Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-11-05
A TREMENDOUS TRAMP.
A st LOuisan Who Travelled ON FOo1
from New York to St Petersburg.

A St Louisan Who Travelled ON Foot
from New Y ork to St Petersburg.
At a recent meeting of the St. Louis
Historical Society, the subject under dis
cussion was the adventures Of Russell
Farnum, who Was identified with the
early history OF st. Louis and the North
west He WAS man about whom many
newspaper items have been written, but
IF whose career little definite is known,
especially his trip overland via Behring's
straits from the United States, through
Siberia, Russia, and thence t. Paris,
Lonuon and back to New York, in the
interest of John Jacob Astor, who was at
the time head of a fur company doing
business on the upper Mississippi and
Hudson's bay. The following extracts
are taken from Elihu Shepard's History
Of ST. Louis and Missouri. ~
"Col. Russell Farnum, q native Of New
Hampshire, had been clerk in the en-
ploy of John Jacob Aston of New York
for q time, and was dispatched by him
to visit his employers and agents in the
indian county of the west, and with the
aid Of the late Wilson p. Hunt, to trans-
act business as his agent, % his business
and interests required. Farnum soon
became we'll known in st. Louis, and at
the commencement of the war in 1912
with Great Britain was on business ex-
cursion near Lake ofthe Woods. Having
finished his business, as fall approached
he struck bodily across the country for
Prairie du CHEN. When be reached
the river at that point, he was arrested
by United States officer and party Of
soldiers as British spy, and broguht to
St. Louis under degrading ciIcum-
stances; but when he arrived, the boat
was surrounded by crowd OF his ex-
cited friends, and he was taken to his
old quarters before the officer could Sc
cure the boat. The officer was greatly
mortified at his conduct toward his pris-
oner when he learned who L arnum was,
and returned his Journal and other pa
pers at once. 81 ~ .5:F=,9 >5.f
-, ''After consultation with his friends,
Gen. Clarke and Mr.. Hunt, Farnum
started alone with his dog and gun to
carry messages to trading posts up the
GlflC COaat The 6KnGt date Of his de-i
parture and arrival in different points
of his long journey were carefully noted
by him, as well as the remarkable Incl
dents and observations on the route in 4
well-kepJ journal prepared for pubiicar
ton and was in the hands Of publisher
of New York, who failed and died sew
Il eral years before Col. Farnum, and he
was never after able to recoverthe Jour
4 nal or learn Its fate. .,s5 81 Z
Having at length overcome the great
q barrier between the oceans, he reached
/ the waters of the Columbia, and leaving
the inbound rivers behind 1naditated
l taking more easy and speedy mode Of
travelling to complete his journey. But
while he sat on q log near the river,
]. mediting the best means Of acconaplish-
Ing his object, his dog, lying aks q little
distance, jumped up, and running be-
tween his legs, manifested great alarm,
Il when Col Farnun1, turning his eyes to
[, the river, saw Ave canoes filed with
A ndians glide by like an
B arrow, Their hostile appearance deter
mined him sto continue his journey III
the same safe way id 81 llich ha had sac-
scOmplishe tie most gil ifflirnlt and dam
seeTous part sof it iii fokys and in pur-