The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-01-29

found an unexpected friend in Count FrOntenac,
1.-The Iron Governor of Canada, who gave him
the exclusive trading privileges at Fort From
tenac (the modern Kingston) on the condition
that he would rebuild the defenses and garri-
son the post. In the meantime Father Mar
quette and Louis Joliet had reached the Missis-
sippi 1.-THE Great Southwest river and gone down
1t for considerable distance, although they did
not follow it to its mouth. So that honor still
awaited La Sale.
However, he needed more capital, so in 1877
he made a trip to France with letters from
Frontenac to the king and his ministers. In
Paris La Sale found attentive listeners to his
plans and when he returned to Canada in 1878
he brought with HIM a royal decree authorizing
him to make discoveries and build forts in the
interior of North America. He also brought
back with him the man who was destined to be
his chief lieutenant and greatest friend-Henri
de TOnti, an Italian 1.-The Man with the Iron
Hand"
That winter La Sale and Tonti were busy
completing a fort at Niagara and building
ship. Before spring had come vessel of about
Do tons, the largest yet built for service on the
Great Lakes was completed. On it's prov was
a carved griffon from the armoral bearings of
La Sales patron Count Frontenac, and this ship
won enduring fame under the name of the Grit
fin. incidentally, it was more enduring" than
La Sale could possibly have realized, for within
the last year the timbers from wrecked ship
We're found in Lake Huron and there is strong
evidence to support the belief that these tim
bers we're once part of the Grifin-fOund after
more than $50 yearsD
La Sale sailed his vessel to Michilimackinac
where he acquired rich store of furs then
sailed On into Lake Michigan and finally dropped
anchor in Green Bay where some more furs were
obtained. Sending the Griffin back to Montreal,
La Sale started south along the Wisconsin
shore and reaching the mouth of the st. Joseph,
he built Fort Miami Then he struck across
country to the upper Kankakee From there he
made his way down the Illinois to the present
site of Peoria, ILL., where he built Fort Creve-
occur
Leaving Tont in charge La Sale started back
to Canada. When he reached Niagara at Easter
time in 1880 it was to find news of disaster.
The Griffin with all of her rich cargo of furs
had been lost. La Sale hurried on to Montreal
and once more sought the aid of Frontenac.
Again he was provided with the necessary equip
ment for carrying out his projects and within
a few months he was again at Fort Frontenac
and ready to join Tonti at Crevecoeur. Just as
he was ready to leave, however. there came the
news that the garrison at the fort on the Hi
nois had mutinied and destroyed the post.
La Sales one hope now was that the faithful
TOnti had held on and had saved something from
the wreckage of his plans But when he reached
Crevecoeur. he found Tonti gone to Green Bay
and the place deserted. Undaunted by this
climax to his misfortunes, the "Undespairing
Norman" pushed on down the Illinois until he
reached the Mississippi But his party was too
small to attempt an expedition down this great
river So La Sale once more retraced his weary
steps northward. He spent the winter at Fort
Miami. and in the spring he learned that Tonti
was at Michilimackinac and there he FASTENED
to hear from his trusted lieutenant the long tale
of disaster. OF this interview eyewitness
writes: Anyone else would have thrown up his
hands and abandoned the enterprise; but far
from this, with firmness and constancy that
never had its equal, 1 saw him more resolved
than ever to continue his work and push for
ward his discovery"
La Sale was now determined to continue with
his plan for exploring the Mississippi. Return
ing once more to Fort Frontenac he replenished
his supplies and in the autumn of 1851 he set
out once more. with Tonti, for the Illinois coun-
try. Then followed his journey down the ILL.,
nos river to the Mississippi and the beginning
of the great Journey which took place just 250
years ago.
&c by Western Newspaper Union.)