Fergus County argus., 1902-07-23
MARCH OF LEWIS AND CLARKE.
History Of the Expedition Which
First viewed Now Familiar Scenes.
butte Inter-Mountain).

butte Inter-Mountain).
Montana Is one of the states whose
people ought to take especial interest
in the centennial of the Louisiana
purchase and the Lewis and Clarke ex-
pedition. This states domain was
part of the vast territory included In
the purchase. The acquisition of the
region was planned by Thomas Jeffer-
son, who became president of the
United States in 1901. Originally the
region known as Louisiana was a
French possession, through La Sales
discoveries in the seventeenth cen.
tury, but by a secret treaty, France,
in 1862, conveyed Louisiana to Spain.
It was an expensive province-France
was glad to get rid of 1t. Forty years
later, another secret treaty conveyed
Louisiana back to France. That was
in 1900.
Jefferson realized that the United
States must control certain territory
near the mouth of the Mississippi riv-
er. When he began negotiations for
purchase it was with Spain; when
It was ascertained that Spain had
conveyed the region back to France,
Mr.. Jefferson and his representatives
were surprised. France was at war
with England, Napoleon was in dire
need of money; Livingston. the Amer
ican minister at Paris, was assisted
by James Monroe as a special COM
negotiations progressed
well; on April 80, 1903, a treaty trans
ferring all of Louisiana to the United
States, the consideration being $15,-
10000, was sent to Washington for
it was ratified October
18th in that year. AS has been said,
Jefferson's first intention was to buy
simply a belt of territory adjacent to
the Mississippi. His theory was that
the purchase would involve an ex-
penditure of about two millions. The
proposition to buy clear through 10
the Pacific-all of the holdings OF
France-at the much larger figure,
came from Napoleon.
The Louisiana purchase was larger
In area than Great Britain, France,
Spain, Germany, Portugal and Italy
thrown into one. Out of it have been
carved entire. Arkansas. Missouri.
Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Da-
kota and Indian Territory; nearly all
of Louisiana, Oklahoma. Kansas, Wy
oming and Montana; about two-thirds
of Minnesota and one-third OF Colora-
do. In 1890 the population within its
limits exceeded twice that OF the
United States at the time of the pur-
chase. Today 1t is the greatest min
eral. grazing, timber and corn and
wheat region of the United States.
This was the country that Lewis and
Clarke were to explore.
The president put Captain Merri-
wether Lewis in charge of the expedi-
tiOn. William Clarke. a friend of
Lewis, was selected for second place.
At that time the Northwest was an
unknown country. possessed by the
Indians, the fur traders and the wild
beasts. Almost without exception the
streams, the mountains and the val
leys were unknown and unnamed.
Out of the reports made by the lead
ers of the expedition, an excellent
summary has been made by Olin ID.
Wheeler. II shows. BRIEFLY. that the
expedition ascended the Missouri riv-
er from its mouth to Fort Mandan,
Just north OF Bismarck, N. d., where
was spent the winter Of 1S04-5. The
explorers then advanced to Three
Forks. near Logan. in this state,
thence up the Jefferson branch, across
the continental divide at Lemhi pass,
and they attempted to descend the
Salmon river. Repulsed. they crossed
the Bitter Root range into the Bitter
Root valley, descended to the mouth
of Lolo creek. followed the creek west
ward to the divide. crossed the range
a second time to the Clearwater river.
followed that stream to the Snake riv.
er, thence down the Snake to the Co
lumbia. thence to the Pacific. Near
the mouth of the Columbia, not far
from Astoria, they passed the winter
of 1866.
On return they retraced their out
gonig route to the mouth of the Walla
Walla river. from which point they
"cut across lots" overland to Lewis
town. at the junction of the Snake
and Clearwater rivers. They then
retraced their old route
across the mountains to the mouth OF