The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-08-13

Itself an event worthy OF being COM
memorated in this way. But It hap
pens that it is possible this year to
combine two anniversaries, the ter
centenary of the discovery OF the
Hudson river to Albany, but it was
not until two years later that steam
navigation of the river through en-
actments of the New York state legis-
lature was fully established, SO 1t
was thought to be appropriate to COM
bine the celebrations in honor Of the
two anniversaries and call the joint
affair the Hudson Fulton celebration.
In this way equal honors are to be
paid to the daring navigator Of the
seventeenth century and to the cour-
ageous and persistent inventor whose
achievements fifty ushered in the
nineteenth century, an era remark
able above all else for the num-
Der and Importance Of its discoveries
and improvements In the field Of
science and invention.
There is, Of course, abundant in
formation about Robert Fulton and
his career and achievements. But OF
Hudson we know comparatively little.
His entry to and voyage up the Hud-
son were between Sept. 2 and Oct.
A, 1909, and the commemoration
which has been arranged will cover
the two weeks from Sept "a to Oct.
10.
England was Hudson's native coun-
try, and his name is properly spelled
Henry, not Hendrick, He was citi-
zen Of London and probably was born
in that city or it's immediate vicinity,
but we do not know the exact year.
Neither do we know the exact place
and date Of his death.
He appears for the first time in his
torn on April 19, 1907, in the little
church OF st. Ethelburga, In London,
partaking Of holy communion prior to
|embarkation on his first recorded voy-
age. He disappears from view in the
year 1911 in the mists of the great
Hudson bay, when his mutinous crew
set him and few comrades adrift to
face the terrors of an unknown fate.
His career as a discoverer was begun
under the auspices of his own nation.
The voyage which resulted in the dis
covery of the Hudson was under the
auspices of the Dutch, who were then
the Yankees Of Europe" nation
most powerful and aggressive. The
subordinate position which the Dutch
occupy today was not their position
800 years ago. In 1909 the Dutch re-
public was as populous as England
and more wealthy 1t was the manu-
featuring and commercial center of
Europe, and Amsterdam, the port
from which Hudson sailed in 1909,
was the leading port of the world
Hudson's first, second and fourth
voyages were under English auspices.
The third, in the course of which he
made the exploration of the Hudson
which gained him the title of it's dis
coverer, was under the auspices uf
the Dutch East India company and
was undertaken with view to find
ing passage around or through the
American continent to the East In
dies. 1t was this company which At
ted out his ship, De Halve Maeme, or
the Half Moon, and an exact repro
duction of his vessel has been built
by the people of Holland and will be
sent over to sail up the river in the
autumn, just as Hudson did in the
original 800 years ago. The voyage
of the Clermont will also be repro
duced, and replica of Fulton's
steamboat has been constructed, and
the little vessel will make the trip
REP GAL A ~. :. ".
up the Hudson under her own steam,
starting from point on the New
York city river front as near as pos
sible to that from which Fulton s
folly" as the Clermont was jeeringly
called, departed on the momentous
morning of Aug. II, 1907. Catcalls
greeted the ears of the courageous
and persistent navigator and one
sneering bystander called Bring us
a chip from the north pole.' The
vessel started with Fulton's own hand
at the helm. She made good deal
of commotion in getting under way,
but by the time she was fairly out in
the river the success of the new meth
cd Of locomotion was SO well demon
strated that those who had gathered
on the wharf to scoff remained to
cheer.
The reproductions of the Half Moon
and the Clermont, made for the cele-
bration next autumn, afford striking