The Wolf Point herald., 1924-05-29
TN ANY HISTORY of the Up
per Missouri country, mention is

| II
= frequently made of Prince Max
milan, and quotations given fror
his writings. The reader natural
ly asks, "Who was Prince Maxi
milan; where was his home; wha
brought him into the wilderness
and why is he looked upon as al
authority regarding this region? 2
Many princes have visited th
United States, where they shon,
briefly in the social armament
then departed, leaving the country
none the wiser for their meteorit
presence. This was not true 0.
Alexander Philip Maximilian
Prince of Wied-Neuwied (pro-
nounced Veed-Noyveed), eighth
child of Frederick Karl, ruler of a
small principality on the Rhine.
Born in September, 1772, Maxi
milan developed an early liking
for science, in which he was en-
couraged by his mother. When
France, under Napoleon l., invad-
ed and over-ran Germany, Maxi
milan espoused the cause of the
Fatherland, and was at the battle
of Jena. Later he was captured
and imprisoned. Sometime after
regaining his freedom, he again
entered the army, became a major
general, and was given the iron
cross at Chalons.
When the war ended, he made an
expedition to Brazil, in 1915,
where he spent two years studying
the plant and animal life of that
country, giving great attention to
the native races. The publication
of his work on these subjects
brought him a worldwide reputa-
ton as a scientist.
In 1882 he came to America, ac-
companied by one retainer, his
lager (huntsman) Dreidoppel, and
4 young Swiss artist of ability
lamed Charles Bodmer. Landing
n Boston on the. Fourth of July,
le at once set out for the west,
passing through New York, Penn
'ylvania, and the intermediate
states between these and Indiana
He spent the following winter at
New Harmony, where Robert
Owen had established a colony.
In all the large cities, Maxinil-
an ransacked the booksta1ls for
eliable information regarding our
lative inhabitants. but was disap-
oihted in his search. During his
Quincy to Indiana he noted every
hing along the way, and recorded
:, but always from a scientific
iewpoint; never in the spirit of
riticism. He spoke of the des-
-uction of Our forests, and men
oned the need of forest laws for
heir preservation, and was one of
le first, if not the first, to do so.
ike other Europeans, our living
or the most part in frail wooden
ouses surprised him. He even
on the caterpillars'
ests he saw hanging undisturbed
ON our fruit trees. Of Our man
ers and customs he had little to
ly, except that he thought our
eat1nent of the Indians and ne
-oes, was not consistent with our
-ofessed belief in the dignity of
an.
March 10th, 1883, Maximilian
his journey to St. Louis, h
: way of the Ohio and Mississip- b
rivers, and on his arrival at once a
gan preparations for entering e.
ION the studies which had been :
S object in coming to this coun-
Y. He would have chosen to join A
party of trappers, who were go {
2 southwest; but abandoned this W
"a on being told that in such te
mpany he could only meet the II
dians as an enemy. This would Sc
We him no opportunity to learn fc
cir manner of living. Instead, sc
was advised to go up the Mis- b;
1ri, where he could, through the aN
| of the employees of the Ameri- oe
/ Fur company, be able to pur-
, his studies at his leisure, from nj
company posts. to
Acting on this advice, Maximil- pa
!, and his companions, left St. eff
uis near the middle of April, on wi
third trip of the yellowstone"
the Missouri. AT Fort Pierre ov
y were transferred to the CAS- in
iboine," which boat took them lol
Fort Union, at the mouth of the w
reaching there on si1
lie "a. w
Ie spent two weeks at this post, TN
contribution to Montana his w
.1-.1o 4t.oxo I1..,1~ ,,,,a,Da- 1a1