The Coolidge examiner., 1934-08-24


Ing expeditions IN the history OF
The Uniied states and that exploit made him the
idol of the nation. the LIndbergh of bis day.
AZ ihirty-thTse he vas the governor OF a ter
rtory o. nearly a million square miles. a wilder
hess empire from which 90 less than 1s states
wcrc 20 be formed later.
And when he died at The age os thlrty.hve
there hsd been crowded into his brief career
more of adventure and high enterprise and
splendid achievement, than 10 the lives Of thou
sands of his contemporaries who attained twice
that age
Meriwe;her Lewis wns his name and u ia so
Invariably bracketed wi,h that of william Clark
that most Americans would not readily recog
nlre either name standing alone But taken to
gether. the words Lewis and Clark have In.
stantaneous meaning for them. Fer they stand
FOR what one novelist has happily called The
Magnificent Adveuture" exploring expedition
into the vas, Louisiana Purchase. a wilderness
Journey Of more than 500 miles most of IL
over trails never before trod by white men.
But there more 10 the association OF Meri-
wether Lewis aud William clark than the link.
Ind % their names In referring 20 their epic
trail-blarinE achievement They we're the Damon
and Pythas % American history. Theirs vas a
friendship that began In boyhood and continued
10 the day OF Merlwether Lewis death; they
were comrades In arms In the Indian wars and
after their return from their western wAyfaring
they were associated 10 civil posts of high re-
sponsitill,y-Lswis as governor OF Louisians Ter.
ritory and Clark Indian agent both with
headquarters at 81 Louis And even after the
brief career 81 the new governor ended with his
untlmely death. the friendship os these two men
had It's living symbol in the person ot the Indian
agents nrst-born. 20 whom be had given the
name % Meriwether Lewis Clark.
Lewis and CLARK have been much written
ahout-but always together. Now for the nrst
time one of them Is singled out for "fuIl,length
biography" Iu the book. ~Merlwether Lewix OF
Lewis and Clark" written By Charles Mort ow
Wilson and published recently by the Thomas Y
Croweu company of New York In Il he Is Or
picief as a man of charming personality but
tragic hgure withal--a lonely silent. broodinE
man. frustrated In the one great love AFFAIR OF
his NE torn with doubts as 10 whether or not
be was a failure and finally in a black moment
o, despair ending that NE which had much
OF promise IN II.
ffwis was born near Charlottesville In Abe
marie county Virginia. the scion o, one of the
most distinguished families OF the state. One OF
his greatuucles. Fielding Lewis, married a 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 uncies Nicholas Lewis
guardian after the death OF the boys father and
was influential in shaping bis career as was
nelghbor In AIbemarle county a redhaired,
freckled-faced Anticipating lawyer named
Thomas Jefferson who in a bankruptcy pro
ceedIng saved the plantation os the widow Lewis
from telng SEIZED By creditors
From the age OF thirteen 10 eighteen Meri-
wether busy with his duties at a Latin
school IN Williamsburg. then be returned home
10 manage his mothers plantation But from
his childhood he had been hunter. rover In
the forests and adventurer. So when Presl-
dent Washington called out the militia OF viz
ginla TO help suppress the whskey Rebellion in
Pennsylvania, young Meriwether enlisted. This
brief military career gave him taste for more.
Next he enlisted In the regular army and so
satisfactory had been his record IN the militia
that he was commissioned an ensign and ordered
20 Philadelphia 10 serve ordnance detail
that was preparing munitions for q real
that was looming over the western horizon.
out In the Ohio valley the confederated tribes
men had soundly whipped General Harmar and
Inflicted upon General ST Clair one OF the wors,
defeats In the history OF Indian warfare SO
General Wayne. the Mad Anthony" OF Stony
Point fame In the Revolution had been sent to
chastise the Indians and In the summer OF 1875
he led his weil-drilled troops northward from
Fort Washington. near Cincinnati. TO begin do
Ing H.
In Wayne's rife corps was young lieutenant
from Kentucky named William Clark who kept
Journal OF the expedition. distinguished mainly
by the fearful and wonderful spelling In It. But
in this journal that summer was one significant
entry-''Lewis came tonight-am much pleased"
And well might Billy Clark be much pleased"
for this was his friend Of boyhood days back In
Vlrginia-"Merne" Lewis
Back in the foreSted hills OF Albemarle county
the two had hunted together aud in the closing
years OF the Revolution they had played soldier
together When the war was ended and the
fighting men came home, Merne and Billy lis
tened 10 wondrous and romantic tales OF rough
and-ready combat. OF the grimness and gayety
% soldering, and made sure VOWS 10 become
military men" But when Lewis was ten and
Clark fourteen their trails separated for Clark
family moved over the mountains into the blue
grass country of Kentucky. Now, however, they
we're together again. seeking the military glory
they had promised themselves boys, little
realizing that they would win even greater re
nown together on another expedition Of very
different sort