The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-04-17


ceived' at the village of Mitchlgamea,
and most bountifully feasted After See
ling the Arkansas Indians opposite the
mouth Of the Arkansas, and enjoying a.
great reception, the main points in the
exploration having been sufficiently as
certained, and dangers increasing toward
the sea, the explorers resolved to return
North and report their discoveries.
| Just two months from emoqrking at
Mack'naw, and one month from entering
the Mississippi, they commenced their
ljourneY homeward. Wishing TO see the
country OF the Illinois, and to visit the
| tribes of that friendly confederacy, the
explorers concluded 10 reach the lakes
Through tho Illinois, inste4,i Of the Wis
consin river. Ascending the former they
were delighted with the Indians aud the
country. "Nowhere," says Marquette
did wesee such ground, meadows woods;
! buffAloes, stays, elk. deer, wild cats, tur
keys, swans, geese, ducks. aud even beav-
| ers and offers, as along the Illinois river"
| Returning by Chicago and the lakes, the
! explorers arrived at Green Bay in Sep
! TENDER, having safely and with rare sue
cess and dispatch, discovered the Missis
sippi, the direction Of it's course, and It's
prObAble outlet the main objects of the
4 txpl oration--in a tour OF $500 miles In
OF en- canoes ''A a"' @''a ''t' '.s~ 20
!. !, Joliet left Mar1rette at Green Bay, for
his home IN Quebec, and passing over the
rapids of LtCnine IL the st. Lawrence
ljust above Mon real, be lost his j1urn4l
ami all his papers by the upsetting OF his
canoe. Atterward he wrote out few
pages OF his j,urnal from recollection,
whoa agreed with M.rquett's account,
printed in Paris in 1851. Joliet resumed
his lucrative business OF The fur trade ia
Canada th next year after the discovery,
and. reaching good old age, died in the
early part of The succeeding century. -
Late in the autumn Of 1874 M .rquette,
attended by two white Uoy1geurs, Pierre
and Jacques, and bands of friendly Indi-
ans, Illinois and Potta watomies, left
|: Green Bay with ten canoes, for the pur-
} pose of visiting the Illinois tribes, in ac~
coriapce with his promise the year before,
|. to establish mission among them.
4 When the missionary reached the
! mouth of the Chicago river, the cold
i, wea'he and his feeble health caused him
co lay up far the winter in that vicinity,
aud dismisslng his Indians, he proceeded
J with his ooyaguers up the South Branch
of the river, and there built hus where
i he r@mained until spring. thus becoming
7 the first white occupant on the present
i site Of the great commercial metropolis
! of Ill nois. t e WE'D sa+ Hi '@
About the first Of April following
1675-the devoted Jesuit and his voya-
geurs carrying their canoes from the South
Branch of the Chicago river over the
portage to.the DesP laines, resumed their
i j 'urDey down the Illinois river, and pass
ing the site Of the present city Of ottawa, {
the lUf y bluff, since known as Starved
Rock the site of the Fort st. Louis of
La Sale, landed at the Capital city of the
i Illinois Confederacy, the modern site of
Utica, before described, and there found.
ed the first mission in the Illinois c Iun-
/ try, an i christened il KAskaskla, .. name
atterward given to another place further
s 'uth, the first permanent lodgmcnt of
civilization in the valley of the Missis
sippi, AMI the first Capital of the Terri
tory and State Of Illinois, There he
erected the Christian Gross, built an altar,
performed mass, and celebrated the fes-
tival Of Easter to the great admiration
and wolider~ot the natives. But hrs fail
ing health admonished him that his
earthly labor must soon Cease, bis hemor-
rhage increasing, he fastened to return
home to his mission at Mackinaw Taking
leave of the Indians he assembled the LII
mos river and reached the lake as soon
as possible. Passing up the East side Of
/ Like Michigan, he D ,came so exhausted
that he rep"sed in the bottom Of the ca
noe, and coming to the mouth Of q little
L ctrn M tad tn
and on doing SO they bore hlm TO pleas
ant spot, and built title bark hut over
him, and although the weather was warm
and bamy at that lovliest season of the
year, he was too far gone to be revived or
refreshed by the genial breath.of spring.
His 0oyageurs improvised little altar at
his request, and ne then administered to
them and himself the sacrament Of the
Lords Supper, and feubly, for the last
! time, observed the rites OF his church,
preparatory to the close of life. Wishing
his ooyageurs to leave him alone to his
| devotlons for short time, they did $50.
and soon returning found the holy man
in a kneelIng posture at the little altar,
with the crucfx and other symbols be-
fore him-his soul had passed away in
lprayer to heaven. Other and different
accounts are given CT his death. Thus
expired, in the wilderness, the great and
good Father Marquette, on the 18th day
OF May 1875 ut the early arge of thirty
eight years. His Uoyageurs buried him on
the banks Of tue little stream in Michi
gan, to which his name was given.
Some time afterwara hunting party
of Ottawa Indians who had been Instruct.
ed by Marquette at the Mission Of st.
E spirit, visited the grave and removed
his remains to st. Ignace at Mackinaw, |