The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-30
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indefatigablc Henry de TontN. IN III
Of La Sales early trials. De Ton,y oI
the Iron Hand was the great explorers
most loyal lieutenant and trucst friend
lie was left in command of Fort st
Louis and Fort Broken Heart Hi diff
fcrent periods of uncommon peril. liz
accompanied La Sllle OH his first great
expedition down the Mississippi and
was ever ready TO follow or to lead
wherever dangers were greatest or saw
ages most tierCcly hostile. In sGS5 and
again IN 1850. II. led u relief party I,
succor his illustrious chief from whom
no tidingS could be heard. trayersinc
in all more nan six thousand miles oi
swollen rivers and tracklcSs wilderness
and cnco,lntcling privationS nud pcrils
no language can make known. search
ing in vain through Arkansas. Texas
and Louisiana for trace Of his loved
and lost leader, he left on the lowe,
Mississippi II letter carved on bark
which fourteen years after 81; isticd I'll,
doubling D'fbervillr that he was really
on the mighty Colbert river OF i.il Sallc
This Speaking bark as the Indians
rcvctCntly called il. as II nrmcntO OF
4 lea thlesS devotion. OF an unrnding
fidelity to Il noble friendship. may h'
remembered by Hli who are losing faith
In human nature and their hearts
Whereby be abundanly comforcd This
brave explorer ANA truthful historian,
having joined the Louisiana colOniSts
Was cut off by contagion while prose-
cutting his dangerous pioneer labor. flo
died at Mobile in i7bi
FIRST PERAlANF.NT SETTLEnS.
. From liS2 ana after. La Sallr. ,Juut"l.
Hennepn and others, named the vast
region Watcrcd by the Mississippi and
its trihut;ries Louisiana, IN honor "r
their august sovereign Louis NiN. i3ut
~ ihe part almost wholly west OF the
grent river. covered by tn. purchase
treaty of 1903, now concerns us, lcl us
turn to the small, acOrn-likc beginnings
of an empire from which the giant oaks
of an uneuuelled development have
grown. Historians tell us that the
Grand Monlrquc of France took II great
personal interest in his American col
"nics. He learned through DE Remun-
Vile. close friend "l La Sallc. that the
Louisiana country contained rich de-
NoSitS OF iron. lead and copper: that
hemp was indigenous. -hip-timber
abundant and that cotton and tobacco
could be cultivated. lie Moyne D'Ihcr-
Nlle, n naval officer who had gained
distinction through military exploits
on Hudson's bay. on the Atlantic and
Ill the valley of tho st. Lawrence. was
accordingly despatched to the mouth Of
the Mississippi where he arrived in
1893. Count de Ponchurtrain. then min.
ister of marine and colonies, declares
IN his official correspondence. found in
the Margry papers. that the purpose
of the expedition was to explore. to
fortity. and to prevent other nations
from getting Il foothold in Louisiana.
D'lbcrVille first went ashore at an Isl
ana on which he saw Il mass of human
bones and from this called it Massacre
Island. 1t was what is now named
Dauphin. The colony next landed and
began to erect hutS on Ship Island.
They passed to the main land through
i'nscagoua bay. The Biloxi indians
We're the first they encountered. They
ran away at first but were brought
back by presents and the pleading Of
an Indian girl. ON February -. D'ib-
-rNille and his brother. Bienville, in
we'll equipped open boats went in
search of the Mississippi. They had
proceeded nearly 200 miles nom The
sea when they reached the Indian VIII
lagc of EHyagoulaS where they We're
most Hospitality entertained Here all
doubts We're removed about their being
OH the right river by finding II PRAYER
book with the name of II companion Of
1.a Sale and that immortal monu-
rlent Of human affection. the historic
bark letter of Chcvalier De Tonty For
lhiS precious relic the I'rrnchmen We're
obliged to present to IN Indian CHIEF an
an. DIbcrVillc returned to the sea by
way of the two lakes. which he u;tniel
Mlurcras and Ponchartrain. after two
we'll known historic men of Franco.
The first settlement Of the colony Was
nNrd on the east side of the BAY OF
Biloxi und was called Biloxi, now Ocean
springs. from the nciehboring indian
tribe. Twelve pieces of cannon wer"
mounted on tn" four haSti"HS Of the
fort that was built. Sauvol, II "discrcet
Young man of merit" was placed in
command and p'Ihervilc sailed fnr
France. While Bicnvillr. the younger
brother of the latter. Wls exploring the
surrounding regions and passing down
the western channel nf the Mss.Sppi.
he met about eighteen miles below tho
site of New Orleans, u IWitisl trigatr
OF twelve guns. The young "licUtonunt
of the king" promptly and firmly in
formed the English Captain. Eurr. thai
lhc king of France had taken formal
possession of the waters and hands adj
jacent ana that to avoid troull" he htd
better turn the Prov Of his ship down
stream. The cautious Cugllshmuu
needed tn" advice uf the ncrVy yuuuu
Frenchman and ever since this parlicu.
lar bend in the river has been known
by the name of the English Turn IN
December, D'Ibcrrillc returned with
two large ships, bringing the news that
Sauvol had been mad" governor ot
Louisiana, and Bcnvillr, lieulcnant-
governor. iio!abriant, major al the
Tort, l-esuelr, the g"niogist, ana the
brave st. Penis, came over at this time.
Guided by III" Indians who We're still
friendly, D'lberNillr selected some high
ground 'ifty-fonr miles from the sc;t tor
II Tort town which he named i,osalir
from the baptlsmal name of the Coun-
tess of Ponchartraili, The grim walls
ui This fort are still existing close by
Natchez the future capital.
While Bi"nvillc, 81, pcnis and Les
1ieur. We're making extensive eXpiola-
tions. the Seolosist accomplished most
by ascending III" ST louis to tho
falls OF ST. Anthony: thence up 81
Peters river l3o miles ana following up
u stream which he named ,hcon river
from the color OF its waters. built a
small fort which he called Fort rhnil- |
Ter in honor OF a patron. Here l.es,eur
passed the winter and in the spring, |
from mines in what IL now Minnesota, |
collected quantities OF one and ochrc |
la