Cañon City record., 1903-12-17
ONCE TEXAN FRONTIER.
From 1886 to lS4S The Republic Of
Texas was The Dominant Power
Between The Arkansas and
The Rio Orande Rivers.
South Canon at That
Time In Texas
Territory.


Louis next year in commemoration OF
the cession OF the province OF Louisi-
ana by France the United States IL
will not be uninteresting to some OF
the RRcoRD's readers, at least, to
know something OF the vicissitudes
through which the country between
the Mississippi river and Pacific ocean.
comprising two thirds OF the area OF
the United States proper, has under
gone within hundred years.
Although it now contains more than
1900 600 of civilized people whose
material wealth probably surpasses
shat Of any equal number OF human
beings on the face Of the earth,
this great territory was once the
shuttlecock Of European rulerz, being
banded back and forth between the
kings OF Spain and France as thing
Of little consequence. The wisest and
most astu,e statesmen OF the time,
were incapable OF reading its horoscope,
or OF computing its real Importance to
mankind otherwise they would have
held on to IL as the brightest Jewel in
the dladem of European monnrchs.
The province Of Louisiana. which
embraced all the country from the
Father Of Waters westward to the
crest Of the Rocky Mountains, except
Teras, which belonged TO Spain At that
time, Wa. purchased by President
Jefferson from Napoleon Bonsporte In
1908 for the sum Of sl2,oco,ooo. only .
part OF which wns ever paid by this
government, a portion Of Is. known rs
the French Spoilation Claims" Is
now pending in the congress OF the
United States, having been before that
body for adjudication for a century.
In extent the Louisiana Purchase IS
almost ss great as the Territory claim
ed by tn. original thirteen colonies
and recognized by Great Britain at the
close OF the Revolutionary war in lIs3,
and now contains three times the
population and almost infinitely greater
resources Of all kinds than thatposscss-
ed by the American colonies when
they rebelled against the tyranny of
King George III.
From Il has been carved no fewer
,han twelve states and two territories,
vis; Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North
and South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska,
Colorado Arkansas, Wyoming, Montana
Oklahoma and Indian Territory, MS
we'll as portions Of Idaho. Oregon and
Washington. Louisiana became
French province through the expora-
tiops Of Marquette and Ia Sale. in
1913 and 1882 and the settlements OF
Iberville and Bienville twenty years
later. II reverted to the French crown
In 1872 and was conveyed to Spain by
secret treaty in 1868, but WAS retroced-
ed TO France in 1870. from which IL
dropped into the capacious NAV OF
your Uncle Samuel. like ripe apple,
three years subsequently.
The celebrated John Law was once
the governor OF Louisiana and his
financial scheme. awakened an interest
In France, indeed, in all Of Western
Europe, such a. had never been known
before thousands OF people becoming
sich and other Thousands proportion
ately poorer through the speculative
measures he set on foot. Law was the
vionecr Of the get-rich-quick scheme |;
his theory being that the poor would
become opulent and the rich richer by
investing In lands in LousiAns. His
bubble burst in course Of time and
scores of:the greatest financial concerns
Of France went down in the crash
which followed
Napoleon Bonaparte won the graft
tude OF the American people when he
sold the province Of Louisiana to the
| United States, a. It was generally
realized In this country that We must
possess II sooner or later, peacably II.
possible, but by war II necessary. With
the mouth of the Mississippi river in
foreign territory, President Jefferson
forsaw a perpetual menace to the coun-
try aud made overtures to the French
government for it's purchase.
President Roosevelt in his book ''The
Winning Of the We.t", shows that the
French emperor was shrewd enough
to know that he could not hold
Louisiana against the Americans and
chat they would take IL sooner or later
lin spite Of any thing he could do, and
he wisely sold II for ei1 600 900 on the
Theory that "a bird in hand ia worth
1.-Two In the bush''. Recent researches
|among the records Of the French
Government has revesled that fact that
King Louis XIV once offered The
,soyincs Of Louisiana 70 his sousin,
~ kine of epsiu. = : Gin. has Il Was