The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-11

bed Of limestone. 1t is considered
rather remarkable that the blast which
tore it from its bed twenty feet be-
meath the earth's surface, did not mar
its beauty. but if it had been eXhumed
in the most careful fashion, it could
have been no more perfect than it is.
1t is hard to realize without observa-
ton how really beautiful it has become
through petrification. 1t seems to have
q luster or radiance and when the sun
light strikes it fairly, beams scintillate
from it of prismatic hue, the whole
forming a most charming spectacle.
The history of this cross, which care
full investigation has shown, takes us
back to the old days when Western
New York was little better than a
wilderness and Pennsylvania was as
free from the touch of the white man,
outside of the large settlements, as viz
gin soil is from the cuItivator. At that
time, the French soldiery and Roman
Catholic priests were particularly en-
ergetic in penetrating the country in
9lI directions, one seeking to establish
the dominion of the state, the other
that Of the church. 1t was the century
in which this combination achieved the
most with which it has been credited.
La Sale, Marquette, and others had
made their names famous already. The
woods all along the Canadian border
and nearly as far west as the MisSis-
Sippi river had become familiar places
to the Jesuit priest.
In the spring of 1749 a band of
French soldiers. vOyageurs, and others,
left Lachine, which is situated near
Montreal, for a trip through the sec
ton Of country which as yet really
belonged to no one. The leader Of the
company was Capt. Celeron, but asso-
ciated with him was NJ. Decontrecoeur,
who in later years, became COM
mander of that famous Pennsylvania
post known as old Fort Duquesne. the
site Of the present city of Pittsburg.
From Lacne the party journeyed down
through Canada into that portion of
New York state just north of Buffalo.
1t was a perilous journey at the best.
While the Indians were supposed to
be friendly to the French, there were
predatory bands Of red men whose
love for scalps and plumber often led
them to forget the alliances their
chiefs had made. They would pitch
upon expeditions like the one describ-
ed, ard often was It the case that
the first news the friends Of the white
men would have Of their fate, would
be the report Of a scout who had found
their skeletons half buried under the
leaves of a far away forest.
Obstacles of this sort had no terror
for the French soldier. The Jesuits,
beside possessing all the bravery that
went to make up the man who fought
for France, was guided by a religious
inspiration and fervor that almost
amounted to fanaticism. No danger
was so great, no peril so imminent
that he would not face it. Through the
trackless forests, in frail canoe
down. unknown streams where the
Song Of the arrow might bring the
messenger Of death at any moment, he
would journey, provided there was d
possibility of bringing a single person
from without to within the fold Of
the Roman Catholic church. A half
dozen Of these priests accompanied the
French explorers.
Wien the expedition reached the Allegheny
river il was considered that its real duties
began. Here the feur-de-lis of France and
the cross OF the Jesuits were placed side by
side, church and state IN a union that sa-
vored Of nothing but pacifcation. At dis
tances of ten miles along the route, Capt.
Celoron buried leadcn plates inscribed with
the arms OF France and the date of the ex-
petition Directly alongside the place of
burial of these plates. the Jesuits buried