The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-04
AFTER NINETY YEARS.
Jefferson's Letter to Explorer
Lewis Found at Helena.
IT GIVES UNLIMITED CREDIT.
How the Men Who Discovered the
Wealth or the Pacific Northwest
Secured Their Funds.

Secured Their Funds.
Perhare the most remarkable and ex-
tensivs letter of credit ever written has
Just been resurrected. after having been
ehst from public view for more than nine
fy years. IL Is the famous writing OF
Thomas Jefferson TO Capt. Mertwether
Lewis. In 1855. giving authority TO draw for
any amount upon the departments at
Washington City ard pledging the faith
of the government OF the United States
that the drafts would promptly be paid.
BY notable coincidence. the letter was
written on the Fourth OF July. by the same
hand that drafted the Declaration OF tnde-
pencence, and while the latter proclaimed
freedom TO the American colonies, TIE for
mer has become a link in the chain OF
events connecting popular government
with the states Of the West. for IL helped
20 supply means whereby Lewis and
Clarke, the renowned explorers. assembled
the Missouri river. penetrated the fast
nosses OF the Rocky mountains, and. after
fnnumerable hardships. made their way
among unknown Indian tribes down the
mighty Columbia to its mouth. But for
that exploration, lasting for more than
two years the Louisiana purchase might
not have been made and the doors of the
&mDifg
manned closed for another quarter century.
Until recently the existence OF the letter
was unknown. and the only copy was that
among the records at Washington City.
But the original, in President Jeffersons
handwriting. short time Ago turned up
NJ Helena. Mont, sere with age, rmisshap-
en- with numerous foldings and dog
cared from the treatment of not quite a
century. In the First National bank of
~~ 80. IL
cashier. was greeted by a commercial tray-
eIer. who showed the letter. which he said
he had found among some old papers. How
Il got there he did not know. Kleinschmidt
realized the value OF the relic and tried TO
buy IL. but TO s1is disappointment the own
er steadfastly refused TO part with 1t at
any price.
However an unexpected opportunity
was offered 10 preserve the writing. The
commercial traveller. on going to lunch a
few moments after entering the bank. left
the letter OF credit for safe-keeping with
the cashier. No sooner had the owner
turned the corner than Kleinschmidt was
hurrylng In the other direction In search
OF photographer. He succeeded In get
ting first -ciass negative before the COM
mercial Traveller returned 10 the bank and
carried away the original.
KIeinschnlidt now preserves the mega
tive and guards IL with jealous care. So
far az known but two photographs have
been taken from st. One OF these fell into
the hands Of Bank Examiner Eugene VIII
son. and from him passed to Bank Exam
liner Charles Clary, of this city. and from
81 has been taken the copy printed In the
post-Intelligencer. The letter Is as fol-
lows:
Washington. Us. of America. July t. 1893.
Dear Sir:
49, xr.~f,
undertake for the discovery OF me course
and source of the Missouri, and OF the
most convenient water communication
from thence TO the Pacific ocean. your par
~ being small. II Is 10 be expected that
you Will encounter considerable dangers
from the Sldian Inhabitants. Should You
escape those dangers and reach the Pa
ciflc ocean, you may lind II imprudent TO
hazard a return the same way. and he
forced 10 seek "A passage round by sea In
such vessels as you may find on the West
ern coast. but you Will be without money.
without clothes. a. other necessaries; as
q sufficient supply cannot be carried with
yon from hence. Your resource in that
case can only be In the credit of the Us.
for which purpose l hereby authorize you
20 draw on the Secretaries or State. OF the
Treasury. of War a. OF the Navy of the
us. according IA you may lind your
dranghts viii he most negotiable, for the
purpose OF obtaining money or necessa-
ries for yourself A. your men; and ! SOL
EMMY pledge the faith or the United
States that these draughts shall be paid
punctually at the date they are made
payable. | also ask of the consuls.
agents. merchants g. citizens OF any ma
ton with which we have intercourse er
amity 10 furnish YOU with those supplies
which your necessities may call for, as
surfing them OF honorable and prompt
retributon. and our own consuls in foreign
parts where you may happen 10 be. are
hereby Instructed n required 10 be aidlng
4 assisting to you in whatsoever may be
necessary for procuring your return back
10 the United States. And TO give more
entire satisfaction & confidence TO those
who may 10 disposed TO aid you. l. Thomas
Jefferson. President of the United States
OF America, have written this letter of
general credit for you with my own hand
aud signed IL with my name.
ETH: JEFFERSON.
ITO CAPT Meriwether Lewis
photo OF the letter is now In the bust
ness Office OF the Post-inteiligencer. and
can he seen during the celebration today
aud tomorrow IL contains twenty-five
lines Of ths elear-cut handwriting of JET
ferson. with fsultlesS alignment. and the
mastery diction or the third president
The spelling. as appears above. az times is
quaint and one or two phrases appear 10
modern mind 20 he o5id. There ia but n
single interlineauon, the words for you"
IN The lsst line.
The temperance Of this old-tlme letter
OF credit which even surpasses that ere
aled by the imagination Of Dumas In the
count Of Monte Crlsto." has excited
widespread comment IN this city. The
explorations Of Lewis and Clarke. the
first white men ever 20 cross the Ameri-
can continent resulted finally In tho nc
s,F 81 10 fr,,
nsenSe empire ont OF which since have
been carved Washington and oregon and
other states and territories ~ the West.
The letter Itself IS evidence OF the COM
prehensive mind and craftsmanship OF
Jefferson. who saw the possibilities OF the
unarVelaped West more clearly than Web
ster forty years later.