The Irish standard., 1891-04-11

It appears to be pretty certain that
Pere DablOn, who joined Alloutz in
Wisconsin. and with him founded an
Indian mission near the mouth Of the
Fox river, knew Of the existence of the
Mississippi. and having procured from
the Sioux map of the course, he set
out to discover it, but desisted after sail
ing down the Fox certain length.
The credit of discovering the Father Of
Waters, notwithstanding that for over
1870 years previously it had been the
grave of De Soto. Mr.. Villas SAYS be-
longs to Father Marquette and sieur
Joliet. who sailed westward from Green
Bay in 1873, and kept On their course
until their canoes hOated out Oh the
broad stream Of that great river. The
Wisconsin senator gives no account Of
either of these two explorers. Louis
Joliet was Frenchman, as his name
indicates, who mad been sent out from
France to Governor FrOntenac of Can
ada and recommended as person well
equipped to undertake the discovery,
overland, of the Pacific ocean, which
the Canadian residents knew lay some
where to the westward. James Mar
uuatte was Jesuit, who was born of
an ancient family Of Laon in 1887, be-
came follower Of St. Ignatius at II,
went to Canada as missionary before
he was 80. learned the Indian language
at Quebec and was sent westward to
take up at Sault Sainte Marie the work
father Jotfues, the martyr, had com.
menced there twenty years before,
From Sault Ste. Marie he went west
ward to Mackinac and Green Bay.
southwark among the illinois, and
everywhere he heard of t'the big river''
and was consumed with an overwhelm
ing desire TO discover it, When Joliet,
in the pursuance Of his undertaking to
discover the Pacific. was sent westward
from Quebec, he bore with him from
the Jesuit superior Of that City letters
to Pere Marquette bidding him join
Joliet aud accompany him on his explo
rations. We Will let Hon. Franklin
MacVeag tell the story Of the "trip
these two Frenchmen made, inasmuch
as Senator Villas paper gives no ac
count of it. "Joliet was bv nature a
trader; Marquette was by nature dis
coverer; which, perhaps, explains how
to Marquette, without effort Of his, the
honor of the discovery chiefly cllngs.
With five Frenchmen Marquette and
Joliet, on May IL, 1873 set forth. Thev
followed from Mackinac down the west
side of Green Bay to the present town
of Green Bay-then already established.
Thence along the Fox river and
through Winnebago Lake; again along
the Fox TO portage between the Fox
and the head waters of the Wisconsin.
Thence to the Wisconsin. and down
this wild, beautiful river as anothor
traveller called 1T few years later, un.
til it came to the Mississippi at the
point where Prairie Du CHEN now
stands. Then they turned their canoes
into the great unknown river and
steered them as far as the Arkansas, Or
the unnamed river chat is now called
the Arkansas; exploring and teaching
and preaching as thev went, They
were now convinced that the great river
flowed into the gulf OF Mexico, and
this completed their purpose: and grow
ing fearful lest they should be slain,
and thus the great fruits Of their dis
covery be lost to France, they turned
back and came. padding their canoes
wearlsomelY against the current; until
they reached the Illinois, into which
they turned. They came slowly still
exploring and preaching. up the Illi-
nois, the Deplaines and the Chicago
rivers, to Lake Michigan, and then
backward to Mackinac; and this Was
the first time the site of Chicago was
visited bv civilized men,
Senator Villas, had he wished to do so.
might also have attributed to Catho-
lie the honor of founding the first civil
ized settlement IN Wisconsin. 1t is true
that he does credit the Jesuits with the
beginnings of those settlements, men
tioning the missions which Pere AL.
louez established on the Bay of Chego-
imegon in 1865. and which Bishop
Baraga refounded later on; and equally
true is it that he speaks Of the Mission
Of st. Francis Xavier which Fathers
Allouez and Dablon built at the mouth
Of the Fox in 1869, and of the chapel
that. two years later, they erected where
the town Of De Pere now stands; but
he makes no allusion to the Catholic
Charles de Langlade, who in l746. es-
taplished q trading house near Green
Bay, from which establishment the
settlement Of Wisconsin BY white peo-
pie may be said to have sprung. This
individual was made superintendent Of
CONTINUED on Big hth Page.