The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-03-16
HENRI DE T0NTl.

The CeIsbrian peasants who sail this month
from Leghorn Italy, on their way to settle IN west
ern Arkansas, have by right of discovery, secon-
dsrv claim upon the soil. The first white, man t"
erect any kind of shelter within the present nm
its of Arkansas-after De Soto's march across 1T
was their own countrynan, Henri de Tonti, son OF
the Italian who worked out and gave his name to
the Tontne system of insurance.
Henry de Tonti was known to the AgonoumS
of Lachino and the Oneidas along the southern
shore of Lake Ontario as "the man OF the Iron
Hook" Tonti was a non-commissioned officer IN
the French army and in a hot engagement on the
Sicilian frontier lost his right from the elbow
He replaced the discovered member with wooden
arm and an iron hook. When La Sale, the e7-
nlorer one of the erandest men that aver trod the
American continent returned in 1876 to France
from Quebec he net Tonti and induced the young
adventurer and soldier of fortune to go with HIM
to Canada. then known as La Nouvelle France.
When La Sale in 1913 entered upon his sec
ond expedition for the exploration of the Missis
sippi. Tonti, acting under instructions from Ii
Sale. superintendent the building of the Grifon,
the first sailing vessel that ever furrowed the great
lakes. He also served the first mass offered up in
western NeN OrR Lid todllC vi ht9 N''itOi ttot''
expedition was accompanied by the Franciscan
priest. Father Hennepin, who discovered Niagara
Falls and gave its name to st. Anthonys T ais,
Minnesota. This romantic and adventurous priest
sailed from France on the same ship that carried
La Sale and Bishop Laval first bishop OF Quebec
and founder of Laval university. When La Sales
ressel-not the GriFon-bearing supplies for the
expedition entered the Niagara river she sailed on
and anchored near the bank ON which the town Of
Lewiston is now built. The following morning the
priest, accompanied by Seneca guide and two of
the ships men, started on snowshoes to explore the
falls They returned on the evening of December
TO- The next morning December II. 1873, Father
Hennepin in the presence of the men of the ex
petition nailed crucifx to tree, improvised an
altar placed the sacrifcial stone thereon, and
robed in Chasuble, stole and alb, offered to the
adorable God the clean oblation. anticipating by
many years the vision of the poet:
"A crucifx fashioned
High on the trunk of a tree. i :
Looked with its agonized face en- the multitude
kneeling beneath it;
This was their rural chapel"
This was the first mass ever said ON the banks
of the Niagara river. Henri Tonti, served the
mass his companions knelt in alteration while the
openings of the temporary chapel were darkened
with the faces of the swarthy Seneeas, who, con-
fused and amazed, watched with wonderment the
white robed priest.
Tonti died at Bienville's settlement near No
bile Some day, following the trail Of the French
and Spanish pioneers, his life will be written and
will include thirty years of heroic effort and hard
ship on behalf of French exploration In Louisiaua
and the middle west The Illinois town of Tonti
in Marion county, and Tonitown the northern
line of Washington county, Arkansas, where ali
Italian settlement some years ago. established,
are named in his honor and are monuments to his
memory.