the work of the Missionary and other con- 
 scientious workers. The school is popular among the Indians, and is 
 always filled to its fullest capacity. It is a valuable object lesson to the 
 Indian, and is a powerful factor in his civilization aud advancement. 
 When the pupils have completed the work at this home school, they 
 have obtained a fair knowledge of work, as well as the studies of the 
 ordinary country district school, and are eligible to promotion to the 
 larger training schools, such as Carlisle, Hampton or Haskell. Over 
 four hundred of the Oneidas have attended these larger training 
 schools, and many of them have made excellent records while there. 
 
 JOSEPH C. HART 
 Government Agent and Supt. 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 53 
 
 After graduation many have secured positions in the Government 
 service, others have found employment in shops and farms, and a still 
 larger number are at home using the skill and knowledge acquired 
 during their school life in making homes for themselves, on their own 
 lands. Foremost in this class is Nelson Metoxen, who, after learning 
 his trade at Hampton, returned to the Reservation and opened a wagon 
 and blacksmith shop. He is a skilled workman and a model young man 
 in every respect. He has erected for himself and family a very cozy 
 
 -V 
 
 ONEIDA BLACKSMITH SHOP 
 and comfortable home, from the results of his labor in his shop, which 
 might be an object lesson to many of our white neighbors. William 
 Baird and Wilson Skenandoah, graduates of Carlisle and Hampton, have 
 also a blacksmith shop, and being good horseshoers are kept busy at 
 their trade. The only manufacturing interest on the Reservation man- 
 aged by returned students is the saw mill owned and operated by Joseph 
 M. Smith, an Oneida educated at the No. i day school, and at Law- 
 rence University, Appleton. Mr. Smith erected this mill about five 
 years ago and since that time has found employment for about twenty 
 men. The mill saws mainly hard wood lumber, of a good grade, which 
 is readily sold to the furniture factories in neighboring cities. The cut 
 
54 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 for the present year will amount to nearly eight hundred thousand feet. 
 The mill is quite a help to the Indians as only logs from them are bought. 
 There are many others of our returned students who have made excell- 
 ent records, but limited space forbids mention. There is much work to 
 be accomplished by them in the future. The entire Reservation con- 
 tains 65,400 acres, of which 5000 are now under cultivation and 9,700 
 acres under fence. Farming methods have for the most part been 
 primitive, and as a consequence the lands which have been long in use 
 have been cropped with wheat and corn until they have lost much of 
 their original fertility and need intelligent methods to restore them. 
 
 There is also a large area 
 
 THE METOXEN HOME 
 
 still uncultivated that 
 only needs to be cleared 
 of brush and broken up 
 to be immediately pro- 
 ductive. It is to these 
 lands that the small 
 army of young men and 
 women that the Govern- 
 ment has been training 
 for self help can prove 
 that their education has 
 been of advantage to 
 them so that they may 
 keep up with the onward 
 march of agricultural 
 improvement. Nearly the whole Reservation is well adapted to garden- 
 ing and dairying and many thousand beef and dairy cattle can be raised. 
 Of very different character from the Indian School at home and 
 abroad is our own Diocesan School for girls, Grafton Hall, Fond du 
 Lac. From this Institution of learning in the year 1898, Laura Miriam 
 Cornelius graduated. She proudly traces her lineage from the celebra- 
 ted orator, Chief Daniel Bread, and Skenandoah, the last of the New 
 York Chiefs of this nation. From such an ancestry she no doubt inherited 
 much of that ability which made it possible for her to graduate with 
 honor from the classical course of the college where she was a student, 
 and to present as a graduation address an essay entitled, " The Romans 
 of America/' in which was very successfully traced the analogy between 
 the Iroquois Confederacy, or Six Nations, and the ancient Roman 
 Empire. 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 55 
 
 We are indebted to Miss Cornelius' graphic pen for the following 
 Oneida Legends : 
 
 The Legend of the Bean 
 
 In a brown tepee, nestling cosily in a mass of summer foliage, and 
 shaded from the hot June sun by magnificent old trees, under whose 
 spreading branches, the rich, black sod fed many a flower and fern, lived 
 in years gone by one who had seen many moons wax and wane among 
 
 Uplift 
 
 T&m% ) 
 
 OUR SAW MILL 
 her people. Near by her dwelling a babbling brook wound on its way, 
 and the birds overhead sang fearlessly their many notes of gladness. 
 The air was full of dewy fragrance, and the sun shed a radiance upon 
 the morning mist as I drew near the snug little dwelling, the home of 
 my grandmother; and, sitting down beside her, begged for an old story. 
 She thought briefly, and perhaps the silken tassel of the corn which she 
 had planted at the side of her home made her think of the story which 
 she told me : " Long ago, when my mother was a young woman, she 
 had a home like mine, where nature bloomed abundantly. She loved to 
 hear the birds sing and could name each kind by its song. One day she 
 
56 the church's mission to the oneidas 
 
 was awakened by a strange and beautiful melody, and, stealing softly to 
 the spot from whence the sound came, she saw a pretty green vine whirl- 
 ing in the air above a corn stalk. Suddenly, it stopped singing, and de- 
 scending, lightly twisted itself around the shock. On it were little 
 buds, promising bright red blossoms. These matured and withered, and 
 brought forth long green pods filled with round flat seeds, which hard- 
 ened and browned. She picked them one day, and when the Chiefs 
 were met in Council she brought to them the strange product and said : 
 
 ' Fathers and Elders, I beg a privilege ; 
 gaa I am the daughter of the Chief who shot 
 the arrow into our enemies' midst, 
 which killed their leader. Give me 
 leave for utterance. I will speak 
 briefly. I have a message from Lalon- 
 fej^* yhawagon, the Ruler of the Heavens ; 
 
 the friend of our own Tribe. ' ' Speak 
 thou mayest, fair daughter,' said the 
 Chiefs. She told the story of the bean, 
 and, producing it, said : ' Not with- 
 out meaning did it sing. It is the sign 
 ™ from Lalonyhawagon to test the cour- 
 
 LAURA MIRIAM CORNELIUS ^ ° f OUr tdbe ' and t0 know whether 
 
 we are worthy of his friendship. Should 
 it be good, other tribes will buy it, and ours would be the glory of inter- 
 preting aright the wishes of the Great Spirit.' The Chiefs were aroused 
 and asked ' Who will be the one to test the product ? ' Then an old 
 woman came forward and bravely answered, ' I will risk my life for the 
 benefit of my friends, my home, and my race.' She cooked and ate it 
 and found it very good. And so from that day the bean became an in- 
 gredient in the mixing of corn bread, because it first grew upon the corn, 
 and its song still lingers amid the silky fringes of the ripening corn, and 
 those who listen hear again the message of the Great Spirit. This 
 brave old woman lived to see her six sons grow in wisdom and virtue and 
 become great Chiefs of the tribe." 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 57 
 
