The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-04-04

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typical Indian woman to serve as his
model for the statile of Sacawea which
tfie Federation Of Wornen's clubs is to
place in the capitol grounds. lends ir-s
terest at this time 70 anything in the
history Of the famous Bird Woman
A number Of versions of her feat in
guiding Lewis and Clark from the Mis-.
souri, to the coast are extant, though
all agree in essential features.
Hon. IA. L. Van Osdel of Mission
Hill, S. d., whose interesting stories
of early days, have frequently appeared
in The Tribune, sends us the following
story of coroIlary data as to SacaWea,
her son and husband. which is interest,"
ing and timely: ~.
In reading narratives OF adventure,
We are oftentines burdened by an alien
impulse that whirls ..,ls into Honer's
wild, wierd story Of the Wanderings Of
Ulysses. And yet. the area covered by
that old hero of the Trojan war. cam
not be compared with the long Vistas,
rising horizons, and magnificent dis
tance involved in Lewis and Clark's
Wailderings and explorations in the
Wilds Of the great northwest territory,
There is nothing more enhancing in
the annals Of American history, than
the narrative of their voyage UP the
winding channel of the great river; to-
gether with their wanderings to the
Pacific ocean, as the stirring phases of
thrilling interest is unrolied from the
records Of their journal ...
We find from documents in the ar
chiyes at Washington, that scrupulous
| care and good Judgment was taken in
the selection of the members of that Ia
nous expedition; whose achievement
stands as a precious heritage in the
annals Of American exploration.
The Lewis and Clark expedition start
led out from their camp near St Louis,
Mo, with, forty-five men, May IA, 1904
This force consisted Of regular soldiers
lof the United States army, selected
from picked volunteers and frontiers
linen who had enlisted in the enterprise
giving it a military form to insure bet
tter. discipline. }5ss B. 4. ..g1. 4 I.
| While voyaging up the Missouri, they
Imet the elder Durion below the Platte
lriver, taking cargo of ftirs to the Ole
French fort at the mouth OF the Kan.
lsas. ss M
Lewis and Clark engaged this white
Imam to act as their interpreter anc
guide as far as the Sioux country, rea,
1.-THE mouth of the Saint Jacques, d
| James river, where he lived with th'
Yanktons. In resuning their voyag'
Ifronl Yankton, Durion was left there
lwhere he died. and for many years hi.
lgrave was conspicuous landmark o.
i the summit Of Calumet Bluff, higl
Eheadland overlooking the broad water
lof the Missouri
i On Oct. ~, 1904, the Lewis and Clarl
lexpedition voyaged past Butte Carree
Il subsequently known as the Sq,iar
Il Butte, above the city of Bismarck, n
Id. From there they yoyaged to th
i IMandan villages, at the mouth Of tn
| Knife river, where they built Fort Man
il dan and spent the winter Of 1905.
81 Here Lewis and Clark found Tous
I aint Chabonneau, French Canadian
Il who lived with his young Indian brid
q lat the village of Metaharta, on Knit
Iriver, He was connected with tn
n Northwest Fur Co and went to. liy
with the Mandans in 1893.
4 Lewis and Clark engaged Chabon
flnear to act as interpreter and guide t
!. the Pacific, agreeing to pay him $50
for his services.
q The Frenchman had abandoned hi
81 two Indian wives and purchased
i young Shoshone girl who had been tai
!, en- as a captive by the Gfos Ventr
] indians, near the three forks of I'll
Missouri. Being engaged to Lewis an
FL Clark, he took his young vile, SacaWe;
& the Bird Woman, $50 named for hs
!, lgentle manner and sweet voice an
went to live with the Americans
z Fort Mandan, thereby gaining renoW
Through a freak of good fortune cause
by the native ability Of the young j
dian heroine.
There. at Fort Mandan. the India
Nlgirl wife became a mother, and whs
the explorers resumed their journe
WESTWARD, Sacawea and her pappoo:
rIMere a part Of the expedition.
Through the long weary rackir
!, months of toll, with a helpless pappoo.
2 strapped to her back, SHE bore her pa
+ like Spartan, with heart as trtie I;
4 Isteel
9 All honor TO her native ability, whit
g shone forth time and again when shil
: wreck threatened, when trusted giiit
: or interpreter was needed, when a ho
4 tile tribe was to be won over.
sl Her simple, honest manner was I
e omen Of peace and good will to Il
J, lWild Indians, and she srnoothed MAJ
81 d rough and war-like road for the {.
8 fplorers.
q And yet, she received no pay for h
L -lservices, save food and clothing, fro
e $500 paid to her worthless drunk
n French husband. 2
" He would have let her and Ii
al babe drown near the Great Falls of 4
o- Missouri, the craven, if the presefl
It Iof mind and activity Of one Of y
+ great captains. as she called them, h
not saved hef!
'ei They did not hesitate to place on re
afford III the journal of the expedifi,
q their high estimate Of her services
le guide and interpreter. She met the II
sal buient band of Snake Indians on I
q Iparched plains of Idaho. and when ca
led tDon to interpret their defilaIlt