Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-05-30
Should Look Up His Geography.

LDIIOh NOhTHNEBr:-ln an article puO-
lished in the Elmore Independent find
certain criticisms on an article or rather
an address, delivered on the Isle of Paimos,
MAY 5th, 1889, bv the Bishop of the Church
of Divine Fragments, under the above cap
ton. Now it strikes me with great force that
if the editor of the Independent had taken
the trouble to look up his own geography and
history, he would not have had so much time
to trouble his readers and myself about mine.
Extracts of the article or address referred to
reads as follows:
1t is fact not generally known, that the
Maumee and Wabash rivers were known and
navigated by the whites long before the Ohio
was discovered. The only communication
with the Mississippi during the 18th and 18th
centuries, the Jesuits and the soldiers being
the travellers, was from the lakes. They
ascended the Maumee to Ft. Wayne, crossed
the Portage at that point (then known as Ka
Kionga,) descended the Wabash to the Miss
issippi. If had said descended the Wabash
to the Ohio, perhaps my geography would
not have been called in question; but being
limited as to space, it was overlooked. Judge
Law, in his interesting address, 1.-THE Coloni-
al History of Vincennes," Ind.) page 10th,
says: at is singular fact, yet no less true,
that the Wabash was known and navigated
by the whites hong before the Ohio was
known to exist. Indeed, all the maps-and l
have seen two before the year 1730-call the
Ohio at its confluence with the Mississippi,
Onabache. The reason is obvious, when ole
reflects for single instant. that the whole
course of travel to the Mississippi was either
by the Illinois or the Wabash. The only COM
munication with the Mississippi by the
French in the latter part of the 10th and 18th
centuries, was from the lakes. The priests
and soldiers were the only travellers. They
assembled the Maumee, crossed the Portage
and descended to this post"
In Brice's history of Ft. Wayne, page 3rd,
he quotes from Judge Laws address on the
early settlement of Vincennes by the French,
and says that in the early part of 1850, La
Sale penetrated the west to point now
known as Peoria, ILL.,, where he built fort
which he called Crevecaur or Broken Heart.
The reputed rival as we'll as co-laborer OF
La Sale, Louis Hennepin, franciscan friar
of the recollect variety, and said to have
been very ambitious as discoverer as well
as hardy and energetic, with other peculiari-
ties closely allied thereto, as early as 1663-64
speaks of the Ohio and of route from the
lakes (northern) to the Mississippi by the
Wabash, the account of which he had and
which was explored in 1876.
In Hennepin's volume of 1858 is journal
says the best accounts, said to be sent by LIZ
Sale to Count Frontenac in 1852 or 1853
which mentions the route by the Maume,
and Wabash as the most direct to the grea
western river, (Missisippi,) and which makes
it quite evident that this river was the mali
route travelled by the early explorers, m is
sionaries and fur traders.
Imight go on indefinitely, but there woult
be some that would criticise; and as thes'
researches are laborious, I will refer thu
editor of the Independent, for more extend
ed summary of these early periods, to Ban
croft's history of the United States, billions
history of Indiana, Parkman's Conspiracy o
Pontiac, Sparks Life of La Sale, vol. l, new
series, and to the Life of Marquette, etc.
As to the EDITORS structures on the Churcl
of Divine Fragments, would say that
church that can not stand the assaults of on,
editor is not worth preserving. He seems tc
have forgotten that imagination rules tn
world. o. THOMPSON.