Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-21
THE STORY OF THE 500
Discovery by John Nicolet Near
Iy 300 Years Ago.
SITE OF JESUIT MISSION
American Authority Not Exercised
Until 1920.
FIGHT FOR A SHIP CANAL
Opposition of Henry Clay-Final Ac-
quiescence by Congress in the
Demands of the State.
SITE OF JESUIT MISSION
FIGHT FOR A SHIP CANAL
Ply WILLIAM z. CURTIS.

RY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
Special Corrcs pondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
SAI'IT STE. MARIE. September 10 1907.
Two hundred and seventy-three years ago
John Nlcolet discovered the Sault Ste
Marie river while he making ex-
Tloratiou under the orders of Samuel Cham
plain The latter in 1893, formed COM
pany Of French merchants called 1.-The One
Hundred Associates" and secured from
Cardinal Rchelieu a vast tract of territory
comprising nearly all Of Canada, and almost
sovereign powers of authority Sieur Nico-
let was employed as an explorer by the
company. aud In 1893 was sent into the will
dcrucss 10 see what it offered for the profit
Of his principals. lie spent that winter
among the friendly Huron Indians on Lake
Michigan and in Green hay. In the spring
he followed the western shore to the mouth
OF St Marys river, and then. with seven
friendly warriors padded up to the rapids,
where the ship canals now. After
short stay there he made a cruise along the
shore Of the northern peninsula and was
well received by the abOTigines. Hearing
of his coming four five thousand natives
If the different tribes assembled to meet
him in council, and he made alliance
with them in the interests of the One Hun
dred Associates From them he got
fused stories of the 'Missi' (GreaU ''Sepe''
tWater) They told him it was an outlet to
the southern sea. and, in search of ii, he
visited the various Illinois tribes the
prairieS throughout the year 1884 and the
following winter In the spring of 1855 he
returned TO Montreal, made his report and
continued In the employ of the Associates
Gntil he drowned by the upsettng of a
canoe on the St Lawrence above Quebec, in
October, 1872.
NisoIet found permanent Indian town
Mt the 500. Elsewhere the Indians were
nOmadic, but here they could live the year
round. because the water of the rapids
always open for fishing, and in that way
they obtained theft food. while the sur
rounding forests were filled with game. In
l641 two Jesuit fathers, Charles Raymbault
and Isaac Jogues, established a mission and
gave the river its present name. Father
Marquette came in April 166S, and took
charge of the mission, which was located
the foot of the rapids on the Ameri-
can side. The following year he coasted
along the south shore of Lake Superior as
far as Ashland and established La Pointe
Mission there. The Indians at La Pointe
confirmed NiColet's reports of a great river
In the west, and he was about starting in
search of IL from Ashland in the fall of
1870. when he was prevented by war
which broke out between the Hurons and
Ottawas on one side and the DacOtahs on
the other. In 1911, l have told You in
previous letter. he was enabled to realize
his ambition, and was appointed by the
Jesuit superior to accompany Joliet the
royal photographer of France, in search of
the Father of Waters.
Nearly 800 Years Old
Therefore. yo6 will see that Sault Ste.
Marie Is the oldest town in Michigan, and
one of the oldest in the country. 1t dates
back nearly 900 years, although II was
nothing but a Jesuit mission until 1850
when the French established a military
post there to keep the English out of Lake
Superior. A few years later the Hudson
Bay Company located one of its principal
agencies there, and on the Canadian side
constructed a sluiceway and lock thirty
eight feet long and eight feet wide, through
which the fur hunters passed their loaded
bateaux around the rapids, towing them
with oxen.
This original lock was demolished by the
United States troops during the war of
1872 when every building at the 500 was
burned. A few years ago. as told you In
q recent letter, Francis II. Clergue re-
stored it in stone and thus afforded a
striking historical standard by which the
commercial growth of the century could be
measured.
The American occupation OF the 500,
atser the peace of 1915, merely nomi-
nal 1t was not until 1870 that the au-
thority of government was exercised
there. when Gen. Cass went up from
MaCkinac Island with force of sixty-six
men In canoes to establish military post.
They found the British flag still flying.
Cass pulled it down with his own hand,
raised the Stars and Stripes in It's place,
and then obtained the permission of the
Indians TO build a fort, which Is now
known as Fort Brady. In 1898 the Rev.
Abel Bingham arrived to establish Pres
byterian mission. He preached the gospel
TO the little white settlement and endeav-
Ored TO convert the Indians. Miss Char
lOtte Johnson, afterward wife of the arch
deacon OF the Church of England in Can
ada was his first convert and interpreter.
Up to 1915 there only infrequent
communication with Detroit and Chicago.
chiefly maintained by the sailing vessels of
year tile steamer Detroit began to make
regular weekly voyages. The next year
another steamer was put on TO accommo-
date the increased traffic caused by the dis
Covery OF copper and iron.
Fight for Ship Canal
Michigan was admitted into the Union as
state IN 1896, and the governor, in his
first message to the first legislature. advo-
Gated the construction of canal around
the rapids OF the Sault Ste. Marie. The
legislature responded promptly by appro-
priatng $4,000 for a survey, which was
made 10y John Amy. In his report he rec
commended a canal - feet wide, 10 feet
deep. with two locks. each leo feet long. 81
feet W. ie and 10 feet deep. In September
1875. the state authorities entered into a
contract with Messrs Smith and briggs OF
Buffalo TO construct the canal at cost of
$1lu.I4i, and they began work But the
federal authorities. claiming jurisdiction,
sent detachment Of soldiers to the scene
Of operations and forcbly elected the
NOrkmen.
The people Of Michigan and the vessel
men on the lakes made tremendous pro-
test. and bill was introduced into Con-
ErcSS authorizing thee construction of a
canal and granting 100000 acres of land as
bounty to aid IL. The debate in Congress
reads very queerly these days, like that
over the bill which authorized the CON
strUction Of the Union Pacific railroad.
Henry Clay made violent speeches in oppo-
s.t!on 20 the scheme and declared that ii
contemplated a work beyond the renotest
settlement IN the United States. II not in
the moon The advocates OF the measure
had the audacity to predict that the future
commerce OF Lake Superior would be worth
q million dollars per annum. and declared
tIat lin tie country bordering the south
cru shore copper and other minerals are
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