 The Sacrifice of the White Dog 
 
 Oh that the expanse of time were less, and the camp fire burning, 
 to make my story glow with interest to my reader. But my pen paints 
 poorly, and you understand not the old Oneida vocabulary which so well 
 my tale would tell. Briefly but barely I must tell my legend. It is of a 
 curious rite and ceremony. When the Oneidas were still warm in the 
 nest of the Iroquois, they went along with the Six Nations to their 
 annual sacrifice of the White Dog. With patient care they seek for a 
 white dog — without spot or blemish he must be. Then was he killed 
 without the shedding of a drop of his blood. His body, after the white 
 man had introduced those decorative articles, was adorned with blue 
 and red ribbons — originally it was the gorgeous Autumn leaves of the 
 forest that decked the offering. When the decorating was done the 
 people came together and formed in procession behind the bearers, 
 singing weird offertory hymns, for they were worshipping that Divine 
 Spirit, Lalonyhawagon. On an altar of brush they laid the body 
 to burn, and, blending their song with the rising fumes, they marched 
 around it until all was consumed. The white dog, the emblem of inno- 
 cence ; the red, of victory over the enemy ; and the blue, heaven's color, 
 the sign mark of the Divine Spirit, which guided them to the worship of 
 the Great Spirit. 
 
58 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 '■• 
 
 THE MISSION SISTERS OF THE SOCIETY OF THE 
 HOLY NATIVITY 
 
 A great educational work as well as one of the most valued agencies 
 in our missionary work is the help given by the Sisters of the Holy Na- 
 tivity. We believe this is the first instance where any of the Sister- 
 hoods have sent their workers among the red men. Our Sisters have 
 
 been in residence for 
 eight years. In the 
 year 1898 the Sisters 
 built their own home 
 and they have always 
 given their services 
 wwawsw-;. without any cost to 
 
 the Church. There 
 _y is a tiny little chapel 
 
 in their house for 
 their own devotions, 
 J^ where the Missionary 
 celebrates the Holy 
 Communion two 
 mornings in the week. 
 Their work is not 
 confined to spiritual 
 minis t r at ions, but 
 with all the other workers, they labor for the advancement of the tribe 
 in all that helps towards civilization. They have introduced among the 
 women the very beautiful and profitable industry of lace work. In the 
 fall of 1898 the Oneida women began to learn this art. Miss Sybil 
 Carter, who has done the splendid work of establishing this helpful in- 
 dustry among the Indian women of the country, kindly sent a represent- 
 ative to spend some days on the Reservation in August, who helped at the 
 start, when about a dozen women undertook the new work. Ordinarily 
 a lace school attempts but one kind of lace ; either the braid lace, which 
 is of needle work, or the pillow or bobbin lace, as it is called. At Oneida 
 we are doing both kinds. As this is an art entirely new to the women, 
 it must necessarily grow gradually. Most people are familiar with the 
 common hand-made " torchon " lace, which is made on a pillow with 
 bobbins, but not all are aware that the oldest and most beautiful laces 
 
 THE SISTERS HOUSE 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 59 
 
 were made in this way. Much that is dainty and exquisite is effected 
 with the various machine-woven braids, and according to the design or 
 the nature of the material, or the stitch used, it is named " Honiton," 
 " Point" or " Battenberg," etc., and leaves nothing to be desired for 
 table decoration or personal adornment. But the pillow lace has an in- 
 terest all its own with the lovers of the genuine article. The work is, of 
 course, open to all, and many of the older women are glad of the opportu- 
 nity to earn money, and as glad too, to be able to " make pretty things.'' 
 It is to the women's credit that their work is all done in their homes. In 
 some schools this would not be possible, and the teachers even baste the 
 work ; but our pupils prepare their own work and return it ready to be 
 sent to New York, except for the pressing. They have paper napkins in 
 which to wrap the braid, thread and work, and it is all carried back and 
 forth in pasteboard oyster-pails ! which are convenient for hanging 
 up in the tiny log cabins, out of the reach of the little ones. There is 
 the oft-repeated injunction " Jiot-kont-sa-tso-hulon, " that is, "Be al- 
 ways washing your hands." Results prove that this is effectual, for 
 seldom is any lace returned soiled. One never ceases to marvel at the 
 delicate, dainty work accomplished by hands that would seem better fit- 
 ted for out-door work, and it is always a pleasure to see the women's 
 own delight in the beauty of their handiwork. From October, 1900, to 
 July, igoi,the women earned $1, 125 for their lace making. We are sure 
 that no better answer could be given to the question often asked the 
 Missionary, " What is the work of the Sisters at Oneida ?" than their 
 own report made to their Bishop. 
 
 " Our work is not one which can be well or fairly expressed by 
 means of statistics, and perhaps that is not much to be regretted on the 
 whole ; so often there is little behind large numbers ! There are incid- 
 ents constantly occurring as a part of ' the day's work ' which it would 
 be almost, if not quite, impossible to put before an outsider in such a 
 way as to make them seem anything but trivial, yet we find in them 
 ground for thanksgiving and satisfaction, since we know them to be sig- 
 nificant of help given, in some form. Reading letters from the Mission- 
 aries, whose work is far away, such as, to give but one instance, those 
 of the Cowley Fathers in Indian, we can but feel that if we could write 
 " India," or " Africa " at the head of what we might say as to our doings 
 and surroundings, our work would have as great a claim upon the public 
 interest and sympathy. With your knowledge of this Mission and of 
 our place in its working force, do you not agree with us in the feeling 
 that our real and most helpful work is just the living here, as we do, 
 
60 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDA3 
 
 really belonging to the dear people about us, who know that at any time 
 they may call upon us for anything which lies in our power to do for 
 them, whether it be the reading or the writing of a letter, the tuning of 
 an autoharp, the solution of a problem in surveying, the giving of advice 
 in trouble or perplexity, comfort in sorrow, small gifts in time of need, 
 medicine or delicacies in sickness, spiritual help and teaching, a text 
 of Scripture explained, perplexing questions in morals considered, a les- 
 son given in a new lace stitch, or in reading musical notation, some 
 remedy supplied when ' Billy, he's sick ' (that's a pony), sympathy ex- 
 tended and such assistance as the circumstances allow, when an old 
 neighbor comes definitely ' to get uncross,* as he puts it. For all of 
 these things we have been called upon and the confidence of those who 
 come so simply trusting to our entire willingness and power to accom- 
 plish anything that may be desired, is touching and inspiring, and serves 
 almost to create the ability in question. Shall I not tell you something 
 of just one day's experience ? There comes to my mind a cold, snowy, 
 windy day of the past winter, when the mercury stood at eighteen degrees 
 below zero ; it was during an interval when our kitchen had no queen 
 save our own selves, which means that the care of fires, cooking of meals, 
 washing of dishes, cleaning of lamps, sweeping and dusting, and a score 
 of other like details, ah me ! had to be put into days that were full with- 
 out them. This will help you understand why we welcomed a stormy 
 day, foreseeing, as we imagined, a day of comparative quiet, with res- 
 pite from the ever-active door bell, and with time to sit down and 
 make new lace patterns that were needed, each to be two or three yards 
 long. Well, the day began ; we had breakfast, (persons always do) and 
 then right in the early forenoon our lace workers began to come, and, 
 notwithstanding the storm and cold, there were eighteen or twenty of 
 them before the day closed, and seven were new pupils, who must be 
 shown all about the stitches and the way to handle the braid, etc., with 
 many an earnest injunction to keep it all perfectly clean. Some of these 
 women had walked over four miles, and naturally came with clothing 
 quite wet; three came at one time who had been visiting together, and 
 as one spoke English, it seemed too good an opportunity to lose and they 
 therefore started out in spite of the weather. Time went on, all too 
 fast, and at noon a good neighbor came in to give a little help about the 
 dinner and the inevitable washing of dishes that must follow. The 
 afternoon proved as full as the morning had been ; but when it came to 
 be time for supper, we imagined we could prepare tea and some cream 
 toast easily enough and it would be plain and hot, and we quite antici- 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 6l 
 
