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Show Meriwether Lewis fTfr' ' Born Just 160 Years Ago, He Became a Soldier, Explorer, Youthful Gov- ernor and the p( r . A'Z'"'n , J 25 WV i J : i t , "Lind- bergh of His Day." f By ELMO SCOTT WATSON B WAS born Just ICO years ago on August 18, 1774. He became a soldier at the age of twenty and before lie was twenty-three he held the rank of captain. At thirty he was the leader of 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 thirty-threhe was the governor of a territory of nearly a million square miles, a wilderness empire from which no less than 13 states were to be formed later. And when he died at the age of thirty-fiv- e there had been crowded Into his brief career more of adventure and high enterprise and splendid achievement than in the lives of thousands of his contemporaries who attained twice that age. Meriwether Lewis was his name and it is so invariably bracketed with that of William Clark that most Americans would not readily recognize either name standing alone. But, taken together, the words "Lewis and Clark" have Instantaneous meaning for them. For they stand for what one novelist has happily called "The Magnificent Adventure" an exploring expedition Into the vast Louisiana Furchase, a wilderness journey of more than 8,000 miles, most of It over trails never before trod by white men. But there was more to the association of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark than the linking of their names In referring to their epic g achievement. They were the Damon and Pythias of American history. Theirs was a friendship that began In boyhood and continued to the day of Meriwether Lewis' death; they were comrades in arms in the Indian wars and after their return from their western wayfaring they were associated In civil posts of high responsibilityLewis as governor of Louisiana Territory 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 its living symbol In the person of the Indian , to whom he had given the agent'8 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 a biography," in the book, "Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark," written by Charles Morrow Wilson and published recently by the Thomas Y. Crowell company of New York. In it he Is depicted as a man of charming personality but a tragic figure withal a lonely, silent, brooding man, frustrated in the one great love affair of his life, torn with doubts as to whether or not he was a failure and finally In a black moment of despair ending that life which had so much of promise in It. Lewis was born near Charlottesville In Albemarle county, Virginia, the scion of one of the most distinguished families of the state. One of his great-uncleFielding Lewis, married a Bister of George Washington and others of his family were distinguished In the civil and military service of the state both before and after the Revolution. One of his uncles, Nickolas Lewis, a noted Indian fighter, became young Meriwether's guardian after the death of the boy's father and was influential in shaping his career, as was a , neighbor In Albemarle county, a freckled-faced- , named lawyer Thomas Jefferson, who In a bankruptcy proceeding saved the plantation of the widow Lewis from being seized by creditors. From the age of thirteen to eighteen Meriwether was busy with his duties at a Latin school In Williamsburg, then he returned home to manage his mother's plantation. But from his childhood he had been a hunter, a rover In the forests and an adventurer. So when President Washington called out the militia of Virginia to help suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania, young Meriwether enlisted. This brief military career gave him a 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 to Philadelphia to serve on an ordnance detail that was preparing munitions for a real war that was looming over the western horizon. Out in the Ohio valley the confederated tribesmen had soundly whipped General Harmar and Inflicted upon General St. Clair one of the worst 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 1795 he led his troops northward from Fort Washington, near Cincinnati, to begin doing It. In Wayne's rllie corps was a young lieutenant from Kentucky named William Clark who kept a Journal of the expedition, distinguished mainly by the fearful and wonderful spelling In It But In this Journal that summer was one significant entry "Iewls came tonight am much pleased." And well might Billy Clark be "much pleased" for tiiis was his friend of boyhood days back In Virginia "Merne" Lewis. Back In the forested hills of Albemarle county the two had hunted together and 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 lisy tened to wondrous and romantic tales of combat, of the grlmness and gayety of soldiering, and made sure vows to become military men." But when Lewis was ten and Clark fourteen their trails