Malten, and was then ordered to take Father
Wiriath's place in Waterloo County, etc. He is said to have lived
at O'Loanes with two of his sisters for about three years. This
may have been before his ordination, at least in part, because on his
coming to Waterloo County he says himself that he took up his abode in
New Germany. Mr. O'Loane, the Magistrate of Stratford, told the
writer that Father Schneider used to stop often at their place
for days, and that Mr. O'Loane as a boy used to go with the
Father to all the surrounding places to serve his Mass, which was held
in private houses, so at Centreville, Preston, Blair, Doon, Strassburg,
St. Agatha,-Berlin, etc.
Father Schneider covered the same
territory as Father Wiriath, and more, as the Catholics everywhere
increased in numbers and extent. He began his register in New
Germany on Jan. 31, 1838, in which he entered all his ministrations,
baptisms, marriages, and burials in succession as they happened,
without giving the places of them. This register gives a number
of baptisms of New Germany people that were administered in Europe,
apparently written in Father Schneider's hand at the request of
those concerned. This register goes till June 15,1847, and is
preserved in St. Agatha with the certificates of Father Wiriath.
At New Germany Father Schneider found a
miserable log shanty that was used as a church and for school purposes,
built under Father Wiriath or sooner. There was no priest's house.
On April 13, 1838, he writes to Bishop
Gaulin, Toronto, that he should not come then for confirmation, but
wait till July, when the roads would be better and the children better
instructed. He had some youths 16. and 18 years old that were
still so ignorant that they had not yet been able to go to confession.
Before this, Dec. 11, 1837, he writes that there were then 50
families, all Germans, in the.mission; that Father Wiriath had been
among them for about one year and then left them on account of
dissensions and want of support; that the people had already sent two
petitions for a priest through Father Wiriath and a third later.
This document is drawn up in French by the school teacher,
Theobald Wadel, and shows the writer to have been a scholar and a fine
peiiman. It is signed by 26 heads of families and by the
secretary-teacher. It is likely that Father Schneider was sent
here in response to these petitions. In another letter of Jan. 6,
1838, he states that there were then 60 to 70 families, all within
three miles of the church, and many more further away; that he had
bought two acres of land beside the old school on which he proposed to
erect a church 40 x 22 feet; that he had collected $350 for this
purpose, and asking how he should go about the business of electing
church trustees, and how many; that dissensions had arisen about the
church site, and the deed. July 3, 1839, he writes that he had to
defend himself against calumnies published by a vicious newspaper, and
that he suffered from poverty, debts, and poor health. March 25
1838, he writes from Waterloo (Township?) that on account of
dissensions he had to leave New Germany for St. Agatha; April 27, 1838.
he states the population of New Germany consists of 448 souls, without
giving the number of families.
At St. Agatha Father Schneider apparently
found a log church, that was also used as a school by Catholics and
Protestants. Mrs. Ferdinand Walter, ne'e Dietrich, is said to
have been the first child baptized in this school-church by Father
Schneider.
Father Schneider made his
extensive trips mostly on horseback and constantly wore the Soutane.
In 1840 he undertook to build a frame
church at St. Agatha. When the frame had been erected and partly
covered with the roof boards, a storm arose and wrecked the greater
part of the frame work Nov. 30, 1840. Undaunted by