New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-10

he MANNED an expedition to the Pacific before no
bargalned with Napoleon for the purchase Vi a.hoa
Western territory Of Louisiana, territory "Ho NO.
from the Gulf Of Mexico 10 Canada, ana IRON 'no
sIppi TO the Pacific. ,od MI,
To Cant Merriwether Lewis his tried and trusteu pr
vats secretary man of very gentle spirit and OF warm
enthusiasm for natural science, and to Capt "ilan
Clark of the army an officer thoroughly familiar win
Indian warfare Jefferson intrusted the important er
nrise These two leaders arrived at st. Louis IN .o NC
Gambler of 1909 and there got together the supP' anu
men for the Journey. The whole Winter OF loO0f 'ney
spent on the river just above St. Louis ana ~ was '"0
middle OF May before they were ready 70 SGT out'
The presdept had obtained passport from Frame for
the Lewis and Clark expedition through ou'
ALI the while negotiations were pending for the pchaso
of that territory. The treaty was actualy sBneu " -
on the 3Oth Of April 1904 although the news uu nv
Washington till the July following, ana tneh LOWE on"
Clark were far up the Missouri. Win "ha' o'BeI ~
terest must jefferson have watched Tor the success ms
darling project after the vast domain hau De'oine'
,hrouob bis dipIomaey a part Of the United States
Untte muddy waters of the Missouri the forty or fy e1
nlores made their way upon their little boats, propelled
by osrs by sails and by ropes attached TO tees ana
worked by the capstan Al first so Slowly hAs coiu
weather overlook them by the time they nae
tie territory OF the Mandan Indians somewhere III
Northern Dakota. There for six weary months tiey
we're Obliged TO remain In rude huts which they had
H..
ing the habits OF their Indian neighbOrs
In April 1905 the ice began to break up the canoes
were got out and put in order and they started on AGAIN
Hitherto they had met French traders from Canada OF
British traders the borders Of Hudsons Bay seeking
furs of the Indians, but they began to enter WI"
derness which no white man was ever known 10 nave
traVersed.
At the fork lust below the present site OF Fort Benton
in Missouri they stopped uncertain which branch TO
follow Lewis. with the sagaclty OF a seath'houpu'
decided on the sOAth- western branch. The offers
inclined to believe the north branch the right one e
plan was to strike the source Of the Columbia Bver
which they learned from the Indians was only separated
by a low ridge Of the Rocky Mountains from the head
waters OF the Missouri Had they missed the pa'h here
they might have lost months in fruteSs seaich' ana
perhaps have abandoned the undertaking altogether
fortunately they became convinced after making some
abort excursions up each branch Of the river that LOWS
was right in his conclusion
On they went around the Great Fails through the Dou
rook Gate Of the Mountains" and up the JEFFERSON
Fork till the river growing narrower ana narrower
would no longer float their light canoes one day
one the put one foot on each side OF the
rippng stream and thanked God that he had lived to
bestrde the Missouri River. When. little later they
reached the chaste clear fountain from which dubbed
the first drops Of the mighty stream every man drank In
silent thankfulness for their success thus far
Only little mountain ridge separated the headwaters
OF this great river the East from the source Off great
river Of the West They could stand upon the crest and
toss pebble way into waters flowing to tho Atlantic
and the other into waters flowing TO the Pacific They
reached the Columbia and drinking from s fountain,
cried aloud that they quaed the water Of the West
srn Ocean
As soon as they TO point navigable for canoes
they embarked on the river, which bore them with al
most breathess rapidy, and over difficult dangerous
rapids to its ocean But their account OF tho Pacific Is
not given with enthusiasm They reached the mouth OF
the Columbia in November 1906 after weeks Of exposure
TO drenching rain 10 hnd the
with impenetrabe clouds For days and weeks the rain
still fell in steady torrents TIL the leather OF their water
proof tent rotted 70 the consistency OF brown paper
Their clothes were never dry for days together They
Suffered also for want OF food, but In spite OF all hard
ships they kept their health and spirits
AS soon as Spring dawned on them they began their
return march, Coming back their experience helped
them to take shorter route which cut on $40 miles from
tho distance between st. Louis aud the Pacific by this
time their clothes we're little than Indian hunting
shirts leggugs, ana mocassns They had parted with
their military hats hospable savage chiefs. and had
cut the buttons on their clothing to distribute m presents
in the tribes They bronLed almost to the color OF
the red men, When Lewis wished to convince any ono
that he was q white he obliged 70 strip up hts
eeye 10 show his original color In this condition they
hnded at st. Louis on a Summer day in 1906. Their
friends had long since given them up az dead. They had
travelled nearly eight thousand miles through the wilder
meas among savages and wild beasts with only single
aklrmish and the loss of only Qne man. who had ueu
from disease during the months Of this wonderful
journey.
Never did any similar event." writes Jefferson, ex-
cite more 10y in the United States There was no tee-
graph 20 fash the OF their return over tho country
but "a week tho remote dweler In tho ham
lets Of NewYork. England. and Virginia heard by
Of the incredible achievement every citizen felt glow
plurua
less and 80 romantic.
Clarke lived 10 an honored old age, and died In MIS-
souri,. Poor Lewis. In his young and promising man
hood grew restless In the quiet routine OF civilized ife
after hs wild adventures, and finally fell by his own
hand at little waysde inn among the mountains OF
Tennessee Not the place Of his burial is known TO
history. portrait OF Lewis, slender thoughtful, and
tendereyed, and OF Clarke swarthy, broadshoul
dered and fullfaced, both from the pencil Of Charles
wlston Peale, hang in Independence Hall, Phila
delphia; yet how few Americans know even the
names OF these two who deserve such
honorable prominence In our national history
OF the two great streams which mite 70 form the Colum
bia the southern named LewIss River, but usage
In Idaho and Oregon, through which 1t flows has
dropped that name, and 1t is now called the Snake. The
northern branch is yet known as Clarke's Fork.
once in their slow journey up the Missouri, LOWS and
Clarke landed upon bold ridges the eastern bank
for conference with the Indians and lewis named the
spot the Council Bluffs At the foot Of these command
ing hills now stands the City Of Council Bluffs. Iowa
Opposite, on the western bank, is Omaha Nebraska
There every day. throngs OF passengers between New
York and Francisco the great river mp which
these pioneer explorers toiled 30 painfully There the
enterprise which Jenerson's wisdom planned and their
courage executed nds Its elimination in our frat rail
road TO the Pacific.
BY what certain forces by what unexpected but sure
growth that has come the world knows already 1t has
taken four to realize the dream which Coum
bus-prematurey old from his great proects-cherished
in his gayhaired youth European mariners for twelve
centuries have found continent the great stumbling
block TO the ORIENT but now American enterprise has
made II the worlds highway 70 the Indies The avenue