, 1873-08-08
$1ooQoQ Ivy tho operation, Without doing tho
loast violenca to liB FORMER public roputo.


conimomoratlpg tho seconl centenary of. tho
| tlIscosory OF tho ato OF Chicago. In lettor
published In this paper as Into ap April 81, ho
proposed Tint tho .dato Of this discovery In
August, 1878. should DO oommomorated by
speeches, by illu,ninaAons, mud By laying tho
foundations OF a monument to tho Arst diseov-
oror." Ho also proposed that tho boncs Of this
| dihcovorer should be obtained from thoir proBont
rcsting-r1ace, and "dopoBitod with pfous oare in
tho Wcst Park, nonr whore ho (Fathor Marquetto)
| passed tho winter Of 1o74-5; TINT q funoral-
! Grafton 10 pronounced rocising his yirtuos and
tho great va1uo Of lis geographical discoveries;
| md that monument bo roarod, which ehail be
| conspicuous landmark for aii time, and that
| sl,all boar thls inscription:
Hero ruposos all that Ia mortal Of
MARQUETTE
The first to explore tho site Of ohacago Tho nrs to
opon to tho world The Empire Of tho Mississippi Valtoy.
Had Col. Fostor lived, It is probabIo that he
! would havo endoayored to carry out some por-
| tion at loaet Of this programme 1Io diod heforo
| tho occurrence Of tho anniversary.
THO faota Of tho first discovery and occupation
| OF Chicago BY whito mon nro rotated III Park
| mans interesting book on tho Discovery
Of tho Great West." In this volume
aro described tho adventures OF LuHallo
| blarquotto, Joliet, md Hennepin, Including
tho discovery Of tho Mtaatssipri from q point
far above st. Paulto tho mouth OF tho river. LII
sallo In 1G89-'70, explored tho onstorn shore OF
| Lake Michigan; asccndod tho st.. Joseph River
I -1.ct3 31 Tn54
| Rod bis canoe ACROSS tho country to tho Kanka-
koo, and thence sailed to tho MisatBsippl; tbns
| avoiding tho unknown but moro direct route by
| way Of Chicago aud tho Doaplainoa Rivers. In
1873, Louis Joliet, who was man Of oonsldora-
| bic attainmonts, was dispatched from Mnntseal
to discover tho Misaasippi River, and jacques
| Marquette, ono of tho jesuit missionaries, was
| designated to accompany lin, the convoraion Of
tho sagages being at that hmo part Of tho object
! Of all discovorors. Joliet joined Marquette at
mo- Tho outfit was two birch canoos,
| with supply Of corn and smoked
| mcat. Thoy stnrted on tho 17th Of May,
! 1878, aud coastcd to Greon Day asconded tho
Fox Ryer, dragging their canoos ZIP tho rapids !;
crossed Iako Winnebago; roaohed tke grand
| portage botwcon tho FOX and tho Wisconsin
| Rivers. and descended tho latter, roaching tho
Misaiaaippi at Prairie du Ohion, juno II. Hero
| they cast themselves upon tho rapid wators Of
| tho groat river, aud descended hs far ~ tho
mouth Of tho Arkaasas. Tho voyagera by this
timo foIt satisfied that tho Mississippi discharged
| itaolf Into tho Gulf Of Moxico and not into tho
Vormillion or Californin Sea, as Ind boon sup
posed, aud they decided to return. This wns
July II. After tedious journey thoy reached
tho Illinois River, and ascending it,
stopped ut the Indian city of KaskaH-
lila, a few miles below tho site Of
tho present City OF Ottawa. Hero thoy
obtained guides who conducted them to
tho Deap1ainos, and thonce by tho Chicago
! River to Lake Michigan. Following tho west
coast Of tho lako, they arrived at Groom Day mt
tho end Of September" having boon abacnt
four 1nontha.
THIS waa uuquoationab1y tho first arrival Of
white man on tho spot now known as Chicago,
Unfortunately, tue records Of tho trip woro lost
by tho ovorturning Of Jolict'a canoe whom with
III q faw miles Of Montreal, whittier lo Ind Rono
to report. Thcro is no moana OF fixing
the precise date when tloao two mon
passed down tho Chicago River. Tho
noarest datca aro July II, whom thoy
loft tho mouth Of tho Arkansas River, and
"thc end Of Soptembor, when thoy reachcd
Green Bay. Col. Foator estimated that they
| woro ut Chicago in the lust week Of August or
tho first Of September, 1878.
Marquette, who waH afflicted with conBump-
! tioa, remained at Green Day until Oct. Is,
1674, whom, With two white companionH, he
started for tho Illinois country again, intending
to found q mission among the Indians, Ha was
joiuod by number OF Pottawatatnios md Ili-
| uofa indians, tho expedition consisting OF ton
canoes. Tho lako was worry stormy. parkman
| then adds,
Thoy were more than month in coaBting Its Western
botttcr When at length they reached thu 1ver Chicago
entered it, aud seconded about two loag,ley Mar
quotes discaso Lad 1aoly returned, anu homor1hune
now ensued. liz told his two companions that this
journey would bo lila 1aat. III tho condition In which
he ~as 1t waa impossible to 60 further. Tto two men
built log utby tho riycr md hero hoy proposcd to
spend tho wiutor, while Marquette, feeble as ho was
began the spiritual oxorcisoa Of st. Ianat,a au1 oon
Tossed his two companions twice week.
Tho country vas covcred wlth snow but buf-
falo deer, aud wild turkeys wore abundant, 1n-
dinns wero oncampoa within swo days Journey.
and, rs Chicago was "a woll-known thorough
faro, they bud numerous Indian visitors during
tho winter, who furnished thon viii, corn
md othor neotlod articles Here those threo
olaoat white inhabitants Of Chicago 1yod until
haroh so, when, Marquette boing bottor.
thoy proceeded on thcir journey down tho Illinois.
Coz. Foster for aome reason located this habita-
ton on tic North Branch Of tho river, near tho
present sito Of Wards Rolling Mills, but on what
grounds wo 10 not know. The portage from the
Chicago Rivcr to tho Desplaines is dcsoribod a.
not moro than IL few hundred paces," aud tl,is,
judging from tho presont conformation, must
havo been from tho hend-wators Of tho South
.nf,