Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-09-11
La Verendrye, First Man to Explore
West, Rewarded With Financial Ruin

utaries from as many sources, 50 the
stream Of civilization is merely the
mingling of many elements, the result
Of many combined forces. 1t has been
a turbulent evolution. Down through
the years following the first settle
ment of the cOlOnials on our most
eastern shores, current and counter
current have mingled and inter-
mingled, have risen and fallen, have
blended together, now in confusion,
now in harmony, until in contempla-
ton of the finished whole, the impress
Of any single element Is hardly dis
cernable. Out of this seeming chaos,
though, there is one element which
has been stronger than the rest.
The most dominant, the most sig
nificant and The most constructive act
which has had to do with the expan-
sion Of the Anglo-Saxon race and the
civilization which that race typifieS
has been the white invasion of the
vast country which lies west of the
Mississippi river in the United States.
In less than a century and a half,
with resistless energy, the American
people have secured, occupied and de-
veloped this great northwest, and at
the same time established the char
acteristic and permanent ideals.
In 1870 the center OF population in
the United States was in eastern
Maryland in 1900 it was just north of
Washington City; by 1920 it had
moved to West Virginia; in 1860 it
was as far west as Ohio, and with
comparative steadiness it has moved
in line almost due west from Wash
ington.
This westward movement has been
vast accomplishment; it has neces-
STATED toll, sweat, misery and blood
and review of the process of this
great invasion, the movement which
has been responsible for the develop
ment of Montana, discloses many in
teresting characters whose exploits in
Drawing the dangers of the forest and
the plains, constitutes a retrospection
of the romance that was typical alone
of the old west.
Search for Western Sea
In the days when half of North
America was part of the domain of
France, the dream of many of the
more daring spirits among the French
explorers and vOyageurS was the dis
covering of a northwestern passage to
the Great Sea of the West" (the Pa
cific ocean,. To this end, many an
adventurous and unsuccessful expedi-
ton was commissioned and recorded
in history. These journeys wendell
their way courageously into a country
infested with wild and ferocious beasts
and savage natives who guarded their
domains with jealous ardor.
1t was one of these daring expedi-
tons which led the first white men
into what is now Montana, 1879 years
ago, and resulted in the discovery of
the Rocky Mountains.
Among the most prominent of these
French explorers was Sieur La Veren-
drye. His entire life had been spent
at the outposts of civilization, much
of his earlier experiences being con-
nected with the fur trade in Canada,
where he trekked through the I'M
known wilds, going many times where
white men had never before trod.
Early in his career he had set his
heart upon the finding of this north
western route to the sea, but died ere
his task had been accomplished.
Before he was forced to retire from
active life because of old age and ILL
ness, in one Of his expeditions, he
went far into the west, reaching what
is now North Dakota. 1t was here, on
the banks of the Missouri river, that
he found the Mandan Indians. He was
the first white man they had ever
seen. These Indians, La Verendrye
discovered, lived in villages, in COM
Portable huts; were tillers of the soil
and raised Indian corn, melons and
squashes which they traded to the
nomadic tribes of the plains.
Friendly With Indians
La Verendrye was successful in eS-
tablishing friendly relations with this
tribe, and it might be here noted that
the favorable impression made upon
suited in Lewis and Clark (who later
came that way), being able to pro-
cure food and shelter for their party.
During his stay with these natives,
the older Mandan chiefs told La YER
endrye many things which interested
him intensely They stated that far
to the west there was great body
of salt water, an immense lake whose
waters rose and fell, and on the shores
of which dwelt men who wore boards
and who worshipped the master Of
life, in great houses which they had
DullU 1ol PulPOSS, 1ioAlAAi5 oSof>.'b
the leaves of which were like the In
dian corn, and singing in their wor-
ship"
From this story La Verendrye as
sumed two things. Indians who had
visited the Mandans had been on the
shore of the sea for which he was
looking, and had come in contact with
Spanish settlements to the west. It
was natural for him to presume that
the Spaniards were gaining a foothold
too far north, thus putting French
interests in jeopardy. Thus, he at
once made the long trek back to
Montreal to acquaint his government
with the facts he had learned, and
to seek authority and funds to lead
an expedition further west to block
the Spaniards. His story fell on dis
interested ears and an Indifferent
governor was unwilling to finance
such an undertaking.
Passed Mission to Sons
By this time La Verendrye was an
old man-old age being FASTENED by
the hardShips he had endured-and
he reluctantly passed the mission into