The Cairo bulletin., 1907-04-18
SENATOR WARDER AT ISSUE
WITH COUNTY HISTORIANS
Ia Lecture Before Woman's Club On History Of
Alexander County--An Able and Most
Instructive Discourse

gram of unusual merit was enjoyed
BY large audience.
by request Senator Walter Wardei
gave most Instructive history D
Alexander county and Miss Elizabeth
Smith and Mrs, Samuel White reat
comprehensive papers, the formers
subject being Pioneers Of Our Com
monwealth,' the latter's, illinois OF
tho Twentieth Century"
The presence OF Mrs H. X. Ward
ner OF La Porte. Ind. who is char
Ter member of the club and an honor
AIRY member Of thirtystwo years
standing, was very agreeable sur
p.lsc to the club members and by re-
quest Mrs. Wardner briefly addressed
the audience with few graceful re
marks.
Senator Warder's history of Alex
ander county was 50 well receive q
ffat numerous requests were made
that the manuscript be published.
Especially interested in its publica-
tian We're a. large number Of school
teachers who were unable to be at
the club meeting on account Of
school hours.
The Bulletin anticipating This in
terest already had received the manu-
script and is pleased to present IT
herewith 10 its readers
The First Century of Alexander
County's History
The history of Alexander county
Since the foot of The first white man
touched its territory may be said 10
date from the arrival OF Marquette
and Joliet, in the year 1913. on the
first voyage ever made by white men
down the Mississippi River. 1t will
be remembered that De Soto, with his
army, had crossed the Mississippi IN
the year 1871. not far from the site
Of tn present city Oh Memphis. Ten
Il eSsee
Father Marquette. Jesuit priest
accompanied by Joliet, a merchant OF
Quebec, WIS the first explorer OF thqt
part of the Mississippi River which
washes the shores Of Alexander Gun
~
Marquette and Joliet left Green
Bay. Wisconsin, on the 10th Of june
1873, and reached the Mississippi On
the Eth OF the same month. They
al once embarked ON their voyage OF
exploration Marquette tells us that
they stopped from time TO time, t7l
teach the Indians on the banks the
story of ION true God. the Creator
and to smoke with them the pipe nf |
peace; they passed the junction 5fI
the Missouri with the Mississippi, ana |
this Marquette described as the most
beautiful confluenc of rivers in the
world they noted with wonder. as
they passed through his region tar
pictures made by some prehistoric /
race at Piasa, in Madison county. and
hey made note in their journal of tn
Tower Rock. at Grand Tower in Jack
son county: finally they foated on
down to the mouth of the Ohio, and
moving nothing of the geography of
his section tn y misiook the Ohio
Tor the Wabash.
We may then, with historic accur.
ICY. assert. that he pious and de
roted Marquette was the first viii e
pioneer to set foot on that portion OF
he Illinois country afterwards to be
,nown and described as Alexander
'ounty
II is not without its story of roman
ic adventure and daring achievement
hat the first pages of Alexander
history must be written.
The history OF no country presents
more thrilling or deeply inter sting
tory than the voyage Of discovery of
Iarqneue and Jol ei down the Mis-
lssippi nc two hundred and thirty {
our years ago.
II is an unquestioned fact that Mar
uette and Joliet land d at the june
ion of the Mississippi and Ohio ami
Dr few DAYS they tarried to explore ,
he mouth of the Ohio and TO make !
ONE rote OF the surrounding neigh
orhocd. We may. reasonably infer
nat upon their arrival on or shor s.
ley drew their canoes UP the bank
{ the Mississippi. and set their rule I
nd primitive camp beneath the giant c
oplars and cottonwoods and syca.fp
lores that once lowered above IN
resent site of the city Of Cairo. i
Pr foandly impressed as they g
were. with the greatness of
leir ind rtaking. ard awed and in y
,irei ~ hehold'ng for he first ti.le n
IL broad and placid waters OF an v
her great river to them unknown
@ NAV feel sure that they formally v
ul, possession of the coun ~. in the u
IN OF Cod and their beloved SOW Z
oisn. The King n France. just ~ u
Il The Chevaher De iaSallc. at the Il
outh of the Mississippi. nearly ten 7
ars later on We may also coniec g
re that the q wont Father Mar
iet q here sent mp his PRAYERS for ri
g welfare and happiniss of che COM ~
2 multiiudes III human beings des i'
ned by Prov dcncc to- iuhahif this a
ID riy delta. which be had found *
lavishly furnished by nature with u
oh magnificent wate. ways ana in