The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-12-29

Although America is young nation" COM
pared to others, in that 1t has had only little
more than century and half of national ex-
stence, yet it properly include in it's history
the events of more than 400 years, and this fact
gives it certain pride in it's traditions" even
though the older nations of the earth may look
upon it rather condescendingly as a mere up
start.
One evidence of our pride in the American
tradition is the custom of observing in one way
or another the anniversaries of certain events
which proved to be significant in our national
development. Taking the century, 100 years. as
the unit of time which indicates antiquity and
corresponding reverence for those things
(which must be good because they are old'' we
have fallen into the custom of pausing in the
midst of the busy present and our plans for the
future to bark back to the past and recall it's
events.
We do this not only on the one hundredth
anniversary, which we call the centennial but
also upon the anniversary of multiples and frac-
tions Of that period of time. Thus we frequently
celebrate the twenty fifth, the fiftieth and the
seventy-fifth anniversary of events rather than
wait for the one hundredth anniversary and we
are even more pleased in our feeling of honoring
antiquity when we can celebrate the sesqucen-
tennial Zone hundred fiftieth), the bi-centennial
1.-TWO hundredth) or the tri-centennial (three
nunQreuIn1 OF some event In American history.
Thus, in 1926 celebrated the sesqui-centen-
NAL Of the founding of the nation; in 1880 Mas
sachusetts celebrated its tri-centennial (or it's
tercentenary, If you prefer that name) and in
1892 the whole country paid tribute to George
Washington with a b-centennal celebration of
the date of his birth.
AS the year 1884 opens, an examination of
American history will show that we will have
occasion for a number of these celebrations if
we choose The only quad-centennial flour hun
dredth) anniversary Of any Importance is that Of
the voyage of Jacques Cartier, the Frenchman,
who in 1884 passed Newfoundland and discov-
cred the Gulf of st. Lawrence
The next year Cartier sailed up the historic
stream to which he gave the name ST. Lawrence,
discovered Quebec and, standing ''le mont
royal" Qater MontreaD, he was the first white
man to gaze upon the northern part of the
future United States from Canada Cartier was
the forerunner of French power in the New
world, but 1t was not until three-quarters of a
century had passed that New France was estab-
lished and there began the long -drawn-out strug-
gle between England and France for mastery
of the continent which was to become part
of the American tradition.
Two events of 1884 afford an opportunity for
tri-centennial celebrations and plans already
under way for them. From Michigan comes the
word that the Macknac Island State Park COM
mission is preparing tercentenary celebration
on that island next summer of the voyage of a
Frenchman. Jean Nicolet upon whom the mantle
of Samuel de Champain, as explorer toward the
west, had fallen. On July 1, 1884, Nicoet. ac-
companied by seven Huron Indians. set out from
Three Rivers on the St. Lawrence, assembled the
Ottawa river. went across to Georgian bay. pad
died his canoe along the north shore of Lake
Huron to Sault Ste. Marie, passed through the
Straits of Mackinac and was the first white man
to gaze upon Lake Michigan, known then and
for many years afterwards as the Lake of the
Illinois.
Continuing down the western shore of Lake
Michigan, Nicolet and his companions entered
Green Bay and landed there to be greeted by
party of Winnebago Indians with whom he
made an agreement that they should take their
furs to the French posts on the St Lawrence to
trade. He pushed on to visit other tribes as