Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-01-29
DOES THIS SETTLElT
HAS THE SOURCE or THE Missi8-
siPPf BEEN POSITIVELY FixEDf

TIE Story os she Search ror It Dnrius
FRO Centurier-rahe ri.sc. andths riis
tio sireana that Nieollst Chfnisaed ne
sCradIoa Achilles
II have stopped acrosa the Miaslsippi
river. said Dr. Couea &c was easy. for
tho stream was only about inohoa wido
end inches doop have seen iho Fa.
ther Of Waters where be rises literally
out Of the ground and aiarta as an infant
rivulot, deStinod 20 cut tho United statoa
ia twain with the mighty volume of his
adult food
''Tho story Of the scnrch for thosouroo
Of the Mississippi reads like q romance
After tho discovery Of tho upper river in
1913 BY Joliet and Marquette. and tna
discovery Of tho falls of ST Anthony in
1880. By Hcnncpin, little more was
known of tho Father Of Waters for near
y q ccntury. In 1909 Captain Jonathan
Carver asccnded the stream ns far as tho
mouth Of Rum river Ia 1908 the H.
nous English astronomer aud surveyor.
David Thompson. Ia the service OF tho
Northwest company, reached Turtle
lake. This lake. which sends q tributary
60 tho Mississippi. was for somc time
supposed 70 DO the source
''.rho first white man known 70 havo
visited the neighborbood Of tho actual
source Of the Mississippi was WiEiians
Morrison. o fur trader. who was certain
y at lake Itasoa IN 1903 on 1904 Ho
never pnbliahed anything on tho sub
ioct. and Il Is only very recently that
hts priority Of discovery has been known.
The next explorer Of the sources Of the
river was Lieutenant zobulon Mont
gomerY Pike He was the first American
citizcn 70 carry tho Gag Of the United
States into northern Minnesota. Howns
sent BY the governments 10 treat with
the Indians and stop the sale Of liquor
in that region. Incidentally be purchased
for f26O aud some whisky o tract Of
land nine miles square, which inoludei
the. present site Of Minneapolis Con-
grcss subsequently voted an additiona
payment 20 the Indians for this tract Of
So. 600
Lieutenant Pike proceeded by boat
70 tho vicinity Of the present Little Falls
IN Morrison county, Mimi He got m
farther with boats. aud so continued bis
journey through the winter Of 1866 on
snowshocs and with slodgos northward.
He finally reached Loech Lake This lal9
be mistook for the source Of the Missis
sippi. and his report on this subject was
held 10 be correct for some years after
ward
"ln 1890 the Hon. Lewis Casa ao-
companied by Henry r. schoolcraft. the
historian, went on an exploring expodi-
tion up the Mississippi rs far ~ Cass
lake, so named at tho time by School
craft Ia 1928 an Italian traveller. j q
Boltrami, went over David Thompson'a q
route to Turtle lake and reported that
lake 10 DO tho true source Evidently,
however. b., heard from tho Indians
about Lake ltnsca. Tor he mapped IL with
approximate accuracy, though he was
never thoro and did not imagine that
tho Father Of Waters shrang thence
Lake ltasca was rediscovered IN
1889. when Schooicraft. accompanied BY
Lieutenant Allen. United States army
the Rov Mr. Boutwell, and others, wa
guided TO the lake By a Chippewa In.
dian, known as Yellow Head. On this
occasion Lake Itasca received its present
name, which was made up Of parts q
the words voritas Caput signifying ths
true head Of the river Tho Latin WA
bad, for Il ought 20 have been Veruu
Caput The lake had previously boer
known by the French namo Of Lac ID
Bichca meaning Elk Lake This VIVA Z
translation Of the Chippewa Omoshkol
Sogiagon
'Schoolornit's party made an oxauii
nation Of Lake itasca. being satisfied
that they had found tho frne source o.
tho Mississippi Not again until 1885,
! did any scientific man visit the spot
This was q Frenchman. J N. Nicoilet
who tried to ascertain the source Of thl
Z feeders Of Lake flasca Exploring south
ward. he reached the springs from which
tho infant river takes It's rise ltshouls
J bs understood that rho Miasissippi rnn
from It's source directly northward for
distance OF so miles before turning abou
in a sort Of lshhook bend and starting
soufhward TO the baby stream. before
] enters Lake ltasca Nioolloo gave the 20
D etio name Of Graded Achilles He oa
iablished its course Ia connection witt
5 three small laho8 since named Upper
p Middle and Lower Nicollet lakoa--fha
b Do 10 say. no found that che little rive
ran through two Of these small lake
and connected with the third This o.
plorof mapped the whole Of tho ltasca
basin Nnd determined she latitude. Ion
gitudo and altitude with such ncourao
that snbseQuon1 surveys have only con
drmed and anpliled bis. Observations
''The whole subject Of which hay
been speaking was bafoggod and throw
into dispnte reoonlly BY q certain Car
4 tain lila2ier. who, apparently iof p
4 other purpose shan 20 advertise himself
o Published bis alleged discovery of ne'
; ana lruo source Of the Mississippi 3
e reducing iho aizo a Lake IlAaca. igpo
q ing Nicollols Cfadlcd Achilles. magn
flying q small sido lake which ho calie
Lako tilazier and BY stretching out o.
oi tho feeders of the iatlcr BE pruduce
3 distorted map which actually impose
p on Che Royal Geographical society
J. Great Britain Many 0I the errors lhI
D originated have oIopt into the aiandai
F. maps 0l lbo United tiaio1
E .l may ho said thai lhofe % noihIr
q further 90 % learned about the irt
% sonrco nI lho Father 81 Wntcla Az
!. matter ol essential iaot tho true Opp
Mississippi l1 fho river called the Al
souri, The stream ilai 1oua from Ia'
'l1sca h merely tributary } ought n
60 forget lo mention lhal HaIfoN a'ol
z the bod 0I tha stream feuntd By Nap'a'