Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-02-28
FUR TRADING ON MISSOURI.
It Began Three Quarters Of a Century
Before the Lewis and Clark
Expedition.
Synopsis of Book to Be Published BY
Col. H. M. C%hittenden, Next
September.

However much we may we disposed to
celebrate the achievements of Lewis and
Clark" said Col. H. M. Chittenden, I'VE
must not forget that the beginnings of
trans Mississippi history and their source
were in the fur trade of the great Mis-
souri, and its tributaries. More than half a
century before President Jefferson sent
his explorers from St. Louis to the Pacific
coast the trader had been over the vast
region, establishing business relations
with tho aborigines, tracing its mount
aims and valleys, and giving them &C.
ographical names. AS early as 1922,
Fort Orleans was established 200 miles
above the mouth of the Missouri, and in
1894 st. Louis was founded. No part of
the continent car furnish more interest
ing history than the Missouri valley and
the Rocky mountain region generally
during the generations toward the close
of the eighteenth century, when the
buyers of furs from the Indians and
trappers were introducing civilization
into the tremendous Wilderness"
Those who know Col. Chittenden, who
now is government engineer in charge of
the improvement work on the upper
Missouri, and who also is in charge of
the work at Yellowstone park, will be
gratified to learn that he has undertaken
the task Of writing the entire history of
the early fur trade, as conducted west
ward from st. Louis up the Missouri
river, to the Rocky mountains, and to
Santa Fe, N. M. The work will be pub
lished next September by Francis P.
Harper, publisher OF the Lewis and
Clark journals as edited by DR.. Elliott
Coues, and will comprise about three
volumes, He has been engaged in its
preparation for a period of five years.
1t will contain a large and carefully pre-
pared map of the western country,
showing all the early trading posts and
routes of travel and the habitat of the
various Indian tribes, with a complete
list of trading posts and the history of
each. With reference to the scope of
the book Col. Chittenden has said:
THE beginnings of the history of this
region, so far at least as they relate to
the territory which came to the Ameri-
can people under the name of Louisiana,
have been neglected to a large extent,
because the march of events in this new
country has been SO rapid that it has as
yet been scarcely possible to stop and
look behind if one we're to keep in pace
with the procession. The discovery of
gold, the war with Mexico, the Mormon
emigration, the building of railroads,
the organizing of states-all these have
absorbed the energies and attention of
the people, and they have had but little
time to think of what has gone before
them. But the interest of writer's in
history and fiction is being directed more
and more to the distant country which
our eastern neighbors are pleased to call.
the far west 1t may not be a hazard
GUS prediction to say that within ten
years the early annals of the western
country may be placed on as satisfactory
a basis as those of the original colonies
along the Atlantic coast.
FUR TRADERS THE
when this comes about it will be
found that the fur trade was the true
source and beginning of our history. W.
are accustomed to look upon Lewis and
Clark as the original pioneers of the
Missouri valley but the lonely trader
had f~requented these shores during
nearly two generations before this expe-
dition went up the river. Fearlessly
and alone he penetrated these unknown
regions, opening up relations with their
savage inhabitants, discovering their
sources of wealth and paving the way
for the countless multitudes that we're
to follow.
= 1.-THE trader was the original Indian
agent, and the best friend, IN a practl-
cal way, that the Indian ever had. In
the simple relation which the two races
first bore to one another, based upon
almost primitive customs of exchange,
both people were benefited and both
were satisfied. The white man entered
into the. true life of the red man, learned
his language, adopted his customs, mar
ried his women and won their affection
by becoming like one of themselves. He
vas the original pathfinder. 1t was he
who sought out and established the
highways of travel which have become
and will always remain the of
commerce in this region. He was like
wise the original name-giver in the geo.
graphical nomenclature of the west. It
would astonish those who have never
thought of the matter to know how
many of the geographical names of u
country descend from the period of the
fur trader. Modern settlement has in
deed robbed him of much Of this early
-.--I- - =