CHAPTER VIII.-RETROSPECT.
This appears to be a
suitable place to cast a glance back into the past and review briefly
what was accomplished from the early beginnings to the time when the
Jesuits left the County of Waterloo. Nearly thirty years had
passed and brought great changes in the colonies.
In the place of the former endless forest
almost every hundred acres had been occupied by an industrious farmer.
Many had only fifty acres or much less. Large fields of
grain and meadow, divided from each other and from the woods by cedar
rail fences narrowed more and more the limits of the forest.
Beside the original log shanty and the larger log barn arose
solid houses of field stone and huge bank barns with stone basements
for stabling the cattle. The house was surrounded by large and
well kept gardens of vegetables and flowers. Big orchards of
apple, cherry, plum and pear trees began to yield their luscious fruit
in abundance. Instead of the "blazed" path to the nearest
village, to the church, and to neighbors, fairly good roads made
travelling comparatively easy. Buggies, democrat wagons and
carriages were not rare. Horses were taking the place of oxen at
the plow and in the vehicles. Poverty and want had gradually made
way for a certain comfort and in many cases for considerable wealth,
though the wealthiest were not always the most liberal towards the
Church, school and the like.
The formerly homeless priest had some
sort of a dwelling place, if not a palace. He had still to travel
much and far, but with much less hardship and discomfort. The
conditions of priest and people were greatly improved, though still
full of cares and labor.
Taking it altogether, it is safe to say
that this section was never better served, religiously, than during the
time of the Jesuits. Of course, it is but just to say that never
before nor for some time afterwards, were there as many strong, active
priests here. The labors of the Jesuits during the nine or ten
years in the County were fraught with untold blessing to all, chiefly
through their well directed efforts in organizing churches and schools
wherever possible. Their leaving the County was almost a
calamity. All the Fathers who labored in this County were either
Germans, Austrians, or Swiss. At their arrival they were not
acquainted with the English language, but they learned it quickly and
remarkably well. Some of them broke down in health in a short
time, some were recalled to Europe after the revolutionary storm had
blown over, some were ordered to other fields of labor in the United
States. Father Holzer was the only one of the early Jesuit
Fathers who continued to work, chiefly in Guelph, till his health
failed in 1863.