Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-02-06

One Of the Nest gusane Heroes Of Amer
fcA,s colohssl Period
The famous ea11y explcrer and colon
list OF Virgins was born in 1S.o or 15S0.
In Lincolnshire, England, the SON Of .
well-to-do tenant farmer. His paren,s.
dled when he was q mere lad, and left
him with means at his disposal suficien,
to follow his own inclinations- He early
showed his spirit and love Of adventure.
From 1896 to 1905 he travelled in Europe,
Asia and Africa During this period he
served in the armies Of France. Holland
and England. and performed prOdigiso
OF valor In many places. He was taken
a prisoner by the Turks, and went ia
Constantlnople to be sold or rxnsomed.
but was saved by a lady who hsd fallen
In love with him; but her devotion ONLY
brought him into more and greater DIM
culties, and he was led to kill his tor
mentor, who was the brother of his Iadv-
love, and escape to Hungar, and Aus
tria, and returned to England after An
absence of years 1t was at this perioa
that the excitement of colonial enter
prise and adventure was high in En-
gland. He entered into the virrinian
project with all the enthusiasm of his
nature, and was associated with Bar
tholomew Gosnold and others, and was
one of the founders of the London Com
pany of South Virginia, the other COM
Pany being the Western Company for
North Virginia The Raleigh colonies
had been failure, chiefly because there
was no suitable harbor ON the coast or
islands The first object of the three
ships that went with Smith was to find =
place that would afford ample refuge
and safety in all seasons and weather.
The voyagers went by way Of the West
Indies On the voyage Smith narrowly
escaped being hanged on the charge of
conspiracy, and, although afcerward thu
lives of the men who had tried to hang
him were at his mercy. he saved them.
The explorers found the James river.
and fixed the site of their colony. The
first president of the council was E.. NJ
Wingfeld, and the settlement WIS
called jamestown. Smiuh was finally
released from duress after thirteen
weeks restraint, and WINFIELD
was compelled to pay him 5000
as damages. The coionists were
badly in need of food. and Smith.
went in search of it with nine, mem
and barge. 1t was on this trip
that he was captured through the DISC
bedlence of some of the men with, him.
For weeks he was captive OF a brother.
of the Chief Powhatan. It was finally
decreed that he should be killed. and he.
would have been but for the intereession
of Pocahontas, the daughter of the Indian
chief This story of Smith and Pocs-
hontas was accepted generally withouo
question until 1866, when. it was openly
denied by DR.. Charles Deane. of Cam
bridge, Mass But it is still believed
by many. and it seems to have been gen.
orally received in the lifetime of this
remarkable man. Smith became the
head of the colony, and his most bitter
enemies would have persisted If it had
not been for his efforts in their behalf
To keep the colony from starvation and
annihilation- He remained in Virginia
for some three years, returning TO En-
gland in 1909. The remainder of his
life was spent in exploring Canada and
New England, from 1910 to 1917, and
then in writing an account of his life
and adventures He lived until June
81, 1881, when he passed away. and
was buried in St Sepulchre's Church,
London Chicago Inter Ocean