Chapter XLII — Events of 1876 including serious farming issues, drought and grasshopper plagues. These are all important issues, but from the mission standpoint, it also includes the voluntary succession of Father Schoenmakers and the untimely death of Father Philip Colleton.
Chapter XLII
1876 Another dry season — Return of Grasshoppers — Farmers Keep Working — Father Schoenmakers is succeeded by Father A. Sweere —Death of Father Colleton.
The unexpected crops gathered last fall proved to be a great boon to several of our settlers, who indeed were almost on the verge of starvation. Provisions initially were plenty, and at moderate price, but spite of it, a number of our squatters were bound to live under the strictest economy, to be able to meet their creditors.
On the beginning of this year, our out people were very much alarmed because another dry season has come over us. During the whole winter we have but very little snow, and no rain. Springs, wells, ponds, cisterns have all dried up, and many of our people are kept traveling most every day from 3 to 4 miles, to get a barrel of water. And as with the opening of March, very hot winds are sweeping over the country, withering whatever is growing, either in the fields or in the gardens, people feel very much disheartened about their early crops, which they consider already as lost. However, the falling of timely showers in April, infuses, as it were, new life into vegetation, and taught by experience never to give way to despondency, we look with pleasure at the revival of our fields and gardens and feel confident we will be allowed to gather a good crop of small grain and vegetables.
But alas! This crop was not growing for us. Indeed not! Again, new recruits of young grasshoppers’ soon break out of their hiding recesses to devour whatever they can reach. Though their number is above all calculations, we must make room for even more of them. By the end of May, behold they are coming from the far west, there are legions of new recruits, all bound on our total destruction.
Nay these most mischievous little pests, not satisfied to deprive us of our grain, would it seems even prevent us from getting any assistance from friends abroad, by interfering with the running of the railroad trains which at times were coming as far as Ottawa, in Franklin County! Strange as it may appear, it is however a fact, which has been witnessed by numbers of people living in the vicinity of Ottawa. Millions of these most wicked imps, after having well fed themselves, would come to roost on the top of the iron rails, covering them almost out of sight. And lo! Meanwhile they are enjoying their siesta, a thundering engine rushing from the north smashes them to a jelly, leaving the rails covered, as it were, with a layer of grease, which as by a charm, brings the (?) wheels to a standstill, from which they cannot extricate themselves, till they can be helped by a good supply of sand.
It was now evident that no cereal of any kind would be raised during this season. But our farmers do not feel discouraged, on the contrary losing no time, go to work and plant large fields of sugar cane, and broom corn, for both of which, experience has shown, that the grasshoppers seem to have no relish. The result was most favorable, for these, in fact, were the only two crops raised this year by our farmers, the broom corn stocks were carefully gathered, and shipped to eastern markets, where having been found excellent, commanded a fair price. From the sugar cane hundreds of barrels of sorghum were made. Nay, even some of the sugar cane seed was utilized as a substitute for hominy.
To what concerns St. Francis Institution, it stood like an oasis in the middle of the desert, and spite of all difficulties, it kept improving and prospering under the prudent management of Father Schoenmakers. Since the Father’s return from his visit to the Osages, it was becoming every day more evident that the administration of our affairs was becoming, to him, a heavier burden than he could carry. He was entirely over taxed and perceiving that, he could no longer do justice to his daily increasing duties, he himself requested our superior to relieve him from the charge of the Mission. His request was granted and Father Adrian Sweere S.J. was appointed his successor. Father A. Sweere assumed the charge Superior on the 6 of July of this year, Father Schoenmakers remaining here as his advisor.
Our new superior soon proved to be well qualified for the office. He saw at once that the decaying log building, used as class rooms, were no longer fit for the present condition of our country, and being authorized to build a new large stone house for school purposes, during the fall of this year he prepared the needed material and gave the charge of putting it up to Father Philip Colleton, whose plans for the same, had been approved as the best.
And undoubtedly, he would have left us a lasting monument of his lofty genius, had he been spared us a little longer! But alas! We were bound to lose him, just when were stood most in need of him. Having been seriously hurt riding on a hand car, meanwhile he was returning to Parsons from Ladore’s Church, he lingered for six months and when, at all appearance, on a fair way of recovering on the first day of December of this year, being attacked by a sudden outburst of some blood vessel, we was choked by the rushing of the blood in his mouth and expired before any assistance could be given to him.
Father Philip Colleton was a man combining perfect self-denial, with great intellectual ability, and showing in himself a living pattern of the noble Christian virtues whose practice he so much inculcated on all. He was an eminent scholar, a powerful speaker, a successful business man. At his death he was but 55 years old, of those last 22 he had been a member of the Society of Jesuits.
