The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-05-30
STORY OF PRINCE MAXlR0Nl LIAM,
GERMAN MAJOR GENERAL AND SCIENTIST.
WHO VISITED MONTANA 1M THE EARLY 3O7S.

II pei 4nlSoOuli IOullll uiSiliOii
= frequently made of Prince Maxi
milan, and quotations given from
his writings. The reader natural
lily 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?
Many princes have visited thu
1 United States, where they shon'
briefly in the social armament
then departed, leaving the countr,
none the wiser for their meteorit
presence. This was not true o.
Alexander Philip Macmillan
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
jaeger (huntsman) Dreidoppel, and
a young Swiss artist of ability
named Charles Bodmer. Landing
in Boston on the Fourth of July, |
he at once set out for the west, |
passing through New York, Penn
sylvania, and the intermediate
states between these and Indiana
He spent the following winter at
New Harmony, where Robert
Owen had established colonw
In all the large cities, Maximil
an ransacked the bookstalls for
-eliable information regarding our
native inhabitants. but was disap-
pointed in his search. During his
Quincy to Indiana he noted every
hing along the way, and recorded
t, but always from a scientific
Viewpoint; never in the spirit of
criticism. He spoke of the des-
of our forests, and men
Toned the need of forest laws for
heir preservation, and was one of
he first, if not the first, to do SO.
ike other Europeans, Our living
or the most part in frail wooden
Iouses surprised him. He even
ommented on the caterpillars'
ests he saw hanging undisturbed
rom our fruit trees. Of our man
ers and customs he had little to
ay, except that he thought our
-eatment of the Indians and ne
roes, was not consistent with our
rofessed belief in the dignity of
ian.
March 10th, 1888, Maximilian
ontinued his journey to St. Louis, h
y way of the Ohio and Mississip b
/ rivers, and on his arrival at once a
egan preparations for entering 9
pom the studies which had been :
IS object in coming to this coun-
y. He would have chosen to join A
party of trappers, who were go {
e southwest; but abandoned this W
ca on being told that in such t.
he could only meet the Il
ldians as an enemy. This would 81
We him no opportunity to learn K
cir manner of living. Instead, Sc
, was advised to go up the Mis- b;
uri, where he could, through the az
d of the employees of the Ameri- OF
n Fur company, be able to pur-
e his studies at his leisure, from nj
e company posts. to
Acting on this advice, Maximil- ps
4. and his companions, left St. eff
,uis near the middle of April, on w
e third trip of the Yellowstone"
the Missouri. At Fort Pierre oy
ey were transferred to the CAS- in
which boat took them To-
Fort Union, at the mouth of the w
sllowstone, reaching there on SIT
ne "a. w
He spent two weeks at this post, TN
, contribution to Montana his w
y, while there, being incorpor- lee
d in a minute description OF the Nj