 fated sitting down together quietly. I undertook to prepare the food« 
 and my sister busied herself 'setting the table,' but by the time the 
 cream for the toast was ready to be served, the bell announced callers, 
 and they came for lace. Accordingly I whisked the spider and its con- 
 tents on to an asbestos mat (happy invention) and left it at the back of 
 the stove, asking my sister to have an eye to it, while I went upstairs to 
 prepare the lace materials. No sooner was I absorbed in measuring and 
 cutting than the bell was heard again and my sister must leave all 
 thoughts of tea and toast and go to the door and attend to the next set of 
 callers. When finally everything had been supplied and all had de- 
 parted, we turned us kitchenward once more, but even as we went our 
 minds were prepared for what we should find, and alas for that cream 
 toast ! it might have been tempting once, but now it was burned until 
 it was horrid ! We had reached the stage where we did not want 
 anything if we had to prepare it, and besides it was growing late, so 
 we concluded to have a regular nursery tea of bread and butter and jam, 
 but the bell was heard once more. This time our callers were two 
 elderly Indian women who are good friends to us, coming at intervals 
 from their distant homes and always bringing something nice ; we have 
 very interesting calls with them though they speak no English. At once 
 we settled down to spend some time with them, for we have had experi- 
 ence. After the greeting and handshakings, a moment of silence fol- 
 lowed as usual, and then ' Hn,' said one of the women, as she drew her 
 basket from under her shawl, handing it to me. ' Utnathi ne gaigon ?' 
 (What is this?) I asked. ' Katkat,' was the reply, that is 'look,' 
 and lo ! two loaves of native bread, made of pounded corn and black 
 beans, quite fresh and warm. It is always a delicacy in our estimation 
 and best of all, was ready for us at that very moment ; no need of fur- 
 ther regrets for that lost toast ; here was our supper provided for us by 
 the kindest of ravens. Having expressed our pleasure in the exclama- 
 tions we have learned from the Indians themselves we were given a fur- 
 ther surprise (?) when the other visitor drew from under her shawl a pail, 
 having in it a pot of fresh butter, and a ' kitkit ' /. e. a chicken, all 
 dressed and ready to cook (fortunately, for neither of us could accom- 
 plish the dressing of a chicken ; I'm sorry, but it is a fact.) While my 
 sister talked with our friends (talked at them, I mean, though they do 
 grasp our meaning fairly well) I slipped upstairs and found some little 
 things to give them as our expression of gratitude and pleasure, and 
 when the visit had been duly prolonged, they got ready for their long 
 tramp homeward, adjusting shawls and head gear as only Indians can. 
 
62 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 It was dark and growing colder, but out they went, and their pleasant 
 sweet-voiced chatter came back to us as we watched them on their way. 
 We sought our kitchen once more and thankfully fell upon our Indian 
 bread and made some tea, and a very satisfying little supper we had, 
 although it was after eight, and some might think the bread a little solid 
 to be eaten at night. This was a day literally full for us, and yet so 
 little in it to tell. Of course a bright day would have brought us more 
 callers, but it seemed many because we had expected no interruptions. 
 
 The lace school has 
 grown continually and 
 we had 150 names on 
 the roll, though not all 
 of these are regular 
 workers now. Between 
 forty and fifty children 
 have attempted the lace, 
 and many of them have 
 done good work, but 
 some will have dropped 
 from the list this coming 
 year. We were asked 
 to include the children 
 of the Government 
 School in the lace class, 
 and after some consid- 
 eration we decided to 
 make the experiment, 
 
 ONEIDA LACE not SQ much for the gake 
 
 of the lace itself, as for the opportunity thus afforded of keeping our- 
 selves in touch with the children, whom otherwise we should not see for 
 nine months in the year. We have no cause to regret our decision, for 
 the matron of the school reports very happy results, saying that since 
 the girls began to "make lace" there has been a marked change in 
 them ; they have behaved more quietly and have grown neater in their 
 personal habits. The experimental nature of the work for this season 
 makes the amount accomplished and the money earned less in propor- 
 tion to the number of the workers than would have been the case if we 
 had allowed only the best pupils to continue, but surely the good done 
 is more wide-spread and that of course is our first aim. In the last 
 year — three months being counted out as vacation — we have finished 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 63 
 
 over 700 pieces of lace, and a litttle over S6oo have been paid for the 
 work. In some cases a pupil has made only one or two pieces, at 50 
 cents or 75 cents each, while others have earned between thirty and 
 forty dollars. On some days more than -thirty pupils have come to 
 return work, or to have their progress inspected or to get more material 
 for the work in hand. If necessary to gain time for a lesson, pupils 
 will stay to dinner with us, and you can readily see how these things 
 help on the friendly, neighborly relations which must exist if we are to 
 be of service to this people. Sometimes we have had as many as fifteen 
 at a time, waiting to be served, and that really taxes the capacity of our 
 small house, for kitchen and dining room must serve as well as the re- 
 ception room. As a whole the women have shown great cleverness with 
 
 1 their needles and their lace is really beautiful. The men show due 
 appreciation of the work and are always ready to take the long walks 
 for their wives in cold and stormy weather, and sometimes they laugh- 
 ingly express a hope that they may share in the profits. I have spoken 
 of this new industry at so much length because it is new, and of so much 
 help to our people ; but of course it does not represent all we can do for 
 them. We have given instructions to candidates for Confirmation as 
 usual, and this year they were given as a general instruction to the con- 
 gregation assembled before Evensong on Sundays, with an interpreter. 
 
 ; In Lent we had the weekly Bible instruction after one of the daily four 
 o'clock Services. There is always the Church Altar work, the playing 
 for the weekly Guild celebration of Holy Communion, and the hour with 
 
 i the children of the Mission School once a week for the Church teaching 
 when possible. 
 
