Norwich bulletin., 1921-03-12
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
THE EXPLORER OF THE MISSES
 SIPPI

THE EXPLORER OF THE MISSES
 SIPPI
 Gen. Zebulon M. Pike was only 26 years old when he Was sent out to find the source of the Mississippi River. Lewis and Clark had made extensive discoveries in the Western domain. but in July, 1905. Gen. Wilkinson, command er-in-chief of the army and governor of the newly created Louisiana Territory. ordered Pike to explore the Mississippi to it's source and to select sites for m1li- tary posts to treat with the Indians. and to find out what he could about activity of British traders in that section.
 Pike and his party of twenty soldiers were given provisions for four mont1s' and after setting forth from St Louis on a fatbeat, in four weeks they reached Prairie-du-Caene, where tRJre was 2 set tIernent of 370 white people.
 The journey and explorations were tull of danger and suffering. and occupied eight months. But Pike did not lose a man. and he brought back carefully prepared description of the upper part St the river and of it's tributaries. He es- tabiished several important trading posts and took down the British nag wherever he found it, replacing it with that et the United States.
 He had so clearly demonstrated his ability for this work of exploration and expansion that young Pike was entrusted with a party to make an expedition tc the head waters of the Arkan8as and tho Red rivers and to sec how far they wert navigable, The men were not properly clothed to endure the rigors of the win. ter season and some of them were badly frozen and thus crippled fer life.
 The son of the Louisiana govdrno, went with Pike and when they reached I the Arkansas river Pike sent hirn down t 1 Arkansas Post with five soldiers and twt 1 Indians, while he himself went upstream l It was upon the date of November Is tnA he sighted the beautiful mountain peal towering above the range that belonged t Mexico which was named, as It. remains today, Pike's Peak. Contrary to tn
 popular belief. he did not ciiVib tn mountain.
 Tne party encountered the most ter rifle cold and for four days they wer 1 Without food and were utterly exhnuste'
 when they reached the Rio Grande. Earl in February 1So7,. Pike erected stock
 ade on the west fork of tho Conetos riv CT. a tributary ot the Rio Grande. whsc'
 he believed, or prctended to oelieve. va
 the Rio Grande- -2. l Not long after establishing himsel here Pike was taken to Santa Fe an and brought before the Spanish govern
 or to explain his presence in the coun try. After a careful examination Gov erfor Allecaster sent him and his ban
 to Chihuahua by the way of Fl Paso. an after being examined by the comrnan
 dant at Chihuahua they were sent on
 San Antoine and finally entered tn
 United States again. Il While in New Spain. Piks made mnl valuable notes sn small blank books. Tn T leaves were then torn out rolled in Nrna wads. and he and his men put them in4 [ the barrels of their guns.
 Pike found the people of New Spai
 vtry hospita5le, brave and generous an
 of good morals But he also found th,
 they had little true. patriotic spirit. IT stead Hsey had a '7ias1v-go-luoixy idea ( life and the old belief tnAt4 1t ,uaseMe