The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-29
looked to none but themselves to settle

looked to none but themselves to settle
the irrigation difieulty
To the older generation Of Mormons the
lake is sort of fetch. The pioneers re-
garded It with actual reverence, and
though they we're not its finders they
never would consider that any who pre-
coded them had part In the honors OF the
discovery. They made their own claims
good by bestowing upon it the name II
bears
The Great Salt lake has been discovered
for the first time by as many different
persons as have most parts of Africa Be-
fore any on eactualiy visited 1t news OF
been carried by the Indians over the
mountain ranges on either side. The MS
torian of the west, Herbert How Ban
croft, takes pains to say that the French
man, Baron La Hontan, who explored or
pretended to explore the lower central
Mississippi country in the latter part or
the seventeenth century. drew upon MS
imagination when he wrote that his In
dian guides told him of the bitter wat
croft. however, advances no proof OF his
assertion. Although Baron La Hontan
wrote many fairy tales he told the truth
in many instances, and this may have
been one of them.
hTe tale Is plausible enough.
The Great Salt lake was in the country
Of the Commanche Indians when the
Spanish friar, Escalante. came almost to
its shores in the next century. and he
learned they had been rulers there for
many generations. The Comanche infiu-
ence extended far to the eastward. and
nothing would be more natural than that
the gossip Of the "bitter water" should
travel to border tribes and by them be
transmitted to the river jewellers.
Escalante gave civilization the first def
mite knowledge of the Great Salt lake. In
1T6 he was stationed at Santa Fe, the
outpost Spanish settlement of the middle
north. The ommandant desired to learn
IL route could be found between Santa
Fe and the post at Monterey on the Pa
cific coast. The friar volunteered to be
an explorer and early in the summer set
of at the head Of party. Instead Of
going west he went north, and error
which prevented his reaching Monterey,
but which brought him. early in Septem-
Der, to the shores of Utah lake. He
found its shores inhabited by the Yuta
Indians, who told him Of the warlike
Comanches to the north and the salt
lake.
1.-THE other lake with which this COM
ne wrote in his diary, "oc-
cupies as they tell US. many leagues, and
its waters are Injurious and extremely
salt. He who vets any part of mis- body
with this water Immediately feels an itch
Ing on the wet part.''
Escalante did not go on to make proof
Of hearsay. but turned to the southwark
and made an effort to scale the Sierras.
He failed and returned to Santa Fe. APP
pare:tly his discoveries at the north
arouse ~ cur, sity. He did not go back
and no other Spaniard followed in his
footsteps.
Nearly fifty years passed before a white
man stood upon the shores and tasted
the water to prove that the Indian leg
end was true The man was James Bridg-
er, an American trapper and hunter,
whose party had encamped for the win
ter of 1S24-'25 at Bear lake. Bridger had
heard the Indians tell of the bitter |
water and perahps had paid some atten- /
ion to them. His discovery was the re- |
suit Of a wager that he coud follow Bear |
liver to the body into which 1t emDtie1. |
He hardly would have made the bet had |
ne believed his journey would be long
me. He left his friends and went down |
he river In company with Indian guides. |
When at length he returned he told his |
white companions he had discovered a |
branch of the ocean. He held to his con-
'ictian until the following year. when he
Ind three other members Of the party |
the lake in skin boats, |
hiding that 1t had not outlet.
Skeen Ogden, another hunter. whose
lame remains as that of the important
abroad junction point north Of Salt Lake
lily, led a party Of Hudson Bay COM
ANY trappers to the shore of the lake in
hat same year, and after that 1t was fire.
luently visited by the members of this
lardy, wandering class.
( was not until 1892 that Captain Bon
leville, a second La Hontan. came upon
he lake. He was so anxious to mag
lify himself that he was not content with
diving his own name to the actual lake
tut bestowed 1t also upon the prehistoric
ca, which he was the first to see must
ave existed. Washington Irving paid the
dventurer the undeserved tribute OF
eeping the title. axe Bonneville.
Genera John c. Fremont, the Pathfinder.
bowed as much vanity as Bonneville.
lie spent several months In the Salt lake
asin in 1873, navigating the boat in a
ubber boat In his published work he af-
erwards claimed his boat was the first
o cut the heavy waters. He landed on
is first rtip on one Of the numerous
mall islands In the lake, evidently ex-
Getting to be rewarded for his stlh climb
o the summit OF the rock by the sight
Thich he would see there. He found
othing to satisfy him. and he gave TO the
;iand the name of Disappointment. II
e. dthe title until Mcrmons changed Il
o Castle island.
Fremont went on his way, and the lake
gain left to solitude.
On a Friday morning in 1874 two men
de through a canon close to where Fort
Douglas now stands and from the heights
Z the plateau gazed over the wide ex-
anse OF a lake and valley below. One OF
hem threw wide his hands, both barred ,
1efr heads and the elder OF them spoke !