Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-08-05

uulit uHuSE tuC SupeTIutCAucASC VI AuSu0,
to be their future residence. -
The scissor grinder passed the remainder
of his days with them in peace and COM
fort. May Forest, or more properly, May
Ware, never regretted that she said kind
word to poor old man. '@. .-a
From the Gallery of Nustrious Anssrscans.
John Charles Fremont.
BORN IN SOUTH CAROLINA, JAM, A. D. 1913.
The feet Of three men have pressed the
slopes of the Rocky Mountains, whose
names are associated forever with those
vast ranges: Humboldt, the Nestor of sci.
entifc travellers; Audubon, the Interpreter
OF Nature, and Fremont, the Pathfinder of
empire. Each has done much to illustrate
the Natural History Of North America,
and to develop its illimitable resources
The youngest of all is likely TO become as
illustrious as either, for fortune has linked
his name with scene in the history of the
Republic, as startling to the world as the
first announcement Of its existence. To
his hands was committed the magnificent
task Of opening the golden gates OF our Pa
ci6c Empire. His father was an emigrant
gentleman from France, and his mother
lady of Virginia. Although his death left
his son al orphan in his fourth year, he
was thoroughly educated; and when at the
age of seventeen, he graduated al Charles
ton College, he contributed to the support
Of his mother and her younger children
From teaching mathematics he turned his
attention to Civil Engineering. in which
he displayed so much talent, he was rec
commended by Mr.. Poinsett, Secretary of
War, to Nicollet as his assistant in the
survey Of the basin of the Upper Mississip-
pi. Two years he was with that learned
man in his field labors, and he won his ap-
plause and friendship. On his return TO
Washington he continued his services 10
the Geographer for two years longer, in
drawing up from his field-b book, the great
map which unfolded to science the vast
tract they had explored. Thirs,ing for ad-
venture, he now planned the first of those
distant and perllous Expeditions which
have given lustre TO his name. Having
received a Lieutenat's commission in the
Corps of Typographical Engineers, he
proposed 10 the Secretary Of War to pene-
trate the Rocky Mountains. His plaa was
approved, and in 1912, with handful Of
men gathered on the Missouri frontier, he
reached and explored the South Pass. He
achieved more than his instructions requi-
red. He not only fixed the locality and
character of that great Pass through which
my:iads are now pressing to California
He defined the astronomy, geography, bot
any, geology and meteorology of the coun-
try, and designated the route since follow
ed, and the points from which the Flag Of
the Union is now flying from chain of
wilderness fortresses. His Report was
printed by the Senate, translated into for
eign languages, and the Scientific World
looked on Fremont as one Of its benefac-
tors. impatient, however, for broader and
more hazardous fields, he planned new
Expedition to the distant Territory Of Or
egon. His first had carried him to the
SUBMITS of the Rocky Mountains. Wilkes
had surveyed the tide.water regions of the
Columbia river; between the two explorers
lay tract of thousand miles, which was
blank in Geography. In May 1s43, he
left the frontier of Missouri, and in No
vember he stood on Fort Vancouver, with
the calm waters of the Pacific at his feet.
He had approached the mountains by
new line, scaled their SUBMITS south of the
South Pass, DETECTED for the Great Salt
Lake, and pushed examinations right and
left along his entire course. He joined his
Survey TO Wilkes Exploring Expedition,
and his orders were fulfilled. But he had
opened one route to the Columbia; and we
wished to find another. There was vast
region south of this line, invested with a
fabulous interest, and he logged to apply
the test of exact Science. 1t was the
beginning Of Winter. Without resour-
ces, adequate supplies. or even guide,
and with only twenty-five companions, he
turned his face once more towards the
Rocky Mountains. Then began that won
derful Expedition filled with romance,
achievement, daring and suffering; in
which he was lost from the world nine
months, traversing $500 miles in sight
of eternal SHOWS; in which he explored
and revealed the grand features of Alta
California, its great basin, the Sierre
| Navada, the Valley Of San Joaquin and
Sacramento. exploded the fabulous Bu-
enaventura, revealed the real Ell Do
rado, and established the Geography Of
the Western part of our Continent. In
August, 1874, he was again in Washing
ton, after an absence of sixteen months.
His report put the seal to the fame of the
young Explorer. He was planning athird
Expedition while writing history of the
second; and before its publication, i'll l645.
he was again on his wayto the Pacific.
collecting his mountain comrades. TO ex-
anime in detail, the Asiatic Slope of the
| N. A. Continent, which resulted in giving
volume of new Science to the world, and
California to the United States. We can.
| not trace his achievements during the war