Evening star., 1928-06-02
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

History Is smoldering fire; it ID
often covered with the ashes Of oblivion,
until some stimulating event--a stum-
bling foot or freshening breeze-arouses
its fame and starts it aglow again.
There is that flaming character OF
early America-Etienne Brule-nov
burning again with light, and attract
ing all eyes. Few Of US had ever thought
Of Brule as Of special interest. PRO
nounce the name "Broolay." for 1t Is
French with an accent over the last
letter. A name derived from bruaef.
TO burn) We might anglicize the name
into Steven Burns.
There Is little place in northern
wisconsin named after him, and sud
denly II springs cut OF obscuriIy any any
becomes the Capital Of the United
States Of America, for there is where
the President and his encourage VIII
live through this Summer II one were
10 plant q stake In that little island III
the river, and. using that as the center
take a radius extending To the Arctlc
Circle. then sweep circumference,
that edge of measurement would almost
exactly touch the coast Of Nova Scotia
the southernmost cape OF Florida, Ioi-
low the Rio Grande and the coast oil
California. and the tip Of Alaska, and
come back TO the Arctic Circle. 80
BruIe M the grand center OF geography
as well as the point OF interest TINS
summer.
Ftienne Brule was a French inter-
prefer for Champlain In the latter
early explorations. He was also a wan
derer on his own account. and after ne
had helped discover Lake Huron. ne
padded his own canoe down the Slis-
quei1anua River into Chesapeake Bay
the first 10 make the voyage. That was
In either 1918 or 'i8. While he was III
Lake Huron ne learned from the In-
dams that beyond that Mer Douce
fresh water sea- there was another
and larger sea, which, with cnarac-
teristic exaggeration, he declared Nas
400 leagues long. That was Lake 5u"
perior. He described the Falig OF Cas-
ton, now better known aS Sanlt sle
Marie, z miles wide, through which
the waters VI this greater lake flowed
into Lake Huron. He was the FIRST
white man 10 learn Of the great copper
ore deposits along the shores OF Lake
Superior, Tor although he laid no claim
10 having seen the mines, he showed a
copper ing0t given him by an Indian
lie arrived In Quebec from Lake
Huron and possibly Superior voyages
two years before the MAyfioWer landed
the Pilgrim Fathers on Plymouth Rock
There In Quebec he met another pro-
tege of Champiain, Jean Nicolet, Wh0
was destined 10 have an important part
I'M the discoyefy and opening OF The
Northwest the country OF Lake Supe-
rior. Aicoiet had spent I6 years In the
Province of Quebec studying the Indian
languages before, In 1888, he set out oil
the beheat of ChamDlain ~ explore the
Northwest for the purpose Of persuad-
ing The indians beyond the Mer Douef
Huron Lake. " join the Hurong In
their annual pilgrimages TO Quebec to
trade their furs. Believing that he
might meet some Chinese mandarjns on
Lake Superior, Eicolet provided himself
with a gorgeous robe OF Chinese silk, Sc
that he might appear their equal. While
nf did not fiDd occasion to meet man
daFlns, he found the splendid costume
added great prestige, especially when
he tiluudered with iiis tWo~hauded piss
tolls Since President Coolidge did moi
iiegitate ~ dress ~ "Injun" and coW.
hoy costumes while IN SuiHH Dakota. II
might Ue important IDf HlHI ~ Take Ii
Wisconsin al ample wardrobe eilitabie
~ CatitAy.
a 4
There followed other French priests
Into ths Lake ssIpefi0f regions, serving
fotlef ns missionaries Than as ex.
| pi0fefs, IN iG4l, Fathers jacques ant
| hataba ,ilt IN 1863, DE 0r0gseilliefs ane
itadiss0n, IN 1900, Father Manard, IL
A sAks. a.
| southern shore ~ Superior and fGnudet
mission on Madeleine Island tn,
| largest ~ tHe III Apostle Islands IL
| chfquaueg0n Ray about 30 miles eaa
III Duluth or 30 miles from ollf neg
| White House NJ Bfuie, Later cafal
! Fathers Marquette and Dsblon, VIII,
worked nFst about MaGkinaG Island ans