# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 04 24_S141
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

141

and we quenched our thirst with the water of the river. Refreshed, we continued our journey and after five o'clock reached the second stage of the road, a wonderfully beautiful height called "Craemer's chair" (the first missionary in this region, the present Professor Craemer in Fort Wayne, used to like so much to rest here when he travelled to Bethany). In the middle of the slope a lovely spring trickles down the steep height. Refreshed a second time by food and the delicious spring water, we undertook the rest of the journey, although very weary. Since sunset was near, it seemed necessary that one of us should hurry ahead on horseback, so as in any case to reach the Indian village before nightfall and to announce to the inhabitants that we wished to see them on the morrow. The choice fell upon me, and I therefore hurried ahead as fast as I could, praying God to give my travelling companions strength to follow after me, though slowly, yet all the way to the goal. Before dark I reached the mission house; at once the two mission horses were bridled, in order to hasten to meet the weary travellers and to carry them also the rest of the way to Bethany. So the late evening found us happily together in Bethany.

The next morning an inspection of the school took place. It furnished proof that the children, big and little, have grown more fond of school, submit better to school discipline, and accordingly also make better progress. The meeting of the congregation was set for the evening; before it was held, however, we made some house visits. The missionaries had told us that some among the Christians, when they were punished for sins committed, had shown a stubborn temper. These needed the most earnest admonitions, which they also seemed to accept, although with some it cost a hard struggle. Old Sarah also and her household had strayed from the way; they had not only been shameless in their demands upon the mission, but had also been caught in many lying speeches. The missionary Mießler persisted in diligent admonition, and we, the visitors, helped to entreat that they would by all means return to obedience to God's Word. In the house of old Wabigonschkom we found indeed a friendly reception, but unfortunately had to hear that he and his wife had thus far still always let themselves be kept back from preparation for baptism. The devil devises new reasons daily for these poor people for putting off holy baptism, and so it is to be earnestly feared that they will some day depart in unbelief. — In the evening the meeting of the Indians took place in the church. After the customary greetings we gladly remembered the great blessings of God which are visible among the Indians. In particular we praised God for all the improvement in temporal things, for the great progress in the establishment of farming, gardens and houses. On this occasion we learned that such a multitude of Yankees have moved into the neighborhood of Bethany that hunting is already very much impaired. Hence the Indians had made one last effort to bring down more game. They had followed the practice of their fathers and drawn a long "fence" of some 20 to 30 miles in length through the middle of the forest, naturally merely by felling trees. As soon as the deer in the hunt come to this fence, they are hindered and must run along it, whereby it is then easier to shoot them than otherwise. This last effort to raise the yield of the hunt at the moment was to us a strong call to admonish the Indians to apply themselves ever more diligently to farming, by which, under God's blessing, they could support themselves abundantly. We told them that they themselves had had this autumn the beautiful joy of harvesting great yields from their little fields, and must boast that they had obtained of Indian corn, potatoes and other garden produce an unusual store, and that this experience ought to make them mindful that in future they should apply themselves still more diligently to farm work, to the clearing of their new woodlots and the cultivation of their gardens and fields. Surely that was God's will for them.

Thereupon we begged those present that they would consider more than formerly that every one should eat his own bread; hence begging for bread and provisions, as it had happened formerly, must no longer take place. The missionaries, we said, were called by God to reach them the Bread of Life; it was the duty of the congregation to prize the same highly, to close the heart against all seduction on the part of false prophets, to submit willingly to the discipline of their faithful teachers, and to work for bread in the sweat of their face. — As it seemed, the well-meant admonition also found a good place; indeed, after the meeting Misquaanaquod, an obstinate man, came walking up to us guests to tell us how he thanked us for what he had heard and would take it to heart. — We were glad of such an utterance and commended the further working of the Word that had been heard to the rule of the gracious God. Early the next morning we left the station and this time, after great exertions, half on horseback, half on foot, arrived the same evening at Saginaw City. — Unfortunately we soon learned through a report of the missionary Mießler that the good effect of the admonition given had been taken away by the devil, at least for a time, in many. How this came about, and how the evil enemy earnestly endeavored to make the Indians of Bethany mere bread-Christians, let the dear reader learn from the following report of the missionary Mießler himself, from which we shall print not only what is pertinent, but also, for the sake of the connection and of the great interest, much else besides:

"As soon as the Indians, so writes missionary Mießler, heard of our plan and of our wishes, they all promised to give up soon the hunting, which in any case was growing ever poorer, and to apply themselves more to farming. That had not been possible for them under the former circumstances. Of the 240 acres of land which belong to three families of Bethany, about 40 acres have been cleared, while the rest still belongs to the primeval forest. On these 40 acres, through which the Pine River flows, all the Indians of Bethany have hitherto lived on both sides of the river and have raised their Indian corn there. So small an area of land, however, is not sufficient to satisfy the needs of so many Indians and to produce their food. Hence, besides farming, which hitherto fell chiefly only to the women, they were compelled to procure their livelihood in other ways. Under such circumstances we could not well reckon on a giving up of hunting and of the other roving about in the forest. For what farming could not accomplish, hunting had to supply. Their prosperity could not thus be raised, their manner of life not become more civilized. So too the communal arrangement, as it has hitherto existed and still exists, the dwelling and planting on one piece of land, brought many unpleasantnesses with it, and not seldom there was strife over mine and thine and the like. All this led not only us but the Indians themselves to think of a change. But to all this there was added that the government had resolved, and had widely published in the newspapers, that within a series of years all Indians who own no land are to be removed from the region of the states of North America settled with whites, a beginning of which has already been made in some states. Even this latter was sufficient for our mission committee to proceed with all speed to the execution of a new plan.

In the spring of last year, 1854, we had an experienced surveyor inspect the nearest surroundings of Bethany and measure off the land still for sale and divide it into parcels. The Indians saw in this already a fulfilment of the promises made, and rejoiced not a little at the time when to every family its little piece of land would be assigned. The Methodists, of whom several families are here, we could naturally take into our share as little as the shepherd can grant the wolves a place beside his flock. After the land was measured, we bought forthwith as much as was necessary to satisfy the most pressing needs and as far as our treasury would reach. 160 acres, since they were already in the hands of a speculator, we had to pay for at $3.00 per acre, the remaining 420 acres, however, at 1.25. After we had bought the land into our possession, I summoned all the Indians of our place, the Methodists excepted, to the mission house, in order to assign to each his piece. But as they could not make anything out of the plan laid before them, they asked me to go with them into the forest, that so each on the spot might see and choose his piece. My fears that, because of the diversity of the soil, as well as of the lay of the land-