CHINOOKAN LANGUAGES. 



49 



Le Jeune (J. M. R.) — Continued. 



over since, either for taking down notes or for 

 correspondence. It was only in July, 1890, that 

 the idea first cauie to try the shorthand as an 

 easy phonetic writing forthe Indians of British 

 Columbia. The first trial bocame a success. 

 At the end of September, 1890, a poor Indian 

 cripple, named Charley-Ale.Kis Mayoos, from 

 the Lower Nicola, saw the writing for the first 

 time, and got theintuition of the system at first 

 sight. He set to decipher a few pages of Indian 

 prayers in shorthand. In less than two months 

 he learned every word of them, and he soon 

 began to communicate '"his learning to his 

 friends and relatives. 



"Through his endeavors some eight or ten 

 Indians at Coldwater, Nicola, B. C, became 

 thoroughlj' acquainted with the writing system 

 before April l.st, 1891. In July, 1891, the first 

 lessons were given to the Shushwap Indians; 

 they lasted an hour every day for four or five 

 days. Three or four of the best joung men 

 went on studying what they had learned, and 

 were delighted to find themselves able to 

 correspond in shorthand in the early fall. 

 During the winter months they helped to prop- 

 agate the system of writing among their people. 

 In the meantime Mayoos had come to Kam- 

 loops and was pushing the work ahead among 

 the young people there. 



•'In December, 1891, the system was intro- 

 duced to the North Thomson Indians ; in Jan- 

 uary, 1892, to those at Douglas Lake ; in Febru- 

 ary at Spuzzum and North Bend; and, last of 

 all, in March, to those at Deadraan's Creek, 

 near Sarvina. Soon after, Indian letters came 

 from William's Lake. In May, 1892, a few 

 lessons were given at St. Mary's Mission to 

 the Lower Eraser and seacoast Indians. Now 

 tlio Indians teach each other and are very 

 anxious to learn on all sides. The most 

 advan<;ed understand the value of the letters 

 and the spelling of the words ; but the greatest 

 number begin by reading the words, then learn 

 the sj-Uables by comparing the words together, 

 and at last come to the letters. They learn by 

 analysis and much quicker than by synthesis. 



"The ' Kamloop "Wawa ' was first issued in 

 May, 1891, and in eight monthly numbers gave 

 the rudiments of stenography and tlie Chinook 

 hymns as fir.st Chinook reader. 



" Withno. 9, February 1st, 1892, it has become 

 weekly, and has ever since continued to reach 

 every week the ever increasing number of sub- 

 scribers. It is now issued at 250 copies, 4 

 pages, 12mo, weekly. A supplement of equal 

 size issued whenever convenient. The first 

 volume of the Kamhtops Wawa closed last 

 June with number 32. Vol. II will terminate 

 with no. 58, Dec. 25, 1892. Contents: 1" Ele- 

 ments of Stenography in Chinook and English. 

 2<" Chinook and Latin Hymns. 3 " A number of 

 Indian news. 4" Beginning of Sacred History. 

 5« Weekly Calendar beginning with March 1st, 

 '92. 6° Gospel for every Sunday. 7" Some 

 prayers in Shushwap. 8" A few hymns in 

 CHIN 4 



Le Jeune (J. M. R.) — Continued. 



Shushwap and Chinook. 9" A few English 

 lessons. See nos. 33, 34, 35. 10° Narratives of 

 early Church History, St. Mary Magdalen, St. 

 James, etc. 



" The Kamloops Phonographer had its first 

 number issued in June. 1892. Six numbers are 

 now ready, illustrating: 1" How shorthand is 

 taught to the natives. 2" Alphabet and rules 

 of shorthand. 3» Syllables and syllabical 

 tables. 4" 1st reading books of sliorthand — 10 

 pages monthly. The intention is, in the follow- 

 ing numbers, to make a study of abbroviative 

 phonography, showing how outlines can be 

 made according to the Duployan system. We 

 do not pretend to teach shorth. ex professo, bat 

 only to give to those interested all the informa- 

 tion that we can concerning our little work. 



[Seven numbers are issued, the last in Janu- 

 ary, 1893, none containing Cliinookan material.] 



"In preparation : 1" A second edition of the 

 Chinook and English Vocabulary. 2" Al- 

 manac for 1893, of which these pages are 

 intended to become a part. 3" A Chinook trans- 

 lation, by Rt. Rev. Bishop Durieu [q.v.] from 

 New AVestminster, of Bishop Gilmour's Bible 

 History. 200 copies of the English text have 

 been received through the kindness of Rev. L. 

 N. St. Onge, Troy, N. Y. These will be inter- 

 leaved with the Chinook text so as to present 

 the illustrations of the original, and the English 

 text opposite its Chinook version. 



"Some will ask: How are all these w.orks 

 issued? Up to date nearly all the work, auto- 

 graphing and duplicating on the mimeograph, 

 has been done by the autlior during the leisure 

 hours of his missionary labors. But that course 

 can not be carried on any longer. Hired work 

 has to be taken in. A few Indian women are 

 already trained to do the piiuting. With their 

 cooperation 16 pages can be printed on 200 to 

 250 copies in a day. But that work has to be 

 paid for ; and the resources are at an end. Peo- 

 ple have first wondered at the work ; some find 

 fault with it ; very little thus far has been done 

 to help it. 



"Now is the time for the friends of a good 

 cause to see if something better could not be 

 done in favor of this little work. Voluntary 

 donations will be accepted as a providential 

 blessing. Subscriptions to papers are also a 

 powerful means f>f support and improvement. 

 Many say : "Wo do not want to study the plio- 

 nography." But could they not take the papens 

 as specimens of curiosity, etc., in theirlibraries .' 

 The first volume of the Kamloops Wawa is no w 

 bound, and would make a very interesting item 

 in any library. Price only ifl.50. Send $2.50 

 and have the numbers of the Kamloops Pho- 

 nographer as well. Please induce your friends 

 to contribute according to their means. By 

 doing so, you by all means shall help to 

 enlighten many who are still sitting in dark- 

 ness and in the shadow of death." 



The periodical is almost entirely the work of 

 P6re Le Jeune, but few contributions of Jar- 