 The Sisters at all times do what they can to help with the music of 
 
 1 the Church choir, copying and printing music, writing out new hymns, 
 etc. They have written for the leaflets and appeals sent from the 
 Mission and have furnished material for one number of the ' Round 
 Robin,' which is published for the Junior Auxiliary. Little visiting has 
 
 ! been attempted among the people this year, for the long and serious ill- 
 ness of one of the Sisters has left less time and strength for outside \\ ork. 
 This rough outline will give you some idea of what our life here is like, 
 and, simple as it is, we hope you will deem it worthy of your approval 
 and benediction." 
 
6 4 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 THE ONEIDA CHOIR AND BAND 
 
 It was for many years the hope of our people and their Missionar- 
 ies that the Oneidas would have a Vested Choir. This hope was real- 
 ized by the present Missionary's inauguration of one. consisting of about 
 forty men and boys of the tribe, who sung for the first time on the fif- 
 teenth Sunday after Trinity, 1897, the occasion being the Annual Har- 
 vest Festival Services. With the vested choir we have also a supple- 
 
 THE ONEIDA CHOIR 
 
 mentary choir of women and girls, and the cornetists of the band give 
 valuable assistance. The training of the choir is accompanied with 
 great difficulties, for attending a choir practice on this Reservation is 
 not a matter of taking a trolley car or walking a few blocks on a good 
 pavement under electric lights. It means, for the most of our choris- 
 ters, a long tramp or drive from three to eight miles over roads which are 
 sufficiently difficult by broad daylight ; and yet there are few absences 
 from our rehearsals, and even dark and stormy nights are no hindrance 
 to their ambition or their willingness to give time and labor to perfect 
 themselves in music. The Oneidas are a musical people, and their love 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 65 
 
 of music and their spirit of devotion combined, have made them bravely 
 conquer obstacles which at first seemed insurmountable, so that now our 
 music has attained a recognized excellence. It is certainly seemly and 
 devout. Our big, deep-chested men sing from their hearts, and make 
 their singing a part of their worship. It is their gift to God, given with 
 all their might. The choral Eucharist is sung most reverently. There 
 
 is no giggling, whispering, and 
 inattention, as in choirs of en- 
 lightened white people. The 
 Indian hymns are magnificent 
 and are often rendered, with- 
 out organ accompaniment, as 
 the richness and harmonies of 
 the voices would be marred 
 by the most skillful playing. 
 In these familiar hymns the 
 entire congregation joins, tak- 
 ing up the strains which to 
 the visitors, sound so smooth, 
 and resonant. The most 
 striking effect is produced by 
 the voices of the women, sing- 
 ing apparently a tenor to the 
 tenor, their high over-notes 
 being so unusual, and some- 
 times in funeral hymns, alto- 
 gether weird, so that in Indian 
 THE CRUCIFER harmony we can certainly look 
 
 for the unexpected. Of our small organ we cannot speak favorably save 
 for its valued antiquity. It is so weak and asthmatic as to be more of a 
 hindrance than an inspiration. A substantial and melodious pipe organ 
 is the need at present felt by the choir and congregation of Hobart 
 Church. One solemn delight to both Indians and whites is their own Te 
 Deum, stately, dignified, with three Alleluias after each verse ; as it takes 
 three times as long to say or sing anything in Oneida as in English, only 
 a few verses can be sung, these being chanted by one voice, the choir 
 and congregation taking up the Alleluia. Twice a year only is this old 
 Te Deum heard ; at Christmas and when the Bishop makes his visita- 
 tion, whenthey make the day a holiday, meeting the Bishop at the 
 station with the band, and escorting him, some on foot, some in wagons, 
 in ordered procession to the Church. 
 
66 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 We must tell you a bit about our Band, in which there are about 
 twenty members. In the old days a certain Frenchman cast in his lot 
 with these people and seems to have been their first band-master, and so 
 
 THE ONEIDA NATIONAL BAND 
 
 kindly did the natives take his instruction, that today the Oneida 
 National Band is quite in request and is heard at State and County Fairs 
 and upon all Festival days at home. 
 
 HOBART GUILD 
 
 A proper presentation of the women of the Guild would turn this 
 book into a big biography. Oldest of the guild women and most loved by 
 them is Mary Ann Bread, the central figure in our picture. For many 
 years she was their mother and interpreter, having lived as nurse among 
 white families and being able to speak English more readily than the 
 others. When the Hospital was built old Mary Ann was promised that a 
 room should always be in readiness for her coming. We were glad she 
 could enjoy the comforts of such a home for the two last winters of her 
 life. During the winter of 1899 our old Mother, then nearly ninety 
 years of age, was gradually failing in health and strength, but ever cheer- 
 ful and happy, pleased with her hospital home, and ever grateful for all 
 that was done for her comfort. After making her Easter Communion 
 in the little Chapel of the Hospital, she returned to her friends. It was 
 not long after that the report was made of her rapid decline in health. 
 She was visited several times by the Missionary, and a few days before 
 her death received her last Communion ; knowing it to be such, she said 
 to her Missionary, " I am glad my long journey is nearly ended, 
 and that very soon I shall be at Home." She died June 4th, 1900. 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 67 
 
 Immediately after her death her body was brought to the Hospital, and 
 there lay before the Chapel Altar until the day of her burial, June 7th. 
 According to her wish she was dressed for burial in her old Indian cos- 
 tume, beaded skirt, leggins and moccasins, and on her head was tied a 
 simple black kerchief. Our dear old mother was loved and respected by 
 the entire tribe, and rarely is a larger congregation seen in our Church 
 than that which assembled on the day of her funeral. The Service con- 
 sisted of the Burial Office and the Holy Communion, after which the long 
 
 d r - 
 
 THE GUILD WOMEN 
 
 procession wended its way to the summit of the high hill of the cemetery, 
 and during the filling in of the grave, favorite hymns in Oneida and 
 English were sung. There were visitors from families round about the 
 Reservation in which she had been employed as a nurse, and to whom 
 she had endeared herself by long years of faithful, loving service. 
 
 The nucleus of our Guild, was formed in the missionary days of the 
 Reverend Father Goodnough, of beloved memory, whose wife, only eigh- 
 teen when she came among the people, brought the elder women together 
 and taught them how to cut and make their own clothing and to make 
 white bread. Then the never-failing bed quilts, true coat-of-arms of 
 all Guilds, were undertaken, flourishing to-day in wonderful squares and 
 points and triangles of intense pink and yellow and green, important in 
 
68 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 an Oneida woman's eyes as a chest of linen to some nice Dutch Katrinka. 
 Then followed in natural sequence the making of moccasins and dolls, 
 for which orders still come in from genuine admirers of Indian work, 
 and if you only knew how restful moccasins could be to poor, tired feet, 
 you would introduce thern at the next five o'clock tea. Fancy a daintily 
 outlined foot in softest buckskin, with solid beadwork reaching almost to 
 the toe and velvet collar tied around the ankles. 
 
