New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-07-15

ries of Annotated Reprints of Some of the Best
and Rarest Contemporary Volumes of Travel.
Descriptive Of the Aborig1nes and Social and
West During the Period Of Early American
Settlement Edited, with Notes Introductions.
Thirty-one volumes, royal octave Vols. WIKI.
The Arthur H. Clark Company.
The period covered by these five volumes Of
Reuben Gold Thwaites's reprints of the nara
tives of early travellers in our Western country
is the ten years from 1910 to 1920 embracing
the time Of the War Of 1872 and the era of Eng
fish immigration and settlement which followed
It. The most interesting to the general reader is
Volume VII, containing Alexander Rosss mar
rative of the adventures Of the expedition fitted
out by John Jacob Astor TO establish the Pacific
Fur Company on the Columbia River, referred to
by its abbreviated title of "Ross's Oregon Set
tiers" This book forms an appropriate sequel to
the Journals Of Lewis and Clark recounting
as it does, the first attempt to found an American
colony and to establish trade relations with the
Indians in those regions first penetrated from
the landward side by the two explorers commits
stoned by President Jefferson. AS an historical
work, ROSES account is no doubt prejudiced by
his personal feelings against the promoters Of
the enterprise; but it has. at least the value of
being written by participant in the venture
and, however colored by his sense of the in
justice done to himself. it represents the events
Simply a story of adventure in the wiIds Of
nature, of peris afloat and ashore and from the
treachery of wild men. it holds the attention
with its graphic portrayal Of the authors ex-
citing experiences.
Ross married a woman of the Okanogans and
his book is especially rich on the chronological
side, his close association with the natives af-
fording him abundant opportunities for studying
their customs at first hand. Not unnaturaIIy he
finds his wifes people far in advance Of the
neighboring tribes the road to civilization
Referring to the outcome of the enterprise, the
author thus sums up his opinion of its prime
mover. Mr.. Astor:
Had he, however, acquired such insight into the
practice OF the Indian as he eminently attained
in all other branches Of trade; had his mind been
as liberal as II was acute, or ready to reward
merit as 10 find fault; he as conversant
gain. and had he also begun his undertaking nor
al the commencement of a war, but at its close
then competency and ease might have been the lot
cess might have crowned his annbitfo, 7
finished his career and the name OF Aston , gioFy
nave been handed down with admiration, hav-
ing borne away the palm Of enterprise
Volume VIII contains the quaint Journals of
two solitary and restless souls who wandered
far afield In the sparsely settled Middle West in
1915 and 1913. contemporaneous with the second
great wave OF immigration TO America Tlly
Buttrick. jr., and Estwick Evans were both
Americans, and their observations and refec-
lions afford an interesting contrast TO the ac-
Of the English settlers, travellers and in
vestigatOrs which fill the next succeeding vol
umes or the series Buttrick's Voyages were
written toward the close Of his eventful life
when, through blindness. he had become de-
dendent on his friends. His most important
journey was taken in 1915 from New Orleans
to Cincinnati along the old Natchez trail. Gen
orally alone always sick, often hungry. some
IN
drunken Indians. he made his hazardous trip
in a month and half. His adventures well
reflect the hardship that beset the pioneers OF
those days when the West making its first
efforts to take a fresh start after the serious
sstoack It had suffered during the war.
Evans was a New Hampshire man, practising
Jaw in Portsmouth when in 1918 he responded
10 the atavlstic longing TO throw off the tram
n.els Of an effete down Eastern civilization. to
return TO Nature, and TO WOO her in her hereest
moods. With this intent. weirdly clad in a close