Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-23
BY w. W. CHIEFLY.

IL eau oOu1N NCC vi WO0lCH Al
America was the fur trade. It
was a dangerous game and
those who followed it took their
lives in their hands. Only the
boldest and most courageous
engaged in it, but quick for
tune came to those who sur
vived it's hazards. When Lew
is and Clark returned from
their trip Of exploration to the
Pacific coast they brought
back with them to St. Louis
glowing reports of the fur
wealth of the wilderness of the
northwest, which they were
the first men Of the white race
to penetrate. St. Louis was
then under Spanish domina-
tion, the last western outpost
of civilization. It was a raw
little border town, the outfit
ting point of adventures who
Jared further west, and the
great river upon the banks Of
which it nestled, made of it the
headquarters and trading point
of a wide but sparsely settled
area.
In st. Louis at that time was Manuel
Lisa. young Spaniard who had come
up the river from New Orleans. By
his energy and ability he had made
himself a factor in the fur trade, hav
wealth and standing in st. Louis. a
concession from the Spanish intendant
granting him a monopoly of trade with
the Usage Indians, which the Chou
teaus. before his advent, had enjoyed
for 20 years.
Perhaps the fact that he was of
Spanish blood, while the Chouteaus
were French, helped him with the
Spanish authorities. At any rate the
winning of this concession was great
achievement. as local affairs went, and
made of him a marked man in St.
Louis. For 15 years thereafter he was
the dominant figure in trade with the
Indians, in all the western country that
was tributary to ST. Louis
lisa's First Missouri Trip
Lisa was fired with enthusiasm by
the stories told by Lewis and CLARK |
and their men, and was quick to sense
the opportunities Of the hinterland |
William Morrison and Pierre Menard |
he organized an expedition which had |
for it's object the establishment of
trading posts in the Upper Missouri
river, in the heart of the new fur
country. ..a.".=m.
With keel boat full of trade goods
Lisa and his associates and number
Of voyageurs started up the river in
the spring of 1907 1t was a journey
full Of hazard. Two thousand miles
stretched between Lisa and his indef-
mite destination. The boat had to be
ooled and dragged up the river at 8
slow rate of speed. entailing much
abor. The route ran through the
Of many Indian tribes. whose
attitude towards the whites was ques- {
ionablc. The Blackfeet. whose terri
ory was in section where beaver
hostile. |
Iron discipline was necessary to the s
success of this pioneer expedition, and, t
Is illustrating the character of the I
nan, when a voyageur deserted, Lisa c
rdered George Drouillard. his lieuten- t
MT to find the deserter and bring him $
ack, dead or alive. Drouillard lived t
p to his instructions to the letter, t
illed his man, and at his trial for t
murder in st. Louis, later, was acquit-
ed when Lisa assumed the responsible
y for his action. After this, and until
is death at the hanus OF the Indians y
In srI<
Al the mouth of fhe Platte river !
lisa met John Golfer. one of the ro- j
lantic figures of the Lewis and Clark {
xpedition. When Lewis and Clark ar t
wed at the Mandan villages. on their I
eturn trip. Golfer. who had served y
lem well, asked for and obtained his Q
ischarge. his purpose being to trap p
eaver along the Yellowstone. He had h
oent the winter, part Of the time alone -
nd part of the time with two white III
and in the spring started Il
own the river with his furs. He had &
zen three years away from civiliza- ci
on. but Lisa, working on his spirit e:
adventure, induced him to turn back. ct
Golfer proved invaluable to Lisa Fl
e was a born frontiersman. Of the T.
Done type, resourcefuI. courageous:I I'll
ardened by years of frontier life. and b,
new the wilderness of the Upper Mis- bi
'uri country, as did no other white 81
an. hi
intimidating Hostile Indians P
LISA experienced no trouble with In ei
ans until he reached the country Of a
e Aricaras, where he encountered 4 u
rec of several hundred warriors who IL
ID been apprised of his coming. The W
ricaras wee inclined to show fight. Ia
ley stopped him with voley Of ar as
ws across the bow Of his boat. and er
dicated that he should come to land fiji
sa put his boat to shore lone pr
dian made hostile demonstration ag
sa's men trained their guns on the mi
dians. who. with the exception of tn
W chiefs, fled. The chiefs apologized nj
{ the incident, and Lisa resumed his gi'
irney. MI
He also had TO make a demonstra- Cl
n when he passed the Mandan vii by
,es, and managed to get by without tri
lash. Above he Mandan villages he to
countered four or five thousand hos mt
, Assinniboines. When be was within
shert distance of them he caused his st
ivel guns and muskets to be dis ba
lrged in the air. The noise of the file
1s frightened the Indians. who fell tb,
* in panic. and Lisa went on. me
IN the advice of Golfer Lisa went an
the Yellowstone to the mouth of all
Big Horn river. Here be built a
IT Manuel. This was then the furtb- an,
outpost of the white race in the Pc