Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-05
The Dnu We Celebrated.

missionary, was born at Ath, Belgium abou
1910, and died in Holland subsequent te
1890. After his entrance to the Francisco,
order he travelled through Germany and Italy
and was then for year settled at Hal in Bel
GUM. Then his superiors sent hils4 to Artois
whence he visited Calais and Dunkirk and al
these places acquired taste for the sea BY
intercourse with sailors. 1t was an age OF
adventurous explorers by sea, and sailors
were to be met at almost every port who
knew moro of the world than was taught in
the schools where Hennepin was edu-
Gated, and whose narratives of the strange
lands and peoples they had seen were
stranger than the most romantic of the mar
rahves of the fathers he had read. From
Artois he went to Holland, and for eight
months had charge of hospital at Macs
tricht. AT the battle of Senef, between the
Prince of Condo and William of Orange, in
1874, he was present as regimental chap
lain. The next year he was ordered to Can
ada, and embarked at LaRochelle with Bish-
op Laval and the Sieur de LaSalle, with
whom he became a favorite. For some
time he preached at Quebec, and then in
1876 he was sent to take charge of
the Indian mission at Fort Fontenac, (cem-
manded by La Sslle,) where the city of
Kingston, Canada, now stands. While there
he visited the Indians of the Five Nations
and the Dutch settlement at Albany. In
1878, having meantime returned to Quebec,
he was attached to the expedition of La
Sale, designed to find the mouth of the
Mississippi and establish colonies; and on
August 7, 1879, embarked on Lake Erie with
La Sale, and his command, on board YES
sci b lit for their lake voyage. They sailed
over Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan, and
by canoes land portages) followed the st.
Joseph's, Kankakee aud Illinois rivers, and
built Fort Creveceur near the present
present site of Peoria. From here, while
La Sale returned to Fort Frontenac for sup
plies, Father Hennepin was charged with a
voyage OF discovery to the sources of the
Mississippi, which had not then been ex-
plored above the mouth of the Wisconsin.
Accompanied by Picard du Gay and Michael
Also, he set out In a canoe February 20, 1880,
followed the Illinois to its mouth, and
assembled the Mississippi, was taken captive
by the Sioux, and while captive with them,
saw the Falls of st. Anthony, and gave them
their name in honor of his patron saint.
Subsequently, after his return to Europe
and publication of his narrative of
La Sales (firsD expedition, and
his own explorations, with description
of the upper Mississippi country, on account
of disobedience, he was forced to leave the
service of France and is said to have enter
ed the service of William III. of England.
About 1897 he abandoned the clerical dress
but to the end of his life subscribed to his
name "Recollect Missionary and Apostolic
Notary.
Hennepin was one Of the many who are
types of that age of discovery, a bold, light
hearted explorer, but an enthusiast, quaint
writer, but SO far as his description of the
upper Mississippi country and its
Indians can be identified with our later
knowledge, o remarkably correct narrator.
But book, purporting to be second edi-
ton of his narration, which was published
in Utrecht after, or about the time he is said
TO have gone into the service of the English
king, contains a manifestly false interpella-
tion-an account of voyage down the Mis-
sissippi to the Gulf of Mexico, which Hen
nepin could not have made. Because of this
Father Hennepin has been bitterly de-
nounced by various historians. Bancroft,
for an extreme instance, says that
Hennepin " is now remembered, not mere
ly as q light hearted, ambitious, daring
discoverer, but also as boastful liar"
The historical society of Minnesota, who
have had occasion to verify Hennepin's orr
ginal narration, and found it substantially
correct, being also in possession of informa-
ton that the researches Of q competent
American historian and antiquarian (John
Gilmeray Shea)haye cleared away the Utrecht
Interpolation and other matters, SO that the
first white man in Minnesota may without
doubt be regarded as worthy example of
the missionary priests of his time, has had
no hesitation in giving to Minnesota as a
day of festival and congratulation, the two
hundredth anniversary of Father Hennepin's
most striking achievement, from which dates
the beginning of the history of our Beloved
State.
In celebrating the day, fixed for conven-
fence in absence of knowledge as to the pre-
else day on which the Recollect missionary
in 1880 first saw and named the great falls
of the Mississippi, our Historical society
celebrated the birthday of Minnesota and
the new Northwest of to-day. In honoring
Hennepin they honored the class to which
he belonged-those brave clergymen of two
centuries ago who came with the first of white
men into the heart of our continent and who
were at once explorers, historians of discov-
cry and heralds and martyrs of religion.
Minneapolis.
The young giant city at the Falls OF ST.
Anthony has seconded the purpose of the
Historical society, with iberality of expendi-
ture and heartiness of hospitality, to which
must mainly be attributed the great success
of the celebration. For detasls of the elab.
crate preparations for the event and of the
entertainment of all attending it from abroad,
the reader Is referred to the particular &C.
counts below of the proceedings of the day.
It will suffice to say here, and to avoid repe-
tition, that in every respect the public spir-
tied citizens of Minneapolis won honor for
themselves In honoring their guests of the
day.
IN GALA ATTIRE.
The city of Minneapolis never saw such a
day as yesterday. 1t almost appeared as
though the inanimate earth on which the
cityis bpiIt-her magnificent blocks of build
ings, her immense mills and even the grand
falls themselves, were aware that something
more than ordinary was taking place. The
broad avenues were teeming with life, and
every artery of the city pulsated with glad
ID oIoaooroa faaIiuo xyhicj, dnyalor1ad itcaIf