Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27

staged more dramatic effect than
~ when she yoked the mighty Corsican
and humble Shoshone squaw in the
service of Americas destiny. Ma
poleon forced us to make the Louisiana Pur-
chase, and Sacajawea, the Bird Woman, helped
to write our title to the oregon territory in
the blood that dripped from her rock-torn feet
Few historians sing the glory of this obscure
Indian girl, yet with 2-month-old baby
at her breast she led Lewis and Clark up the
wild reaches of the Missouri and over saw
toothed ranges; when the white captains wan
dered hopeleSsly amid enormitieS of granite
her unerring instinct found a way; when hostile
Indians gathered to dispute the march of the
staggering band, it was Sacajawea that trudged
forward, holding her papooSe high in token Of
peace and friendship; at time when starva-
ton threatened she took from tattered buck
skins the store Of food she had saved from her
own pitiful ration.
The bond between Napoleon and the Bird
Woman was forged on an April morning in
1908 when Robert Livingston and James Mon
roe faced Frances ministers and offered two
million dollars for New orleans and West Flor
ida that the United States might control the
Mississippi's mouth Even as they bargained the
first consul interviewed with one of his char
acteriStic bursts of decision.
1T is the whole of Louisiana You must buy"
he said. That nothing"
ON the verge of war with England he knew
that he could not expect to hold his
American possessions against the power of
Great Britain's navy; far better to sell them,
gaining much needed funds and at the same
time strengthening friendly nation. Living
Ston and Monroe, acting entirely on their own
responsibility, made the purchase paying
900 for the vast stretch out of which
we have carved Arkansas. Missouri, Iowa, Ne
braska, North and South Dakota, Oklahoma,
and rIu oil NfT Tonic
wyoming Montana and Colorado
The scene changes from the TuillerieS to an
Indian village on the banks of the Missouri in
what is now North Dakota. The MinnetareeS,
sweeping across the Montana plains some five
years before, had killed and raided most sue
cessfully, and among the captiveS carried home
was little ShoShone girl. We'll was she
named Sacajawea, the Bird Woman-soft and
round and sweet-voiced as any thrush-and
Tousaint Charbonneau, a French trapper,
bought her for wife. Thus was her life
whirled about in order to play its part in the
great American drama.
To this village in the Fall of 1904 came
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark leading
an expedition for the exploration of the I'M
known land. One was Thomas Jefferson's
private secretary and the other a worthy
brother of George Rogers Clark, and the AZ
men in their company had been picked for
youth, strength and proved courage. They had
set out from the Mississippi in May as careless
OF hardship as of danger; polling and towing
their three small boats against the Missouri's
current, depending on their rifles for their
food, gay and confident as though they sailed
Summer lake instead of entering Q strange
and menacing country thick with peril
Kaws, Otoes, Missouris, Sioux and Rickaras
these Indians had let them pass in peace
either won by presents cowed by the shaggy
young northumberland now Mandans Abnaha-
ways and Mnnetarees held out the hand of
friendship. Winter quarters were pitched in
a great cottonwood grove, warm hutS built;
buffalo humps and juicy elk steaks repaired
the rayages of the 1,600-mile river Journey
and Springs coming found every man fat and
strong herd bulls. Thirteen went back to
civilization from the Mandan villages taking
boatload of specimens, trophies and various
exhibits but the addition of Sacajawea more
than compensated for the loss.
Neither captain had prescence that she