 A real Oneida family claims presentation from our Guild women. 
 Not bisque, nor china nor even rubber dolls, nor carrot dolls, nor yet rag 
 ones, are waiting for their introduction to our readers, but two brown- 
 faced, gorgeously-attired Oneida dollikins, 
 of good old corn-husk lineage. Here, 
 Miss Getting-water-in-a-dipper, and Mr. 
 Something -lying -on -the -ground, m a ke 
 your best bow to the pale faces looking so 
 curiously at you. What is it? "They 
 stare so." Oh, well, they are just inter- 
 ested white folk you know, not true, in- 
 teresting Americans like yourselves, and 
 one must not expect too much of them, so 
 don't mind if they examine your dress and 
 beads and make some personal remarks ; 
 this is quite the correct thing among pale 
 faces. You see, dear Mesdames New York 
 and Boston, these dollies are the handi- 
 work of the Guild women, who spend every Thursday, the whole day, 
 in their room in the Church, where they seem as fond of doll-making as 
 Miss Alcott's Old-fashioned Girl. There are The-one-who-pushes-the- 
 ice-away, The-one-who-makes-maple-sugar, and a dozen others, solemnly 
 considering whether to put apple-green and magenta together, or to use 
 gilt beads or glass ones on dolly's skirt ; and there is good old Yanigien, 
 with a lapful of brown cornhusks that she is laboriously fashioning into 
 the doll itself, putting layer after layer, one over the other, until a hard, 
 smooth surface is formed for the head, while the ends of the husks make 
 arms, legs and body. Small brown stitches divide the fingers and now 
 Miss Doll is ready for her wardrobe. She can't bother with stockings 
 and shoes, her mother never gave them a thought, so on goes a pair of 
 soft moccasins with beads up the front, and next a pair of black cloth 
 leggings, rather broad, with a pretty pattern in chalk beads, worked on 
 the outside edge and around the bottom. Then comes the white petti- 
 
 CORN-HUSK DOLLS 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 69 
 
 coat, covered in turn by a plain skirt of any colored wool, and over this 
 is put on a kind of primitive polonaise, that might have supplied Worth's 
 first inspiration in that line. Suppose this polonaise to be dark blue 
 serge, bound with narrow magenta ribbon, edged with a tiny row of 
 white beads, both ribbon and beads reaching right up to the waist and 
 throat ; then, following the shoulder seams are more lines of beads and 
 a bit of a belt makes all neat around the waist, from which hangs a small 
 chamois pocket, bead-trimmed, for, one ought to say, my Lady's hand- 
 kerchief, but probably a gay red apple or some crackers would be tucked 
 in, to keep the baby quiet. And a piece of dark brown silk is fastened 
 securely to the top of the head and brought down each side of the face 
 in most becoming bands, and tied with a bow at the back. Not every 
 face can bear this trying style of hair-dressing, but when your features 
 are of ancient Egyptian severity, quite the kind depicted on monuments, 
 being drawn in ink, with true old masterly simplicity, then plain bands 
 of hair are most fitting. Into the edge of this silky brown hair are 
 placed the last ornaments, ear-rings of beads, when the doll is ready for 
 her travels ; and the Oneida doll travels with all the fearlessness of the 
 old tribe itself. Similarly made are the warrior dolls, dressed in buck- 
 skin trousers and short jacket, belted ; knife in belt and feather in cap, 
 and of course the necessary sprinkling of beads. They are fine repre- 
 sentatives of a fine old tribe, these Indian dolls, and all doll-lovers should 
 have at least one, while collectors could never be satisfied without two. 
 But all these things are only a part of what is done by the Guild women, 
 who earn several hundred dollars a year for their dear Church. Do the 
 men give a day's work in the fields belonging to the Mission ? Out 
 come, the Guild women to prepare dinner and supper, Is a feast 
 given in order to raise a little money ? All day long, the Guild women 
 make their best bread and pies and cake and whatever tastes good to 
 the Indian palate. Does the chancel need cleaning ? Here are the 
 Guild women with pails and cloths and plenty of good will. Or perhaps 
 long yards of green are needed for the Christmas decorations. Here are 
 the same ready hands, "and in their quiet way, all these things mean "a 
 good time," low-voiced talking and low-voiced laughter with inflections 
 no elocutionist could give and all the time in the world ! Why should 
 any one be in a hurry because dinner was appointed for one o'clock ? 
 Half-past two is early enough for a man who is not all stomach, for the 
 despatch of the. average white man and the hurry-flurry of the average 
 white woman find no place among the people of the Red Stone. 
 
70 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 VISITORS' DAY AT ONEIDA 
 
 The Green Bay and Western Railroad brings the visitor to Oneida 
 within a clear and expansive view of the institutions and buildings of the 
 Reservation ere he reaches his destination. Immediately to the right 
 upon leaving the little station, one catches a glimpse of the Government 
 Boarding School. This institution is beautifully located on a high, level 
 ridge and can be seen from all directions. Three long ridges run through 
 
 THE MISSION BUILDINGS 
 
 the Reservation, and as the visitor takes the road leading to the left of 
 the station, he very soon catches aglimpse of the main ridge, upon which 
 almost in the center of the Reservation, stands the large Church, a solid 
 structure of grey limestone. The tower, eighty feet high, adds much to 
 its stately appearance and impresses the spectator with its divinely pro- 
 tecting-like care with which it seems to overlook the adjacent buildings. 
 The Church structure is gothic in style and will seat between 800 and 
 900 persons. The plans were carefully worked out and given by the 
 Rev. Professor Babcock of Cornell University. The visitor is always 
 conspicuous upon the sacred days of the Church, such as Sundays and 
 other Feasts and Holy Days. 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 71 
 
 The atmosphere on the Reservation upon these occasions is truly 
 devotional and inspiring. We believe God's true children worship here 
 and lend heart and voice to His praise. The Oneidas are remarkably 
 devoted to their Church and its worship. The piety they manifest in 
 the sight of God may well merit the good gifts which are being bestowed 
 upon them. 
 
 Not having to combat the saloon (for no saloons are allowed on the 
 Reservation,) nor disturbed by sectarian jealousy and strife, the Church 
 is their first and greatest interest. What has been done for these people 
 
 through the Church's divinely appointed 
 agencies appears in their history. Well 
 may the Church be proud of what her 
 Prayer Book and system of Christian civil- 
 ization has accomplished. Our Sundays 
 are very busy days. There is first the 
 early Celebration of Holy Communion at 
 7:30. At 10 o'clock the children meet for 
 Instruction given by the Sisters. At eleven 
 o'clock there is the Service of the day, 
 and at this hour between 600 and Soo In- 
 dians are to be found in the Church, and 
 even larger numbers for the great. Festi- 
 vals. In the afternoon there may be Bap- 
 tisms, Marriages and Funerals, and at 
 certain seasons special instructions are 
 given. Evensong is said at five o'clock followed by choir rehearsal. Al- 
 though the Services are said in English, certain portions are read by the 
 Interpreter, the Rev. Cornelius Hill. We have previously given an 
 account of him as a Chief of the tribe. As a minister of the Church he 
 impresses one with a sense of his earnestness and spirituality, as vested in 
 cassock, surplice and stole, quietly and without self-consciousness, he 
 takes his part in the Service. He interprets the lessons from the 
 English Bible into the Oneida tongue with a most remarkable fluency. 
 There are comparatively few words in the Oneida language and an 
 English sentence is therefore difficult to translate. Paragraph by para- 
 graph is the message of the preacher also repeated with much eloquence 
 and feeling. It is a sight full of interest to see Onan-gwat-go, or Great 
 Medicine (Mr. Hill's Indian name) standing by the Missionary, his face 
 turned towards the speaker as he listens attentively, and then turning to 
 the people, speaks to them of the things of God. Now and then one 
 
