St. Onge in KW

[David Robertson]

This is from page 128 of KW #26, 22 May 1892.  Turns out it's not directly
from St. Onge; I'll keep my eyes open for later items that may be written
by him.

Notice Le Jeune's reference to having learned from St. Onge's published CJ
materials, probably the dictionary that was later revised by Blanchet and
Demers.  (Copied out by Bishop Durieu?  There's the reference to the
bishop's 'flying sheets' from which Le Jeune & some other newly arriving
priests learned Jargon, e.g. in Le Jeune's "Chinook Rudiments", 1924.)

By the way, Fr. Le Jeune's spellings in this text are among the
indications that he was targeting an 'Indian' pronunciation of Jargon.

"Iht liplit kopa saia ilihi, iaka nim Pir Sint Onsh,
iaka tshix chako komtaks Chinuk pipa, pi iaka drit
tlus tomtom kopa ukuk Chinuk pipa.  Ilip iaka
mamuk hilp kopa nsaika kopa ukuk Chinuk pipa.
Iaka wawa pus alki iaka patlach wawa kopa
nsaika kopa ukuk Chinuk pipa.  Iaka drit komtaks
Chinuk Wawa: lili ankati iaka mitlait kopa tilikom.
Iaka mamuk ilip Chinuk buk naika komtaks kopa
ukuk ilihi.  Iaka aias tiki tilikom kopa ukuk
ilihi.  Pi iaka chako drit olman alta.  Kata [sic]
wik kata iaka ayu kuli nanitsh tilikom.
Pi iaka aias tlus tomtom pus klaksta tilikom mamuk
tsim pipa kopa iaka.  Pus klaksta kopa msaika
tiki mamuk tsim kopa iaka, drit aias tlus
iaka aiak chako komtaks ikta ukuk msaika wawa
kopa iaka.  Pi ilo kaltash msaika mamuk tsim
kopa iaka.  Wixt iaka iaka kilapai tsim kopa
msaika.  Pi iaka patlatsh drit tlus wawa kopa
msaika.  Pus msaika tiki mamuk tsim kopa
iaka mamuk iaka nim kakwa kopa awtsaid msaika
pipa:  <Rev. Father L.N. St Onge
Eglise St Jean Baptiste
U.S.A.  Troy  N.Y.>"

"A priest in a distant place, named Father St. Onge,
has just learned to read the Chinook paper [Kamloops Wawa], and he is very
fond of this Chinook paper.  This is his first time
helping us on this Chinook paper.
He says he will send words to
us for this Chinook paper.  He is fluent
in Chinook Jargon: long ago he lived among Indians.
He wrote the first Chinook book I studied in
this country.  He loves the Indians in this
country.  But he has become quite elderly now.  So
he cannot travel much to see the Indians.
But he would be very happy if some Indians would
write letters to him.  If some of you
want to write to him, it would be splendid
for him to hear soon what you folks say
to him.  And you won't be writing to him
in vain.  He too will write back to
you.  And he will send interesting words to
you.  If you want to write to
him, write his name like this on the outside of your
letter:  'Rev. Father L.N. St Onge
Eglise St Jean Baptiste
U.S.A.  Troy  N.Y.'"

--Dave R.
(Last note: St Onge must have been at least 80 years old by this time, I
guess.)

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