The unexpected crops gathered last fall proved to be a great boon to several of our settlers, who indeed were almost on the verge of starvation. Provisions initially were plenty, and at moderate price, but spite of it, a number of our squatters were bound to live under the strictest economy, to be able to meet their creditors.
On the beginning of this year, our out people were very much alarmed because another dry season has come over us. During the whole winter we have but very little snow, and no rain. Springs, wells, ponds, cisterns have all dried up, and many of our people are kept traveling most every day from 3 to 4 miles, to get a barrel of water. And as with the opening of March, very hot winds are sweeping over the country, withering whatever is growing, either in the fields or in the gardens, people feel very much disheartened about their early crops, which they consider already as lost. However, the falling of timely showers in April, infuses, as it were, new life into vegetation, and taught by experience never to give way to despondency, we look with pleasure at the revival of our fields and gardens and feel confident we will be allowed to gather a good crop of small grain and vegetables.
But alas! This crop was not growing for us. Indeed not! Again, new recruits of young grasshoppers’ soon break out of their hiding recesses to devour whatever they can reach. Though their number is above all calculations, we must make room for even more of them. By the end of May, behold they are coming from the far west, there are legions of new recruits, all bound on our total destruction.
Nay these most mischievous little pests, not satisfied to deprive us of our grain, would it seems even prevent us from getting any assistance from friends abroad, by interfering with the running of the railroad trains which at times were coming as far as Ottawa, in Franklin County! Strange as it may appear, it is however a fact, which has been witnessed by numbers of people living in the vicinity of Ottawa. Millions of these most wicked imps, after having well fed themselves, would come to roost on the top of the iron rails, covering them almost out of sight. And lo! Meanwhile they are enjoying their siesta, a thundering engine rushing from the north smashes them to a jelly, leaving the rails covered, as it were, with a layer of grease, which as by a charm, brings the (?) wheels to a standstill, from which they cannot extricate themselves, till they can be helped by a good supply of sand.
It was now evident that no cereal of any kind would be raised during this season. But our farmers do not feel discouraged, on the contrary losing no time, go to work and plant large fields of sugar cane, and broom corn, for both of which, experience has shown, that the grasshoppers seem to have no relish. The result was most favorable, for these, in fact, were the only two crops raised this year by our farmers, the broom corn stocks were carefully gathered, and shipped to eastern markets, where having been found excellent, commanded a fair price. From the sugar cane hundreds of barrels of sorghum were made. Nay, even some of the sugar cane seed was utilized as a substitute for hominy.
To what concerns St. Francis Institution, it stood like an oasis in the middle of the desert, and spite of all difficulties, it kept improving and prospering under the prudent management of Father Schoenmakers. Since the Father’s return from his visit to the Osages, it was becoming every day more evident that the administration of our affairs was becoming, to him, a heavier burden than he could carry. He was entirely over taxed and perceiving that, he could no longer do justice to his daily increasing duties, he himself requested our superior to relieve him from the charge of the Mission. His request was granted and Father Adrian Sweere S.J. was appointed his successor. Father A. Sweere assumed the charge Superior on the 6 of July of this year, Father Schoenmakers remaining here as his advisor.
Our new superior soon proved to be well qualified for the office. He saw at once that the decaying log building, used as class rooms, were no longer fit for the present condition of our country, and being authorized to build a new large stone house for school purposes, during the fall of this year he prepared the needed material and gave the charge of putting it up to Father Philip Colleton, whose plans for the same, had been approved as the best.
And undoubtedly, he would have left us a lasting monument of his lofty genius, had he been spared us a little longer! But alas! We were bound to lose him, just when were stood most in need of him. Having been seriously hurt riding on a hand car, meanwhile he was returning to Parsons from Ladore’s Church, he lingered for six months and when, at all appearance, on a fair way of recovering on the first day of December of this year, being attacked by a sudden outburst of some blood vessel, we was choked by the rushing of the blood in his mouth and expired before any assistance could be given to him.
Father Philip Colleton was a man combining perfect self-denial, with great intellectual ability, and showing in himself a living pattern of the noble Christian virtues whose practice he so much inculcated on all. He was an eminent scholar, a powerful speaker, a successful business man. At his death he was but 55 years old, of those last 22 he had been a member of the Society of Jesuits.
Some Reference Information:
Here is a link to Father Philip Colleton's brief bio. Near the end it provides some more information about the handcar accident that eventually ended his life. https://www.acatholicmission.org/father-philip-colleton.html
Here is a link to Father Philip Colleton's brief bio. Near the end it provides some more information about the handcar accident that eventually ended his life. https://www.acatholicmission.org/father-philip-colleton.html
