Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-05-15
Father Marquette.


character and tragic fate of the great
liscoverer of the Mississippi river oc-
surs i'm "The Romance and Tragedy Of
Pioneer Life" graphic work by Au-
gustus Lynch Mason and John Clark
Ridpath, recently published by Jones
Brothers & Co., Cincinnati, which we
reproduce from its pages:
"Marquette was the child of an illus
trious family of the French nobility.
Inspired solely by a sense of religious
duty, he had hidden farewell to the
splendors of the baronial castle in which
he was born, to dwell among the In
dams. Slowly the little party made
their way through the lakes, up Green
hay and Fox river, thence by many
weary portages on to the Mississippi.
The simple and inoffensive savages, per-
haps drawn more by the gentle and
saint-like spirit of Marquette than by
his explanations of the atonement, re-
csived the strangers kindly, pressed on
them their best hospitality, and after
many solicitations for them to remain
helped them on their weary way. At
the village of the Illinois the two un-
armed Frenchmen were. treated to a
great feast. The first course was Indian
meal, boiled in grease, which their host
fed them with spoon. This was fol-
lowed by vast platter of fish. The
host carefully picked the bones from
each mouthful, cooled it by blowing,
and tucked it in their mouths with his
fingers. This excessive politeness SEEM
ed to destroy the Frenchmen's appe-
tites, either from embarrassment or
other causes, as the remaining courses
of baked dog and buffalo were hardly
tasted.
DAY after day the voyagers fioated
down the majestic river into the ever
opening landscape. Now their eyes
swept over boundless prairies; now
they peered into the perennial gloom
of mighty forests; Tow they shudder-
ed with alarm at the imaginary dangers
of red and green dragons and scaly
monsters, painted by some Indian art
ist on the dark background of the over
hanging bluffs; now they struggled
with more real danger in the mighty
torrent from the Missouri river, which
hurled its masses of mud and uprooted
trees far out into the transparent depths
of the Mississippi. AS they proceeded
southwark the sun became warmer, the
vegetation denser, the flowers more lux
uriant. Every evening, after pulling
|, their canoes ashore, Marquette with
clasped hands, would kneel before the
Father of Waters and pour out his
soul in prayer to the Infinite. AS he
prayed, mild supernatural radiance
would illumine his delicate and schol-
arly features. The spoken words would
often cease, but still the slender black
gowned figure, with hands uplifted and
| face turned toward the crimson glories
of the dying day, continded kneeling
till the black-bannered armies of night
darkened all the air.
"Seven hundred miles from the
mouth of the Mississippi the voyagers
commenced to retrace their lonely way.
After weeks of toll they made their way
back to the Green Bay mission. Here
Marquette, sick and exhausted from the
tolls of the expedition, was compelled
to stop, while Joliet carried to Montreal
the news of the discovery, and of their
firm belief that the Mississippi flowed
not into the Pacific ocean, but the Gull
of Mexico.
"Marquette, though feeble in health
aftera long repose, determined to return
to the Illinois Indians, among whom
he had promised to found a mission
Taking two boatmen, Pierre and Jaques
he started on the slow journey. Over
taken by winter and renewed sickness
the gentle father was compelled to pass
the winter in rude hut on the shores
of Lake Michigan. Some branches
from the trees formed his bed, a log hi
pillow. His earthly companions wer'
filthy savages, but he had constantly
present with him divine companion
: Urged on by love and pity, he set ou
amid the sleet and rain of early spring
toward his destination. He was receiv
\ ed by the Illinois at their great villag
near the site of the present town o
Utica, La Sale county, Illinois. Her
every morning, in vast wigwam, h
told his breathless auditors the story o
the cross.
cat last his failing health forced hin
to leave his sorrowful Indian friends
Slowly and wearily he set out with hi
two faithful boatmen on the return trir
During the day he reclined on rud
pallet in the canoe, his face turned to
ward the skies he was so soon to inhabit
; At night his two companions woul
I hastily build a shelter, gently lift an
carry him from the boat, and then pre-
pare the rough dish of Indian meal, S
ill suited to the sufferer. One evenin
Marquette pointed to a lonely eminenc
on the lake shore: THAT is the spo
for my last repose.' The encampmen
WAC made earlier than usual. 1t wa