 THE REV. CORNELIUS HILL 
 Deacon and Interpreter 
 
72 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 hears in the midst of the soft flow of the Oneida syllables an English 
 word, for which there is no Oneida equivalent. A feature that is always 
 refreshing is the close sympathy of the Interpreter with the spirit of his 
 message. Nothing is so bracing, so inspiring, so gladdening to him as 
 hearing a real message, words that come straight from God and go 
 straight to the hearts of the listeners. At a Thursday morning celebra- 
 tion in Lent, a visiting Clergyman was speaking of the strength and joy 
 that comes to us through the Blessed Sacrament, and reminded his hear- 
 ers that they should come to meet their Great Bishop in the same spirit 
 
 but intensified, as 
 that with which they 
 always go to meet 
 their earthly Bishop, 
 coming for his visi- 
 tation. And the 
 preacher used a 
 thought that struck 
 the Interpreter most 
 forcibly, saying 
 something like this : 
 " When your Bishop 
 comes up here it is 
 always to give you 
 something ; he comes 
 to give you the 
 strength of the Holy 
 Ghost, that so you 
 may be able to re- 
 ceive the Great Gift 
 from the Altar, our 
 Lord Himself. The 
 Bishop comes, so to 
 speak, to open for 
 you the way to the 
 Altar. He does not 
 come to get anything 
 The effect of these words upon 
 the dealings of white men with 
 
 RT. REV. R. H. WELLER, JR., D.D. 
 Bishop Coadjutor, Fond du Lac 
 
 for himself, but to give you something." 
 
 the listeners was electric ; for when in a 
 
 red (with pitifully few exceptions,) could it be truly said they do not 
 
 come to get anything for themselves ? The Interpreter's eyes were 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 73 
 
 tearful and his usually gracious utterance was cut short, as he remem- 
 bered the open Hand of his Great Father and the clutching fingers of his 
 white brother. Or again, on Palm Sunday, when reading the Gospel, 
 there was heard a little break in the Interpreters voice as he read of the 
 insults heaped upon our Lord, the thorns, the spitting, the mockery. 
 Mr. Hill is the first Oneida to receive Holy Orders. He had served for 
 many years before as Interpreter and on the day of his Ordination was 
 on duty as usual. While the day was one of great rejoicing because of 
 
 the spiritual gift to be 
 bestowed upon him, 
 it was also a day of 
 sadness of heart, for 
 his infant son lay dead 
 a t home awaiting 
 burial after the ser- 
 vice of Ordination. 
 Mr. Hill took his 
 place by the side of 
 the Bishop and pro- 
 ceeded to interpret 
 the sermon, but when 
 he came to the words 
 addressed to himself, 
 strong and reserved Indian that he is, he simply covered his face and 
 sobbed. In the Church no sound was heard and not an eye was raised. 
 One could feel the sympathy extended to him from all hearts. But in a 
 ew moments he regained his composure and went on with a calmness of 
 oul resting in God. Since his Ordination he has been often called upon 
 to administer Baptism in the case of sickness, and at all times has been 
 a faithful co-worker with those under whom he has served. 
 
 Close beside the great stone Church, stands the little house erected 
 by the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity for the use of two Sisters of their 
 Community, who give their services and render valuable assistance to 
 the Mission work. Opposite the Church are the Mission School build- 
 ings and the Band room. The Mission farm of about thirty acres is 
 cultivated by the men of the Church, who week after week, give such 
 time as they can for plowing, haying, harvesting, making roads, put- 
 ting up fences, repairing side-walks, cutting wood, and generally showing 
 their zeal and interest for the Church property. Farther down the road 
 stands the Mission House, the home of the Missionary, where the dsitor 
 
 THE MISSION HOUSE 
 
74 
 
 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 may always be sure of a welcome. The dwelling place is a comfortable 
 farm house, and through the generosity of our friends it has been lately 
 put in good repair. We are obliged to ask our friends from time to time 
 to contribute towards the keeping our somewhat large plant in repair 
 and thus teach the Indians the necessity of a well-ordered establishment. 
 We want our readers to be at home on the Reservation. They will find 
 a busy work going on at all times at the School and Hospital, the Sisters' 
 House, the Church and Mission House, where as many as fifty or a hun- 
 dred Indians come 
 every day. Our 
 visitors will find the 
 Reservation to be a 
 tract of beautiful 
 farm land about 
 ten by twelve miles 
 square. The land 
 is all appropriated in 
 severalty by the vari- 
 ous families, and is 
 taken up by farms of 
 200 or 300 acres in 
 extent. Except 
 where the far m s 
 are cleared and crops of grain are growing, the Reservation is covered 
 with woods. If our visitors come in the harvest season they will find the 
 people all busy, and it may surprise them to see the Indians making use 
 of modern farm machinery, such as binders and the large threshing 
 machines which are owned and managed by the Indians themselves. 
 Nature has made our abode attractive to the artistic temperament. The 
 sinuous Duck Creek winds its way through valleys, and numerous trout 
 streams abound. The roads are narrow and winding and the cool, 
 shady path-ways lead the lover of nature through pleasant rambles in 
 beautiful woods. But all landscapes are dull without some life in them. 
 Let us sketch in here a well known Indian figure. If a visitor comes to 
 us, he is sure to meet, about the Sisters' house or at the Missionary's 
 home, old Abram, " Kingly and kindly," so one writer described him. 
 Abram Elm, with his broad shoulders, fine physique and noble head, is 
 easily recognized as he takes his place in the choir and joins in the wor- 
 ship with reverence and simplicity. Seldom does he raise his eyes from 
 his book, singing in full, mellow tones without any self-consciousness, 
 