separated, for Clark's family moved over the mountains Into the blue-gracountry of Kentucky. Now, however, they were together again, seeking the military glory they had promised themselves as boys, little realizing that they would win even greater renown together on another expedition of a very different sort 1 J LEWIS AND CLARK ON THE COLUMBIA on a Monument Near Portland, Ore.) (Tablet Xv MERIWETHER LEWIS e trail-blazin- first-born- "full-lengt- h s, fiddle-playin- g well-drille- rough-and-read- ss 1 hnWKWi 'iminni nm . i ,.Js in vi&Ctzfc-vJ- .m'l vmmmmm iiiiiiiiii WILLIAM CLARK But they did share In the glory of Wayne's victory over the Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, a victory which smashed the power of Little Turtle, the Miami leader, and his allies, which led to the Treaty of Greenville and brought peace, for a time at least, to the harried Ohio border. After that the two friends separated again Lewis, now a lieutenant, returning to Charlottesville on furlough and Clark, damning army life and Its hardships, resigning his commission and going back to the Kentucky blue grass to be a country gentleman. At Charlottesville Lewis found that his mother had married again, to a certain John Marks, so he abandoned his plan to resign from the army and take over the management of her plantation again. In May, 1797, he was promoted to captain and ordered to Fort Adams on the east bank of the Mississippi near the present site of Natchez, there to exercise Joint command with a Captain Pierce. After a short stay there, he was ordered back to Fort Washington, made regimental paymaster and for the next two years was busy riding through a lawless fronfilled with tier country with his saddle-bag- s gold to pay off the troops at various posts In the Middle West Then Thomas Jefferson became President and there came the turning point in Meriwether Lewis' career. Jefferson offered him the position of secretary and Lewis lost no time in resigning from the army and accepting the offer. Among those with whom he was thrown Into contact In the National Capital, both in an official and In a social way, was the vice president, Aaron Burr. And Aaron Burr had a beautiful daughter, Theo-dosiwho had married a South Carolinian named Alston. Soon the President's secretary and the vice president's daughter were seen much together. They danced together, they rode horseback together almost every day and before long Lewis was deeply In love with the beautiful Theo-dosiIt was his first experience with this emotion. True, there had been the beginnings of a youthful romance between him and a cousin, Maria Wood (a river In Montana bears her name, given to It by Lewis during the famous exploring expedition), but nothing had ever come of that And nothing came of his love for Theodosia. "The petty Fates must have taken a rather satanlc delight In making Theodosia Burr and well married, the prinAlston, twenty-threcipal of the first and only great passion of Meriwether Lewis' life. . . . When Merne Lewis sought to give words to his sentiments, Theodosia was pleasantly frank. . . . she had a reputation and a husband to keep. Therefore the captain could remain a friend of the family's. That ended It." But if he couldn't have the woman he loved, there was another great experience awaiting him. Thomas Jefferson had been eyeing the vast country beyond the Mississippi for a number of years and, even before considering the possibility of bringing It under the flag of the United States, he was planning an exploring expedition Into this wilderness of plains and mountains. The leader would have to be a daring man, a resourceful man, one who knew life In the wilderness. Such a man was his young secretary, which Is one of the reasons why Meriwether Lewis became his secretary. Then came the opportunity to buy tills vast territory from Napoleon, and Jefferson, "stretching his powers under the Constitution until they cracked" bought It for $1.",0(X,00. The next thing to do was to find out what he had bought. So the long dreamed-o- f exploring expedition was planned. Meriwether Iwls was placed In command and, of course, the first man he turned to to accompany him was William Clark. The story of the Lewis and Clark expedition Is too well known to need more than passing mention here, even though It was the mark In the career of Meriwether That being the case, It seems strange to read one entry In his Journal, that for August 18, ISO."), when the two explorers were neuring their goal. It said: "This day I completed my thirty-firs- t year and conceived that I had in all human probability now existed about half the period which I had as yet done little . . . I am to remain. to further the happiness of the human rare, or to advance the Information of the succeeding I resolved, in future, to redouble generation. my exertions and at least endeavor to promote thosa two primary objects of human existence, by giving