Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-05

ward revoked by Catherine the Great. His
interest IN the UNEMPLOYED west was intense.
lie never tired OF listening to froutersmen
who had visited the prairies and the noun
tiirrs and his high estimate of the value of
the resources Of the country west of the
Mississippi valley caused him to be ridi-
culed for credulity. though it was trifiing
when compared with the actual truth.
Astor's Exploit.
II was Jefferson who encouraged Aston to
invade the northwest fur trade-a scheme
as feasible as it was auGacious-but the
war of 1912 interfered 1t Is interesting
to observe in view of the present value of
the silver deposits in the mountains. that
I'm ISnS the secret of their existence ITO
miles from st Louis contided to the
President who writes to Gailatin: Il in
close for your information the account OF
q silver mine to fill your treasury
As a member of the American Philosoph-
i,aI Society of Philadelphia, Jefferson took
the lead ir 1872 In raising 1909 guneas to
send Andrew Michaud across the continent
To find out something about the great
plains and rivers the Indians and the ami
mails the bones of the mammoth, ana
whatever else a philosophical society ana
an American people might care to Know
Micnaud did not find The Pacific ocean.
That honor was left for Jefferson's future
private secretary.
Discovery of Pixies Peak.
II was Jefferson. too. who encouraged the
two expeditions of Lieut.. Zebuion Mont
eomery Pike and named the peak he dis
covered Pike was the first American to eX-
plore the upper Mississippi beyond the
Falls of st. Anthony, shaking hands on the
way with Monsieur Dubuque. the lead
miner who exercised dtspUtic authority
uver a wide dominion. Pike was the first
American to explore the valley OF the AT
kansas and enter New Mexico, where the
Spanish governor threw him INTO JAN as d
hlihuSter and reVolutiOnist. II was JtiltI
son who sent Meriwether Lewis and VIII
lam Clark to the sources of the missouri
across the Rocky mountains 10 the Coluhl-
bia river. and down the COLUMBIA until tues
reached the Pacific. Counting from the tinle
Captaiu John Smith had sailed up the
hickahnminy the world had waited Z0o
years for the knowledge they brougnt paCk.
Never was piece of work OF that Klhd pet
ter done or better Chronicled. JEFFERSON Sc
Iertad the two heroes who conducted 1t.
cant Lewis was his own private secretary
the son of one of his most esteemed Aloe-
marie neighhors. ..
twenty years of reflection and inquiry
only stimulated the ambition of the great
American expansionist. until at last No
found himself vested with the power and
prerogatives of President, so that ne coulu
carry out his ideas of exploration. George
Rogers Clark had untitled himself for the
duty by reckless dissipation.
The only reward George Rogers Clark re-
CetNed from the government VI the tiiitIN
states or the state of Virginia was the priv
ilege of bearing the odium of unpaid obllga-
tons and hearing the well-foundeu com
plants of the brave soldiers who had fol-
lowed him into the wilderness.
The Two Explorers.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
were neighbors and boys together, although
when William Clark was fourteen years ola
his family moved to Kentucky and took up
a piece of land where they built home
called Mulberry Hill. three miles south OF
Louisville 1t was from this home that
these two men started on their expedition
in August. 1903. jefferson intrusted the
preparations for the expedition to Lewis
who was his private secretary, anu me
latter invited Clark to accompany him. Inc
invitation was gra teful relief from serious
embarrassments, for Clark was compelled
to sell his home in order to save his brother
from ruin. At that time Mulberry Hill was
occupied by the two Clark brothers and
their sister Fannie. who in her girlhood had
been the belle of Kentucky. Her grand
daughter is the wife of Ex-Governor Samuel
r. Houser of Helena, Mont
William Clark, after his return from me
expedition married Judith Hancock of Nlr-
giuia to whom he was engaged when ne
started and Judith river, clear and
beautiful stream that flows through a rug
ged canyon in Montana, was chrlStened III
honor of his sweetheart. For twelve years
after their marriage beautiful Judith pre-
sided over the household of the governor OF
Missouri and then died. After two years OF
yytdowerhoOd Clark married Harriet heh-
nerly a cousin of his first wife. she llNed
ten wears after their marriage and died on
Christmas day 1881. from a mysterious III
ness caught from four Nez Perce chiefs,
who came to ST. Louis from Oregon to Visit
her husband. He survived seven years
dying in ISIS.