 DUCK GREEK 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONblDAS 
 
 75 
 
 but conscious of God. His wife, Kawislenta, is one of our best bead 
 embroiderers, and although she cannot talk English she understands it, 
 and smiles genially. Abram cares for her very tenderly, and has only 
 one thing to desire for her ; " I thinking," says he, " I wishing English 
 mouth on my wife : that all I want ; she don't handsome much, but she's 
 best 'ooman in world." They had a daughter once, whom they greatly 
 loved, and she died. Then, Abram will tell you, " for one, two years I 
 dying too : then I must live again." The loss of this only child has 
 
 given him a most fatherly appreciation of 
 young girls. " Boys, they very well," he 
 grants, " but they not like girls. Boys go 
 through house ; they making big noise ; 
 they leaving things on the floor. Girls, 
 they come through still, they not saying 
 much ; they picking up things ; they make 
 it all right." Tears for his sins, and sorrow 
 for the miseries of his little world are 
 never far from Abram 's eyes, but joyous- 
 ness is, after all, his daily atmosphere. 
 As you look into his face your heart is 
 won by as ingenuous and sweet a smile as 
 ever shone in the face of a child, and 
 small things please him as they would a 
 child. When a "white lady," who sent 
 him a box of candy, begged that he take 
 no offence at so trifling a gift, he fairly 
 beamed with delight. ' ' Abram not mad, ' ' 
 he said ; " Abram berry glad. Candy making Abram's mind just like 
 little girl's mind. Abram berry glad." 
 
 
 f * ,. 2 
 
 
 
 MB'; -V. -^rfHICr 
 
 
 
 
 
 A TYPICAL ONEIDA 
 
76 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 A COTTAGE SERVICE 
 
 The truly Catholic spirit of religion at Oneida is shown by the 
 weekly "Cottage Services," which carry us back to the days of Bishop 
 Kemper and the Nashotah Missionaries. A visitor at one of the simple 
 services thus described it : "I wish you might be present at one of these 
 Indian Cottage Services which are held every Friday night at some house, 
 usually at some place where distance or age or sickness prevents the 
 people from very regular Church attendance. After a drive of six or 
 seven miles over atrocious roads, so dangerous at some seasons of the 
 year that we were forced to remark we thought we ought to sing a Te 
 Deum at the end of the journey for our preservation, we find the house 
 where the service is appointed. It is brightly lighted, and a number of 
 teams, which have brought the neighboring assembly are hitched about, 
 for many of the congregation come from a distance. The average In- 
 dian house, though there are better ones, is a log cabin with one large 
 living room, a loft above and a " leanto " for cooking, etc. The houses 
 are much neater than one generally finds among white people of the 
 same class. When we enter the room we find a bed in one corner cov- 
 ered for the occasion with the " best quilt " in brilliant patch work. 
 Round the room on benches and chairs are arranged the congregation, 
 men, women and children, as many as the room will hold. Mr. Hill, 
 the Indian Deacon, passes Prayer Books to those who can read English, 
 the Missionary puts on his surplice, and the Service begins. We have 
 shortened form of Evening Prayer, and Mr. Hill reads the gospel for the 
 week in the Indian language and interprets the instruction upon it, given 
 by the Missionary. An Indian hymn is always sung at these gatherings 
 to one of the quaint tunes which have been handed down from the 
 early days of the tribe. One can but feel the devotional atmosphere 
 of these cottage services." Another white visitor said: " It is a sermon 
 just to be present and watch these people." After the service, which 
 closes with a special prayer for the household and the general Benedic- 
 tion, we say good-night with a friendly hand-shake all round, and drive 
 home through the woods. It is very dark, but the horses seem to know 
 the way. The piety of thought is somewhat disturbed by the frequent 
 jolts over the corduroy road. We keep thinking how good those people 
 are ! how does the Missionary stand it ? what brought tears into the 
 eyes of that old woman ? and alas ! we could not help also thinking how 
 tired we are and how glad to get home." 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 77 
 
 OUR FUTURE, WHAT SHALL IT BE? 
 
 Several characteristics of the Indians have been mentioned in this 
 historical sketch, and these will be referred to now as entering into some 
 of the social problems to be solved in the near future. The Indian is 
 easy going, having little thought of the future ; he labors only for the 
 present and calls the white man a slave. Necessity has compelled him 
 to cultivate his land and thereby is proven that if he must, he can ac- 
 
 AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS 
 
 complish a great deal, as some of our well developed farms of to-day 
 show. But he is likely to stop here, and if the crops fail as is the case 
 at times, he has nothing to fall back on. To meet this need the Mis- 
 sionary has been desirous for a long time to see a Creamery plant es- 
 tablished on the Reservation. But first there was needed a permanent 
 and reliable water supply. Our illustration does not represent that 
 which is especially ornamental in the Mission plant, but no gift to 
 Oneida is more valued than our water plant which cost us over $1500. 
 Not only was it necessary for the establishment of the Creamery, but it 
 is impossible to estimate the comfort and help added to all of the Mis- 
 sion household and the Hospital. In making our appeal for this object 
 we felt we were not asking a luxury from our friends but a necessity, 
 and the prompt and generous response to our appeal made us feel our 
 necessity was realized, and we are most grateful to all who aided us in 
 securing our present valued water system. The water plant gives us an 
 artesian well 233 feet deep, with a good flow of water, which supplies the 
 
78 the church's mission to the oneidas 
 
 Hospital, Mission House and Creamery and makes bath rooms and other 
 sanitary conveniences a possibility for the Hospital and Mission House. 
 The Creamery plant has been an expensive outfit and it has not been 
 easy to make philanthropic and charitable persons see our need of this 
 industry ; but we knew it to be a great means of making the Indians 
 thrifty and industrious. The Missionary did not act without the advice 
 of experts in this line of business. Moreover he found it necessary to 
 purchase a pair of overalls and enroll himself as a student at our State 
 Agricultural College and spent some time there learning the practical 
 side of the work. He then persistently talked of his pet scheme, wrote 
 
 innumerable letters and appeals, and at 
 last through the generosity of a few friends 
 who believed in his object, saw the accom- 
 plishment of his desire, and the Oneida 
 Creamery Co. is now a reality. Our first 
 plan was to build a large and thoroughly 
 equipped building, but that required an 
 ! expenditure of $2500 which was not forth - 
 ! coming. One thousand dollars were all 
 we could raise, and with this amount we 
 remodeled our old granary building, put 
 in the water supply, and bought the nec- 
 I essary machinery. It is only a small 
 plant, and the beginning of the work was 
 THE WATER PLANT ridiculously small, for when we announced 
 
 ourselves ready for operation on the 15th 
 of May 1901, only one customer presented himself, bringing but 17 pounds 
 of milk from his two cows ! At the end of the first week, however, we 
 increased to 13 patrons with 695 lbs. of milk from 36 cows. At the end 
 of the first month we had 16 patrons bringing us 775 lbs. of milk daily 
 from 40 cows ; this enabled us to make about 200 lbs. of butter per 
 week. There was continued progress until the end of our first and short 
 season, when we were able to make the following report to our patrons 
 and friends : 
 
 Number of Patrons, 26. 
 
 Number of Weeks the Creamery in Operation, 23. 
 
 Number of Cows, 83. 
 
 Pounds of Milk received, 99,897. 
 
 Pounds of Butter made, 3,189, 
 
 Paid Patrons for their Butter, $603.82. 
 
THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 Highest price paid per pound, 20 cents. 
 Lowest price paid per pound, 17 cents. 
 Average price paid per pound, 18^ cents. 
 
 79 
 
 EXPENSE ACCOUNT. 
 
 Patrons, for Butter, 
 
 Salary of Manager and running expenses, 
 
 Total, ... 
 