them the aid of that portion of talents which nature and fortune have bestowed upon me; or In future, to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself." lie could not foresee, of course, how the nation wag to acclaim him and his friend, Clark, when they returned to St Louis the next year a, a. e Idgh-wate- ... ... r THOMAS JEFFERSON and announced the successful completion of their great journey nor the honors which the future held for him. He returned to Washington to find himself the hero of the hour and to be warmly welcomed by Jefferson who said : "He Is now become close to me as an own son." The first honor which came to him was the governorship of the vast territory which he had explored. In 1807 he left Washington for St Louis to take over his new job. It was not an easy. one. There were conflicting land grants to be passed upon, there was Jealousy and s and all sorts bickering among the of quarrels and differences among the varied population of the new country to be settled. Within a year Meriwether Lewis was a sick and weary man. He became more lonely and silent even towards his good friend, William Clark. The old brooding fits of black despair settled down upon him once more. Then came another blow to his troubled spirit. Petty officials In Washington questioned some of his accounts and refused to pay them. Cut to the quick by this Insinuation against his integrity, he prepared to go to the Capital to defend himself against his detractors. By this time he was a very sick man Indeed. Clark and his other friends tried to dissuade him from attempting the Journey but without success. Accompanied by two servants, Pernea, a Creole, and Jim, a negro, and by Maj. John Neely, Indian agent for the Cherokees, he set out on horseback. In Tennessee his illness became worse but he insisted upon pushing on. Then one afternoon he and his companions became separated In a severe rainstorm. Lewis sought shelter In a wayside . tavern, kept by a Mrs. Griner. What happened then Is told In the words of Jefferson, writing in 1S12, as follows: "Mrs. Griner, alarmed at the symptoms of derangement she discovered, gave him up the house and retired to rest herself in an outhouse, the governor's and Neely's servants lodging in another. About three o'clock in the night he did the deed which plunged his friends into affliction and deprived bis country of one of her most valued citizens, whose valor and intelligence would now have been employed in avenging the wrongs of his country, and In emulating by land the splendid deeds which have honored her arms on the ocean To this melancholy close of the life of one whom posterity will declare not to have lived In vain, I have only to add that all the facts I have stated are known either to myself, or communicated by his family to others, for whose truth I have no hesitation to make myself responsible.'' There has been some dispute among historians over the facts of Lewis death. One version of the tale has It that he was murdered either by Griner, Pernea the Creole, or Jim the negro. But his biographer declares: "The weight of testimony, both recorded and traditional, Is overwhelming In support of the but slightly varying accounts forwarded by John, Neely. Alexander Wilson and Thomas Jefferson," which means Meriwether Lewis died by his own hand. He was buried near the place where he died, 72 miles west of Nashville on the old Natchez Trace. In 1849 the legislature of Tennessee voted the sum of $.VK) to build a monument over his grave and In 1925 the federal government set aside a tract of 50 acres surrounding this memorial as a national monument. A splendid memorial to him and his friend, William Clark stands on the campus of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville and recent years have also seen statues of both men erected near the Missouri state capltol at Jefforson City. Numer-ou- s tablets and other memorials dot their trail from the Mississippi to the Pacific and a tall obelisk which stands near the town that bears his name, Meriwether, Mont, Is known as the "Lewis monument," commemorating the most northerly point reached by the expedition. But even without all these memorials the fame of Meriwether Lewis and his friend, William Clark would be secure. "Lewis and Clark" Is a famll' iar phrase on the American tongue and In the American mind it Is a perpetual symbol of those who go forth to adventure, clad In the shlnlnir armor of youth and high enterprise.. office-holder- ... e by Wtfm Nwpir Union. National Topics Interpreted by William Bruckatt reached Washington. Word has inditreasury circles In Washington cating some fear Depositors among residents of Protected the drouth area that the prolonged dry effect on conattendant its and period fresh trouble some cause ditions may offamong banks. I inquired among icials of the Federal Deposit Insurance condicorporation concerning those that assurances have I and