The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-08-14

1878.
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country. when the Valley Of the Mis-
eissippi glimmered into view. and tn.
discoveries OF Iowa sailed along oul
shores. In their long voyage from tn,
portage Of the Fox and Wisconsin
they saw no human being. and NJ
trace Of any. for fifteen days unit
they approached what is the southern
border of our State, on the 25th ol
June, when they perceived human
footprints, and . beaten path on the
river bank. Following 1t few miles
they found village OF Illinois In.
dians, on the banks of the Des Moines.
One of our chief poets has transferred
Marquette's narrative Of their recep-
tion here into millifiuous verse, in the
closing scene Of the
| ''sONG OF HIAwATHA."
Came people
From the distant land OF Wabun;
From the Mrthest realms of morning
Came the Black Robe chief, the Prophet,
He the Priest Of Prayer, the Pale-fAce,
| With his guides and his companions.
And the noble Hiawatha,
| With his hands alon extended
Reld aioft in sign OF welcome
Cried aloud and spake I'm this wise
Beautiful Ia the sum- o strangers
When you come fhr 10 see US.
All our town In peace awaits you,
All our doors stand open for you.
| You shall enter all our wigwams;
| For the hearts right hand we give you.
Never bloomed the eaarth so gayiy
Never shone the sun 30 brightly,
As to-day they shine and blossom
When you come 50 far to see u.s.
And the Black Robe chief made answer,
Stammered In his speech little.
Speaking words vet unfamiliar:
Peace be with you, Hi ilwstha,
Peace be with you and your people,
Peace OF Prayer, and peace ofpardon,
Peace Of Christ, and Joy OF Mary!
Then the generous Hiawatha
Led the strangers to his wigwam.
Seated them on skins of bison,
seated them skins OF ermine
Brought them food In bowls OF bass wood
Water brought n birchen dippers
And the calumet. the peace-ptpe.
ruled and lighted for their smoking,
All the warriors of the nation,
Came to bid the strangers welcome
1t Is well. they said, % brother,
That you far to US"
On the SOth Of June the explorers
proceeded on their voyage down the
river. In due time they observed the
muddy waters Of the Missouri pouring
into the Mississippi with tumustuous
flood, and proceeded as far as the
mouth of the Arkansas river, where
they turned about. and passing up the
Illinois river crossed over to Lake
Michigan.
Thus in this month Of strawberries
and roses, two hundred years ago, the
worlds modern life began to dawn in
the valley of the Mississippi, and these
shores were greeted by represent tatives
Of one Of the chief powers Of Christen-
dom. Religion and commerce came
hand in hand, with auguries of peace
and promises Of blessings for the vast
central region of the continent. So
far as concerns the living history OF
the Mississippi valley, 1t begins with
Marquette and Joliet, and with the
discovery which we now COM
memorate aud honor. The expedi-
tions of De Vaca and De Soto OF the
previous century were wholly barren
Of results, like the discovery Of the
continent by the Northmen in the
tenth century. But other explorers
soon followed Marquette and Joliet.
Seven years after, In 1850, Hennepin,
q Franciscan missionary, passed along
the whole eastern shore Of Iowa, as
cending the Mississippi from the Illi-
nois river. He was the first explorer
of the Mississippi above the Wisconsin
river. Two years later, La Salle en-
tered the Mississippi from the Illinois
river, and passed down to the Gulf OF
Mexico. On the ninth Of April, 1852,
he unfurled the banner Of the King of
France at the mouth Of the great riv-
er, and in the name of his sovereign
took possession of the whole country
watered by it, and by all the rivers
that flow into 1t. In this act he nam
ed the country Louisiana, and the
Mississippi Colbert River, in honor Of
Louis XIV, and his distinguished
minister Of finance names that Hen
nepin also used in his Description of
Louisiana" published in Paris In 1858.
Marquette in his map fulfilled his
promise, and named the Mississippi
Con ception river, though his journal
always speaks Of it as the Mississippi.
And SO this mighty valley, lying be-
tween the Allegheny and the summit
of the Rocky Mountains, embracing
about one-fourth of the land surface OF
the~globe, and constituting, in the
language Of an ilustrious Frenchmen
of the present century, De Tocqueville,
The most magnificent dwelling place
prepared by God for mans abode"
came into the hands Of France. It's
was soon attempted under
royal auspices. La Sale was fitted
out in 1864, with an expedition of four
sh ips and 2S0 souls. Louis XIV con-
tributed more for its support than all
the kings Of England ever gave for the
colonies on the Atlantic. 1t was q
larger company, and vastly better
equipped than settled Virginia in 1907
or came over in the May flower in 1920.
But divided counse!s and various mis-
adventures and disasters attended it.
Blundering in the Mexican gulf, they
missed the mouth of the Mississippi,
and landed in Texas. Their misfor-
tunes fill dismal page in the annals
OF the colonization Of America. Final
ly, La Sale was assassinated by some
OF his associates. At this same period
the revocation Of the edict Of Nantes
turned the attention of the Hug uenots
to Louisiana, and they begged the
privilege of planting themselves upon