The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-03-27

the Minnesota Historical society, held last WIN
,er, the ,ubjec, Of who WIS the discossrr Of
the tource Of the Mississippi, wss discusSd.
DR. FoaTgR, gentleman well informed 10 70
gard to the early history Of Minnesota, costen'
dcd that the honor Of mskipg TIN discovery Of
the true source Of the great river wa due Mr.
NlooLLEr and that Mr.. scaooLcnisr is no,
entitled 70 the laurcis which h. wears
IL the National Insii,renoey Of the 9Th inst
we fad letter from scnoorcnArT M this sab
ject. Hs Is not disposed to surrender the hon
on u gsssa discovery, and raises an issue a.
to iscts. The following Is ScuootcnA'T let
ter:
SOURCE o. THE srssissiyri.
M,x,ys Ed,foyss- person who ~ well
| yersed in tho history Of geographical discovery
in the United States can be supposed TO require
information On subject which has long beeo
settled trnesd this celebrated stream to It's
actual source. In Itaaca Lake, 10 latitude At
~ So, in the year 1882, using small hunting
canoes, with Indian guides, with no small toni,
aud carrying the flag Of the Union 10 that re.
mote point under the national authority, and
published an account Of the Journey Narfn.
live Of an Expedition 10 itsSca lake, with
Maps. New York. 1884. vol. svo.. pp. a07.
Harperr c,.t-
In "a country. however, where books End their
Wv Slowly TO the frontiers and readers rely M
,.,,sh o the d;gya.I s.ava rr inflammation, there
may be-. very honestly, misrepresentation and
mistake. 10 remedy this, permit me lew 70
marks. My attention has recently becn called
10 tho SUBJECT by q friend pat,ing iato my
bau,ls "A journal called THE Cotton Plant" o
January 20, 1855, containing an extract from
the 1T. Panl minnesota Pioneer cnttlc'
f" Who discovered the head Of the Mississippi 2
This topic APPEARS " have been discussed b,
the Minnesota Historical Society.
Tboae who are familiar with my persona
history are coyniznnt OF the fact that many o.
the earlier year. Of my ls, were devoted TO geo
graphical discoycrIe. In the Mississippi valley
and the natural history of the great West
r,om ,sIs IN lsyo and W itb Intervals to 1892
II .ss m active rxTlSTSr in thai ic,i TiifiiTT;
A., NOV S,a,es and Territorie. orpanize.l an,
.et,led in tina, region Of morc than half n mil
lion inhabitants. so,ne Of which had not at ths
n,rioJ n sinalo ciyilissi dwelling or inbabitant
81 Panl, where these inquiries originate, ant
the country north II II, were then the range %
the prairie wolf and buffalo
While the country was IN this normal a"'
UNEMPLOYED condition. without any o. yer!
sparse population, the topic Of the sources
the Mississippi remained in that State of nicer
titude In which the early French and britisl
authors had lett H. IL was known pretty wei
from reports that the intrepid Lieut. fike' wh'
was dispatched IN 1909 10 visit these sources
had not determined the question. lie was NJ
rested in his ascent by ice and snow near 10
entrance OF Eik river. wiz" HI hnil' bI9cS
house, cnenmped his command, ami pf"cts'ic'
on snow shoes h. visit SANDY Lake, Lereh Lake
and Lac Coi,e Rouge when the whole conuir.
was buried IN Snow and the lakes locked IN &C.
II wins not. In fact, I'LL the termination OF TN
war al 1875 say 1919 or lei6-- That The e's
Sation Of Indian ho%tilii'eS made u prn,"nbb
10 explore remote districts nor inie'h nh''
the enlightened policy OF Mr.. Onihou" had eN
tended military posts TO the Falls OF 81 Amino
ny and the waters 81 the missouri was a
that period NJ Fotosl, investigating The miner
aiogy of Missouri and had returned from Al
exploratory trip to the aemi alpine regions q
the Ozark mountains. Mr.. talhoan aitsohe'
me- to an expedition suggested by Gov. tass. q
Michigau, Ior performing similar services IN tn
region If Lake ,Sunrrior aud the senrcs OF III
" "Hn',ho o"@r.efs, WIN INSTRUMENTS, an
Pt"'tn'u "p w" "iS'~'Pl' '" the i''g' noil
., P'aiu." Na,'' winch nv haN s'hc" 'ane'
oas iAke' tiere our explorations n's'"i u
iS.o'
Twelve years after. circumstances enable
me- as Nh executive officer on that frontier, e
resume the exploration, taking II up where Cas-
had lrfi il. II CHANGED that In 3l~32. onl
Indian relations on this border had reached one