Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-07-23

and trusted private secretary, man o
very gentle spirit AMI Of warm euthu,ia.m
| for natural science, and To Capt Will IN
| Clark OF the arm,, an III Ter tho Olghiy
fimiiisr with l,iian warfare, Jefferson 10.
trusted tho important euterprIs =. These
two leaders arrived at S Lruis IN the De.
cembcr Of 1873, aud there got together the
supplies aud men for the journey. Tue
whole winter Of 1903 they spent on the
river just above 81. Louis, and 1t was the
middle Of May before they were ready to
Set out.
The President had obtained pa'port
FROM France for the lewis aad Clarke *
petition thro lgh Louisiana, but all the
while negotiations were pen ling for the
purchase of tn II territ Try. The ireaty5Has
actually signed In Paris On the Both Of
April 1904, although tho news III II
ro icii Washington TIL the July following,
and then LOWS add Cl ,rk were far up the
Missouri. With v hat eager II teie.t must
Jefferson have watched for the success ct
bis darling project, after the vast domain
hal become, through bis diplom incy, part
Of the United States.
Up the muddy waters Of the NJ ssonri the
f,rty ur fity explorers made TIL ir way
np"n their little boats, propelled by oars,
bj siils, and by ropes attached to trees and
aorked by the capSan. A. first 80 loAly
tat cold Weather overlook them b. the
tine they had reached the terrific v of the
Mtnian lnliauS, som ,where ia Northern
d ik0;a. There for x weary months they
were Uliged to rem, in in III 10 huts which
they had built, pa sing the Tina in hurting
and fishing, or study ing the habits vi their
ludian neigh ore.
Iu April, 1905, tic ice began TO break u e.,
the canoes were got out and rnt in oid 81,
and they started off again. Hitherto they
had met FreDch traders from Canada, ar
B itish traders from the bord, RS of Iud sOu' 5
Bay, serkitg furs of tho Indians, hut now
they beg IN To enter wilderness which no
white lao waI ever known TO have trav-
Lrsed.
At the fork just below the present site OF
Fort Benton, ia Missouri, they stopped, u =
certain which branch to follow. Lewis,
with the sngacity of sleath hound, decided
on the south western branch. The others
inclined tie Lelieve the north branch the
right one. Their plan was to strike the
source Of the Columbia River, which they
learned from the Indians was only scpara-
ted by low ridge of the Rocky Mountains
from the head waters Of the Missouri. Had
they missed the path here, they might have
lost months i'll fruitlcss search, and perhaps
hay. abandoned the undertaking altogether.
Fortunately they became convinced after
making some short excursions up each
branch of the river, that Lewis was right in
his conclusion.
GA they went, around the Great Falls,
through the bold rock, Gate Of the Noun
tlins," and up the jefferson Fork, till the
river, growing narrower and narrower
would no longer float even their light ca
noes. 0ne day one of the men put one foot
on each side of the narrow ripping stream,
and thanked God that he had lived to be.
stride I e Missouri River. When, q little
later, they reached the chaste, clear fuun
| tlin from which dubbed tie first drops o
the mighty stream. every man drank in 81
lent thankfulness for their success thus far
Only n little mountain ridge separated
The head Snters of Ibis great river Of the Eps
from the source of the Preas river of The
West They could stand upon the crest anC
toss pebble one way into waters flowing
to the Atlantic and the other into water,
flowing to the Pacific. They reached the
Columbia, and, drnking from its fountain
cried aloud that they had quaffed the water
of tho Western Ocean.
AS soon as they came to point naviga
hle or canoes they embarked on the rive"
| which DO them with almost breathles IA
pidty. aud over difiicult, dangerous rapids
to its ocean, Bat their account Of the Pa
cihc is not given with enthusiasm. The!
reached the mouth of the Columbia in No
yember, 1905, after weeks of exposure to
drenching rain, 10 fnd the ocean of thei
hopes covered with impenetrahle Clouds
Far days and weeks the rain still fell il
steady torrents, till the leather OF their wa
| terproOf tent rotted to the consistency o
brown paper. Their clothes were never dr..
for days together. They suffered also TO
want of food, bat in spite of all hardship
they kept their health and spirits.
AS soon as Spring lwned on them the.
began their return march, Coming bacl
their experience helped them TO take
shorter route, which cut off go miles fron
the distance between St. louis and tie Pa
cifc. BY this time their clothes were it'll
more than Indion hunting shirts, leggings
and b,ocassins. They had parted with thei
military hats 10 hospitable savage CHIEFS
and had cut the buttons Off their clothing
to distribute as presents Ia the tribes The.
were bronzed almost to the color Of the re-
men. When Lewis wished to convince an.
one that he was n willie man he was oblig
ed 10 strip mp his sleeve to show his orig
nal color, In this condition they landed n
st. Louis on Summer day in 1906. The
had Travelled nearly eight thousand mite
through the wildtrncs among savAges an
, lid beasts, with only a single skirmisl
and he loss of only one man, who had die
from disease durng the first months of thi
wonderful journey.
Never did any similar event." write
Jefferson, " excite more JOY in the Unite
States" There was no telegraph to tns
the news of their return over the cOuntrl
but as week otter week the remote dwellC
in the hamlets Of New York, New England
and Virgiuia heard of the incredihl
achioy, ment, every citizen felt glow
pride in his newly enlarged country, s
rich, so boundless and 80 rJmOntic.
/ Clarke lived to nm honored old age, M
died in Missouri. Poor, Lewis, in his your
and promising manhood, grew restless
the quiet routine of civilized life, after h
, wild adventures, and fhally fell by his ON
! hand at little wayside inn among q
mountains Of Tennessee Not even u
place Of his burial is known to msto.y.
$ portrait Of Lewis, slender, thoughtful, nj
lender. eyed, aud of Clarke, swarthy, broa
. shouldered and full-faced, both from q
D pencil Of Charles Wilston Peale, hang
Independence Hall, Philadelphia yet he
> few Americans know even the names
| these two men VINO uescrNe SUN hohvi"'
prominence IN our national history. Or
. two great streams which unite to form Z
, Columbia, the southern was named Lew''
% River, but usage in Ilaho and Gregg
through which it flows, has dropped ~
name, and il is now called the Snake. I
~ Snake. The northern branck is yet kno'
- as Clarke's Fork.
,. Onee in their slow journey up the NJ
" sour, Lewis and Clarke landed upon sol
rs hold ridges on ,hc eastern bank for &C
IS ference with the indians, and Lewis nau
G. the spot Council Bluff. At the foot OF th'
- commanding hills now stands the CITY
in Coue Bluffs, low, Opposite, ON
ne western bank, is Omaha, Nebraska. Thc
n. every day, tlrlngs Of passengers betwl
he New York and San Francisco cross the e.
or river up which these pioneer explorers :
o. ed 80 painfu ly. There the enterprise VIII
ug Jefferson wisdom planned, aad their co
IN age execu ell, finds its culmination in
n arst railroad TO the Pacific.
n