The Irish standard., 1893-07-22
.PERE MARQUETTE, Z,
The Adventurous Jesuit Mission
ary Who Discovered the
Upper Mississippi.
JOLIET WAS HIS COMPANION
The Journal Of the French Priest
Is the Only Record Of Their
Explorations.

I VI EdLll6T O6Lue5 lAlal4 u0ttS tu0 WUlAA
should know more than it does. To him
the world is indebted for more than it
realizes. The missions he esta blished III
the region OF the great chain OF lakes
we're the seeds Of the civilization sown in
the great Northwest from which our
present greatness has sprung, and his dis
covery Of the Northern Mississippi and
Illinois rivers was the beginning Of that
inland commerce that has outstripped
the rest Of the world and built up vast
business centre in the heart Of the United
States so that in the Central Mississippi
valley teeming population with all the
blessings and luxuries of civilized life are
reaping the harvest Of his discoveries.
This population enjoying the fruits Of his
labors, ought, at least, to hold in grateful
remembrance the name OF Father Mar
quette. One little river bears his name;
q county in Wisconsin and town in
Michigan also bear his name; here and
there an ssociation is named after him;
no marble or granite monuments, how
ever, with suitable inscriptions, tell Of
bis life and character; in time though, it
is to be hoped that the historian will
erect for him something more enduring
than all else by engrafting his example
upon the hearts Of all generations yet to
come.
James Marquette was born in 1857 at
Laon in France As he died on May 18,
1875, he accomplished wonderful work
in the brief space of thirty eight years.
1t is SOME what remarkable that an author
hers and there should spsak Of him as
|"she good, old Father Marquette when
the fact is that he lived out only q little
more than half of three score years and
ten allotted to man. He was rather the
good young Father Marquette. After
receiving his education, he joined the
Society Of Jesus and became priest Of
the Jesuit Order In 1865, at the age OF
twenty mine, he was sent as u missionary
to America He came to Canada which
was then part Of what was called New
France. He pursued his course toward
the great lakes. After spending about q
year and half in the vicinity Of Three
Rivers, he founded the mission OF Sault
Sainte Marie or st. Mary 8 Falls on Lake
Superior in 1868. Here he spent about
three years among the Ottawa and Huron
Indians when in 1911 he went with the
Hurons to Mackiuaw or Miohilimackinac
as it was then called. Here he gathered
his little flock of Indians at Point ST.
Ignatius on the mainland north OF the
Island of Mackinaw.
1t was at this place that he was joined
two years later by Joliet and from here
they undertook their voyage Of discovery
that led to the unfolding OF the richest
and most fertile valley in the world.
Joliet had ascended through the lakes.
He came from Quebec, Of which place he
was merchant. Quebec was the place
Of his nativity, having been born there in
1916 Of humble parentage. He was edu-
Gated by the Jesults for the priesthood,
but abandoning the priesthood he went
into the fur trade. When he joined
Marquette on the straits Of Mackinaw in
1873, he was young man Of twenty
eight; Marquette was then thirty six.
These two young men became the found
ers of western, and it might be said Of