, 1873-04-27
CHICAGO AND FATHER MARQUETTE.

70 the Editor Of The Chicago 1T1bnHt:
S1R; Tho citizens OF Chicago have taken the
preliminary steps to commemorate the rebuidlng
of the city, by inaugurating an Interstate In
dustrial Exposition, to be opened next autumn.
This ia to be commended; and strangers attend
inc theExposition will see the results OF perso-
nal energy. and OF q personal prosperity OF which
the annals Of the past afford no precedent. Ihe
citizens ct other States, at least very many OF
thom, imagined after the great fire that Chicago
WAS wiped out Of the map OF tho United States;
that she had become j" Troja fuit !" name to
revive alike rccollecdons OF her grandeur and OF
her untime1y extinction. Two years, nearly, have
elapsed since the calamitous event occurred; but
to-day Chicago exhibits an enlargement IN hor
buainess-are and per1nanence ID her ssruc-
tures combining both solidity and architectural
effect, to which she would not have attained IN
tho natural progress Of events. Her geoSraph-
ical position is such, in reference to the Great
Northwest, that here, at the head OF Lake M1chl-
gan. must, from commercial necessity, exist a
great city even il its site, like Venice had to be
rescued from bed Of ooze.
While it is, therefore, commendab1e to cele-
brate the rebuilding Of the city there is another
event hardly less signal in our history, which
oucht not to be overlooked, and that is the
second centenary ofits discovery. That event oc-
Cured, probably, in the latter part Of August,
1878, and should be appropriately commemorated
By speeches, by bonfres. md luninations,
and by laying tho toundations Of q monument to
the first discoverer, destined to endure for all
time.
The first, among white men, to visit the site
where Chicago now stands, was the Jesuit mis-
sionary, jacques Marquette. He Was born in
1887, Of an old and honorable family, which re-
sided in the north Of Franco. In 1868, he WAS
sent to the Upper Lakes, where, to use his own
language, "I found myself happy in the neces-
nifty Of exposing my life for the salvation OF all
theao tr1bce (of Indians), and especially Of the
Illinois, Who, when Was at Point st. Esprit, had
begged me very earnestly to bring the Word Of
God among then-". - -
While ct La Pointe, near tho head Of Lake Bu-
perior, Marquette had heard, through the Illinois,
formerly residing on tho western borders OF
Lake Michigan, but at that time. oceu-
pying q region thirty days west, Of
tho existence Of great river which flowed
through grassy plains, over which roamed count
less herds Of bufalos. This information was
communicated to H. Talon, the 1ntendant Of
Canada, man fully alive to the progress Of geo
graphical discovery, and at whose instigadon
Louis Joliet, q fur-trader, was selected to con-
duct the expedition Of discovery. while Marquette
WAS designated. al the spiritual guide, for, at
that day, religion and commerce went hand-in-
| hand. The expedition was fitted out ct Point
st. Ienace,' on tho north shore Of Lako Michi-
gan. Opposite Mackinac. The preparations were
| yery meagre, compared with modern appropria.
,tions for exploration, consisting Of two canoes
With fYe voyageurs, and a supply Of corn md
smoked moat. They started: out on: thit
| memorable voyage Ito explore the grea!
artery Of the Northwest: May 16, 1919
They coasted along the shore of Green Bal
to it's head; ascended the Fox River; passet
into Lake Winnebago, aud followed the tortuou'
and aluegish stream to where Portage nov
stands. Here the Indian guides, procured at tht
Village OF the Mianis, on the weat bank OF Lake
Winnebago, refused to proceed further; M
! Mardnetto, nothing daunted, launched his canoel
| in tie Wisconsin, and descended that stream
and, one month after leaving St: 1gnace, caught
sight Of the bold bluffs which bound the vale.
Of the Upper Mississippi between Dubuque am
Prairie du Chen. Once launched upon the grea
current, day after day and week sitter week the
aoated on, landing at eve to cook their meals
until they reached the mouth Of the Arkansaa
when, from the hostile demonstrations Of th
sa7aqes, who we're armed with Spanish weapons
they deemed it unsafe to proceed further, AMI
retraced their steps.
This was On the 18th Of July, 1878. Arrived q
the mouth Of the Illinois, instead Of continnint
tho voyage to :the Wisconsin, they resolved +
ASCEND the latter stream and cross to Lake Michi
gan. At Kaskaakia,-not tho old town below st
Louis, but town about miles below Ottawa
they procured guides, who pi1oted them to nea
| 4lo hand nf the Daaniaina6 Hhera. BY IN aAH