Jewels from Jane, Nov. 9

Hancock, Nov. 9th, 1865

Very Reverend Mother Superior [Mother St. John Facemaz],

On beholding the date of your last extremely welcome letter (Sept. 21st), I am almost ashamed to reopen correspondence. I should at least have acknowledged the receipt and expressed my gratitude in a few words until time and circumstances would allow me to write the answer your generous offer deserved. Even now I shall hardly be able to give you a correct idea of the situation in which your good Sisters will find themselves when once laboring in this remote region. Still, I hope that what I have to say, will be sufficient to remove your apprehensions and to confirm you in your resolution of taking our schools in hand as early as convenient.

First, as to local distance, this appears more formidable than it is in reality. I believe you supply and visit places the journey to which is accompanied with more fatigue and much less pleasant than this one in prospect for your Sisters next summer.

Chicago, which you reach in 14 hours, probably offers you more than one hospitable religious house. Between that City and the harbors of Lake Superior (of which ours is the most frequented) safe and comfortable Steamers ply from May to the middle of November, making the trip in from three to five days, and there being two or three weekly departures the delay in the City cannot be considerable. But even this can be avoided and the travelling time greatly shortened by taking the cars (North Western R.R.) to Green-Bay (about 12 hours ride), then the Mail-Boat to Escanaba (10 hours), again the cars to Marquette (3 hours) and thence the Mail-Boat to this place (8 hours). The connection is generally uninterrupted, but in case of some unforeseen delay the establishment of the Sisters de Notre Dame at Greenbay and that of the Ursulines at Marquette would serve as places of refuge. In winter, Stage-Sleighs, connecting with the Peninsular R.R., run between here and Green-Bay and bring passengers through in four or five days; some ladies have availed themselves of this conveyance, and in case of necessity it could be used. But in less than five years, perhaps much sooner, we shall be able to perform the whole journey by rail, the entire distance between Carondelet and Hancock being not much more than twice that from the former place to Chicago!

The importance of our mission here as being situated in the centre of a rapidly growing population, principally Catholic (Irish, German and Canadian),will at once appear to you, if I draw a rapid sketch of its history since the day I first visited the place, about ten years ago. I had to attend it once a month from an Indian Mission, 25 miles distant. The congregation used to gather in the dining room of a log house, about 12 x 20. The number of baptisms did not exceed 25 in a year, and thus it remained until about seven years ago, when some of the richer veins were struck and the influx of the population commenced to become stronger. At present Portage Lake consists of two villages (Houghton and Hancock) surrounded by some twenty mines. Since last Spring there are six priests here (four in Hancock), who baptize yearly over 400 children and attend two churches, by far too small for the number of Catholics, so that two much larger ones will have to be built next summer. It is true, they cannot be compared with those of your cities, neither are there any very wealthy Catholics here; but on the other hand we have no paupers, work being abundant at all seasons and wages paid regularly. But what is more worth than this, the children--as far as I am able to judge--generally show a much better dispositon than those of a city population, and only want a better training than what we have hitherto been able to give them, to form the nucleus of an excellent and truly catholic people.

It must surprise you that under such circumstances no more than what I mentioned in a former letter, has been done for educational purposes. Looking aside from the various disappointments, likewise mentioned before, the answer is that the energies of the only missionary who labored here for the greater part of the time (some transient appointments having proved complete failures), were taxed to such an extent that, like many other important objects of the pastoral office, that of erecting schools could but imperfectly be attended to. Very little, I confess, has been done. But send us good Sisters, Very Rev. Mother Superior, and a new era in the progress of our holy religion in Portage Lake will commence.

I had some hope that before the close of the season we would be able to put up at least the frame-work of our school-house and partly on this account I delayed answering you; I should have liked to have good news. But an addition we were obliged to make to the presbytery, together with some other necessary improvements, left us rather short of means, and being unwilling to contract an additional debt, I concluded, with regret, to wait until next spring. Before the end of April scarcely any building is done in these parts; for I cannot conceal it from you that our winters are rather long: so it may be June or even July before the school-house will be fit for use. Still I have no doubt but that the St. Patrick's Hall, a spacious building opposite our church and belonging to an Irish society, will be thrown open for the use of your Sisters at whatever time they may come. If you send them before the school-house is finished, they will have the advantage of judging themselves of the adaptability of our plans in regard to the inside arrangements, and of expressing their wishes in this respect.

You wish to know whether the congregation be willing to pay a certain salary to such Sisters as would be employed in teaching a parochial school. My idea always was--and I believe the good Sister with whom I conversed in Carondelet, confirmed me in it--that the congregation should furnish the buildings and all the necessary furniture and pay a certain amount for each Sister employed in teaching. But if you prefer the system of self-supporting schools, charging each pupil a certain amount (not too high for the means of our people) and employing the savings in such a manner as you deem fit, there will be not the least difficulty in making our arrangements accordingly. On the contrary, it will cause us less trouble and perhaps give more satisfaction to the people themselves, who will like to see you as comfortable as possible.

But allow me to mention at this occasion, that the first thing we want here is an ordinary day-school. If circumstances should favour the erection of an academy, we would lend all the help in our power, and I confidently hope that before long you will have one in the place or in the neighborhood.

But the first Sisters you send will have to exert themselves in the more humble occupation of teaching the branches commonly taught in public schools, and if they are able to teach them well, their success will be as great as their merit, and it will be the best encouragement for the people, catholics as well as protestants, to assist them in the erection of an academy, as soon as required.

The deed of the dwelling-house destined for the Sisters, is held by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Baraga, he has promised to make it over to the community.

The fare from St. Louis to Hancock, by taking a through-ticket for the over-land route from Chicago, was last summer about $25; by the Lake route (as illustrated on the enclosed leaf) a few dollars more. But persons carrying much baggage will probably find the Lake route as cheap and more pleasant, though longer.

I should like to make some more remarks; but your questions being, I hope, sufficiently answered and the letter already so long, I conclude by recommending myself and colleagues to your and your community's prayer.
I remain, Very Reverend Mother,

Yours
Respectfully in Christ

Edw. Jacker [Pastor at St. Anne Parish, Hancock, Michigan]