 Receipts from sale of Butter, 
 
 Deficit, 
 
 $603.82 
 368.63 
 
 #972.45 
 676.08 
 $296.37 
 With this small 
 number of cows 
 our Creamery can 
 not be run on a 
 paying basis, and 
 so we are appeal- 
 ing to generous 
 friends to help us 
 with the running 
 expenses w h ich 
 will average about 
 $75 a month. We 
 have a good mar- 
 ket for our butter, 
 and there is now 
 even a demand for 
 the products of the 
 Oneida Creamery. We need greatly the help of the generous and 
 wealthy to assist us to purchase a herd of one hundred first class dairy 
 cows, which we can farm out to the Indians on shares for the mutual 
 benefit of the Creamery company and the Indians themselves. Few of our 
 people have money to purchase a cow, yet many of them have expressed 
 an earnest wish to become patrons of the Creamery. All our patrons 
 have been greatly pleased with the results of the industry, and all prom- 
 ise to come back to us for the next season, some with added stock. Our 
 regular weekly cash payments have been of wonderful help to them and 
 proved the value of dairy farming as no amount of talk about such an 
 advantage could have possibly done. For many years our people have 
 depended largely upon the forests for their living, but so rapidly has 
 :he land been cleared of its great pines and other timber, that here we 
 :an no longer look to this industry as the chief means of producing a 
 
 THE MISSION CREAMERY 
 
80 THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 living. We all know the poverty and insecurity of results derived from 
 the ordinary crop-raising farms. There is no better butter-producing 
 State in the Union than Wisconsin, and no land is better suited for such 
 an industry than our own Reservation, and all around us the farmers are 
 developing this profitable industry, and a Creamery established by them 
 only a year ago, where 98,453 lbs. of butter was made, and sold for 
 $19,690, reports a dividend of 6 per cent for this first year's work. If 
 our friends will only generously aid us for a time, we believe it will not 
 be long before we too can establish a permanent and paying business 
 that will enable us to be a self-supporting Mission, and make also our 
 Indians self-supporting and industrious citizens. 
 
 A Co-operative Store 
 
 Another proposed plan is the opening of a co-operative store in 
 connection with the Creamery, to the end that the Indians may not be, 
 as they are now in a great measure, the victims of unprincipled traders 
 in the towns round about the Reservation. At the present there are no 
 stores on the Reservation, so that our people are compelled to go to 
 town, ten and twelve miles away, for all their supplies. All know what 
 a curse the " fire water" of the white man has been to the Indian and 
 the demoralizing effect it has upon him. All Missionaries among Indians 
 have this hydra of civilization to fight against, and it is the greatest 
 drawback to their efforts to bring the red man into a more enlightened 
 state. Fifteen hundred dollars would give us the beginning of this co- 
 operative store which would be made a paying investment. 
 
 One more special requirement, and we are done with all the visions 
 for the future development of this most interesting tribe of Indians. We 
 want to have a Guild Hall combining school, library, sewing and class 
 rooms, kitchen and a large lecture hall. At the present time we have 
 no room suitable for any large gathering, and we want a large lecture 
 hall, where our people can have the advantages of stereopticon lectures, 
 talks and instructions on hygiene and agriculture. The authorities of 
 our State Agricultural College are willing to give us Farmer's Institutes 
 and other lectures which would be of great help to the people. More- 
 over the young men and women when they return from such schools as 
 Carlisle and Hampton miss all the literary advantages they have enjoyed 
 and many of them would make good use of the library. The Indians 
 have set themselves to work for this object by going into the quarry and 
 getting out stone. On the 17th of June 1901, the first load of stone for 
 the new building was laid down on the site where some day we hope to 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 8l 
 
 see the Oneida Library. We shall need something more than $5000 for 
 the erection of this building, exclusive of the stone and sand which the 
 Indians will give. Is there not some philanthropic Carnegie in the 
 Church, who, while gifts are being showered lavishly on white men's 
 Colleges and Libraries, will remember the red man's simple needs and do 
 for him what is so bountifully and superabundantly done for his more 
 fortunate white brothers ? 
 
 Those who have the future welfare of the Indians at heart will do 
 well to take a personal interest in the work of the Church among these 
 people. The romantic part of the Indian mission work is a thing of the 
 
 pp |p^ 
 
 C 1 1 ' 
 
 THE GRAFTON LIBRARY 
 
 past, and this makes it difficult to interest the general public in the 
 furtherance of the work. The Indian as a rule wants to advance, but 
 he cannot do it alone. He must be aided, and as Bishop Hobart long 
 ago pointed out, we must give him, not a gospel without civilization, nor 
 a civilization without the gospel ; they must go together. The hard 
 work that falls on the Missionary he gladly accepts. He can but take 
 a real permanent interest in the people to whom he has devoted his life. 
 The raising of funds is a most trying work and from which one shrinks. 
 In this will you not aid him ? Will not the Church give him all the 
 assistance which he really needs and unite with him in bringing the 
 Gospel of life and work into the homes of this ancient people ? 
 
82 THE CHURCH'S MISSION TO THE ONEIDAS 
 
 DEAR READER : 
 
 If our book has interested you in any degree, will you not, accord- 
 ing to your ability, help us with an offering ? The needs of the Mission 
 are many. Remember, dear reader, that we are far removed from the 
 great centres of the Church and are easily forgotten. You must pardon 
 our seeming importunity. It is hard to beg. It is harder to be in want 
 and to see the work of God straitened. Therefore we urge in Christ's 
 dear Name the needs of our Mission upon the old Oneida friends. You 
 who have done so much for them in the past, grant us a kindly hearing. 
 Get others interested in this gospel work. We need not say how much 
 we Americans owe to the red men. It is an oft repeated story. Now 
 we find them advancing in civilization, grateful for what has been done 
 for them, eagerly availing themselves of all their advantages, becoming 
 every year better educated and growing into the responsibilities of 
 citizenship, loyal and devout Churchmen, members of our own Christian 
 Family, one with us in the household of faith. To extend a loving and 
 generous hand that will further lift them up, is to put in practice the 
 great principle of the Incarnation. It is to make real our own following 
 of Him who stooped down from heaven, and by the sacrifice of Himself 
 lifted us up into union with Himself. If you have not done anything 
 for this cause, won't you begin now ? If you have, do not slacken in 
 well-doing. Let your prayers go up with your gift, and a gift from the 
 Great Giver will be its acknowledgment here and in eternity. 
 
 BB 
 
 1.4* 
 
HOW TO SEND CONTRIBUTIONS TO ONEIDA 
 
 Cash, by registered letter addressed to Rev. F. W. 
 Merrill, Oneida, Brown Co., Wis. 
 
 Money Orders, made payable at Green Bay, Wis. 
 
 Freight, Oneida Wisconsin, via Green Bay Junction. 
 
 Express Packages, should be sent per United States 
 Express, addressed Green Bay, Wis., and marked to be called 
 for. 
 

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