The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-08-23

OK JE At Unity it WIS tue ftHUeF Oh
txstdD one of the most important explor-
Ing expeditions In the history of
the United States and that exploit made him the
Idol of the nation. the Lindbergh of his day
AT thrty-three he was the governor OF ter
ritory of nearly million square miles, wilder
ness empire from which no less than 10 states
were to be formed later
And when he died at the age of thrty-hve
there had been crowded into his brief career
more of adventure and high enterprise and
splendid achievement than In the lives of thou
sands OF his contemporaries who attained twice
that age.
Meriwether Lewis was his name and 1t Is so
Invariably bracketed with that of William Clark
that most Americans would not readily recog.
nize either name standing alone But, taken to-
gether. the words Lewis and Clark have in
Simultaneous meaning for them. For they stand
for what one novelist has happily called "The
Magnificent Adventure'-an exploring expedition
into the vast Louisiana Purchase, wilderness
journey of more than 5000 miles, most of 1t
over trails never before trod by white men.
But there was more to the association of Mer
wether Lewis and William Clark than the link
Ing OF their names In referring to their epic
trail-blazng achievement. They were the Damon
and Pythlas of American history Theirs was
friendship that began In boyhood and continued
to the day of Merwether Lewis death they
were comrades In arms In the Indian wars and
after their return from their western wayfarng
they were associated In civil posts of high re-
sponsibility-LeWis us governor of Louisiana Ter
ritory and Clark as Indian agent both with
headquarters at ST. Louis. And even after the
brief career of the new governor ended with his
untimely death the friendship of these two men
had It's living symbol IN the person OF the Indian
HrC nnrp vboa~ =.
name OF Meriwether Lewis Clark
Lewis and CLARK have been much written
about-but always together Now for the first
time one of them is singled out for "fulength
biography In the book "Merlwether Lewis OF
Lewis and Clark" written by Charles Morrow
Wilson and published recently by the Thomas Y
CroWell company OF New York. In 1t he is de-
pieted as q man OF charming personality but
tragic figure withal-a lonely silent, broodlng
man. frustrated tn the one great love affair OF
his life, torn with doubts as to whether or not
he was a failure and finally In black moment
OF despair ending that life which had so much !,
OF promise In It.
Lewis was born near Charlottesville In Abe
marie county. Virginia. the scion of one of the
most distinguished families of the state One of
his great-uncles, Fielding Lewis, married sister
of George Washington and others OF his family
were distinguished In the civil and military serv-
Ice of the state both before and after the Revo-
luton One Of his uncles, Nicholas Lewis, q
noted indian fighter became young Merlwether's
guardian after the death of the boys father and
was influential In shaping his career, as was
neighbor In Albemarle county, red-haired,
freckledfaced fddleplaying lawyer named
Thomas Jefferson, who In bankruptcy pro-
ceedng saved the plantation OF the widow Lewis
from being seized by creditors
From the age of thirteen to eighteen Meri-
wether was busy with his duties at Latin
school In Williamsburg, then he returned home
10 manage his mothers plantation. But from
his childhood he had been a hunter rover In
he forests and an adventurer So when Pres-
lent Washington called out the militia OF Vir-
sinia to help suppress the Whiskey Rebellion In
Pennsylvania, young Meriwether enlisted This
,rief military career gave him taste for more
Next he enlisted In the regular army and 80
satisfactory had been Ills record In the militia
hat he was commissioned an ensign and ordered
% Philadelphia to serve an ordnance detail
hat was preparing munitions for real war
hat was looming over the western horizon
Out In the Ohio valley the confederated tribes
men had s0undy whipped General Harmar and
Inflicted upon General ST. Clair one of the worst
lefeats In the history of Indian warfare So
General Wayne, the Mad Anthony of Stony
'oint fame In the Revolution, had been sent to
hastlse the Indians and In the summer of 1895
e led his well-driled troops northwnrd from
'ort Washington, near Cincinnati to begin do
ne it.
In Wayne's rifle corps was young lieutenant
rom Kentucky named William Clark who kent
journal OF the expedition, distinguished mainly
y the fearful and wonderful spelling In IT, But
. this journal that summer was one significant
ntry-"Lewis came tonight-am much pleased"
md well might Billy Clark be much pleased"
or this was his friend of boyhood days back In
Lewis
Back In the forested hills OF Albemarle county
he two had hunted together and In the closing
ears or the Revolution they had played soldier
,gether. when the war was ended and the
ghtlng came home. Merne and Billy lis.
aned to wondrous and romantic tales of rough
nd-ready combat of the grimness and gayety
soldering and made sure vows to become
Military men," But when Lewis was ten and
lark fourteen their trails separated, for Clark's
amily moved over the mountains into the blue
rass country of Kentucky Now however, they
ere together again, seeking the military glory
ley had promised themselves as boys, little
ealizing that they would win even greater re-
own together on another expedition Of very
fferent sort