The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17
Much Misinformation
In American Gazetteer
Little Known Of the Rochy Noun
tains When Ii Was Pub
lished in 1907

1HE old American Gazetteer of 1877.
the first book Of the kind ever
published. has really an amazing
!slISs; fund Of information. but its most
entertaining feature is its misin-
formation. Truth may be stranger than
fiction. but it has often been noticed that
it is not half so interesting.
Fancy map of North America with no
trace of the Rocky mountains, or even OF
the ranges along the Pacific coast, Some
faint rumor of the Rockies, however. had
reached the learned and laborious author,
for he says ii is believed there are nigh
hills in the interior reaching the dignity
of mountains in some places, and perhaps
not unworthy OF being termed the Allie
ghanies OF the Vest
The upper Mississippi is very family and
vaguely drawn; in striking contrast to II
is the firm and impressive black line Whlch
designates the course of the Maine or salt
river in other words. the Des Moines, the
State OF Iowa, a stream larger than the
White. probably nearly as big as the
Wabash. On the old map this river rises
in the neighboThOod of Fargo or Bismarck,
flood TO the Mississippi. the latter becomes
a large and well-defned river. The Mis-
souri, is a stream nearly as large as the Des
Moines, but more TO the west and south
following nearly the course OF the Platte,
IN fact. The striking thing is, that the Des
Moines rises in little lake, and the Oregon
tColumbia) or River of the West, in an
other little lake close by it, Could some
story OF the nearness of the sources or
the Missouri and the Columbia have come
through Indians and trappers and have
been misapplied? AS will be seen at once.
the old map puts the source of the Column
bia thousand miles too far to the east.
but there was nothing Impossible ABOUT
that, so long as no one knew or the
Rockies.
Was this not Morses conjecture of pos
sible solution of the great problem of the
northwest dream
plorers, from the time of Hudson to the
middle of the nineteenth century, was TO
mo some waterway TO Asa, at nrst
through and later around North Amer
lea. If the Columbia and DeS Moines had
been kind enough to take the course Morse
suggested to them, there would have been
your northwest passage, with only two
portageS-through the st. Lawrence 10 the
great lakes, around the lakes TO the chi
cago river, connecting by carry of not
more than four miles with the Illinois.
down that river TO the Mississippi, up the
Mississippi to the Des Moines, up that
stream TO its source. with a short carry to
the source of the Columbia, and down that
to the Pacific,
There is another hopeful chance for the
northwest passage suggested in the GaZet-
teer. One Mr.. Etches, an English navi-
gator. had recently discovered that ''all the
west coast of America, from latitude As to
81 north is not continued tract of land,
but chain of UNEMPLOYED Islands,. That
is. Mr.. Etches had discovered the inland
passage, now used by all vessels for Sitka.
But beyond this chain OF islands. Mr..
Etches averred. was vast inland sea,
like the Baltic or the Mediterranean, all
thickly strewn with islands. His ship the
Princess Royal, traversed this western
Mediterranean towards the northeast for
several, hundred leagues without reaching
its end; but they did go so far as to be
within two hundred leagues of Hudson S
bay! Longitude is an uncertain matter at
best, not fixed by the position of the stars,
like latitude, and in all old maps and ex-
plorations the north and south distances
are much more accurate than the east and
west ones. On modern maps. the inland
passage and Hudsons bay are nowhere less
than fifteen hundred miles apart. But one
can see the hopes raised by Mr.. Etches S
report. Only six hundred miles from Hud-
running into the bay from the west; natur-
ally there must be streams flowing into
the new Mediterranean from the east-what
more probable than that the headwaters of
these streams connected by short pas
sage? And there would be the northwest
passage again.
Many names are given which one would
scarce expect to find-Chicago and Chicago
river. just as spelled to-day, for instance.
! Chicago is a eservation-reservations were
| for the white people in those days, tracts
! of land six or twelve miles square, sur
| rounding forts, and ceded by the Indians
| to the United States in General Wayne S
| treaty. KanseZ tribe of Indians) is located
day, and Iowa Town Qndian) is at the juno
| ton Of the Des Moines and Mississippi
| The Galena river is called the Mine river
which means the same thing. But it is hard
| TO recognize some names. The Kankakee
! river is the TheakiM on the old maps
Peoria is Rarias. and Wisconsin becomes
| Ouiscanng. The OuiataBon, an important
| river and portage in Indiana, cannot be
identified with any modern name, though
| the stream appears to be the upper Wa
| hac