tions, there Is little, If any, danger of new the banking difficulties. Furthermore, new if even me that reminded officials troubles should arise nearly all of the depositors in the distress communities are protected under the bank deposit guarantee law. In reporting these assurances I do not mean to Imply that every bank in all parts of the country has insurance coverage for its depositors. But the acope of the insurance corporation almembership is so broad that it is most possible to describe it as complete coverage among the small banks. The corporation figures show that 97 indiper cent of all depositors whose vidual accounts are less than $2,500 per person are protected by the insurance. Something like 95 per cent of all of the banks in the country are members of the insurance pool. The significance of these figures cannot be minimized. For example, a recent bank failure in Illinois was cared for by the Deposit Insurance corporation and it paid 99 per cent of the number of depositors with a total of $125,000, a figure that was exactly half of the total deposits in the bank. That Is to say that only 1 per cent of the number of depositors in the bank had accounts In excess of $5,000 each the maximum Insured under the temporary fund but the total of these larger accounts was equal to the total deposits of the other 99 per cent of the individuals having accounts with that Institution. With respect to the fear that has been indicated in the drouth-strickecommunities, it was explained that many Individuals thought there would be a repetition of conditions several years ago when the small banks were unable to realize on loans and short-tim- e credits extended in the same areas. The depression made it impossible for many borrowers to repay. The officials told me, however, that the conditions now are somewhat different They pointed out, for example, that many of the distressed farm mortgages hitherto privately held are now in the hands of the government and that the home loan bank system has been doing the same sort of thing for owners of residences In towns and cities. This naturally has alleviated some of the stress on the local banks. It is true, of course, that many of the banks have extended credit on what normally would be sound bases, and that the drouth and its consequent destruction of crops will cause some loans to be uncollectible at this time. But the point is that the strain is not so great as It was early In the depression and officials here generally believe that the banks will pull through with the very minimum of failures. n It is a curios coincidence, however, that this new fear of banking trouble Nebraska Experiment in the drouth areas should arise at a time when the state of Nebraska Is Just closing out Its experiment with a state bank deposit guarantee law. The Nebraska experiment was by no means successful. Its life was very short Nevertheless, it has taken that state almost twenty years to clean up the wreckage that resulted from an attempt to Insure all deposits within the limited Jurisdiction of one state. It Is to be recalled that during congressional debate on the federal law much argument was advanced against enactment of the national Insurance law on the basis of the failure of the numerous state attempts. The answer apparently lies In the fact that conditions In one state may be bad from an economic standpoint, or they may be bad In several states, but it Is seldom that the whole United States suffers conditions of a character that result In widespread wreckage of banks. Another strength which officials of the Federal Deposit Insurance corporation see In their own law is that no attempt Is made to guarantee all deposits. As heretofore said, the limit is $5,000 for any Individual account. While that limitation does not protect the holders of great amounts of capital It Is sufficiently high, according to the studies by the Insurance corporation to provide for Immediate repayment to at least 07 per cent of the individual depositors In this country. The federal corporation has more than $100,000,000 at Its command upon which it can draw Immediately for payment to depositors In case of any bank failure. It Is ridiculous to assume that this amount would be sufficient to meet any such debacle as occurred In 19.'52 and early 19.13, yet It ought to be said that a great many of the banks which closed their doors during those black days would not have been so affected had there been funds available to pay off depositors In the banks that closed early In those desperate times. There are many Washington observers who still have their fingers 25-ye- I JSl A JPi .. crossed as to insurance plan. Thev in,,t placing a premium on unsound? ing. I think no one can fl psychology of this guaranteed " where bank managers reaii iT aeslb be crooked. ThPD Bsil that their depositors will ed for the most part an? "bleed" their bank the wrJvtt bulk of the citizens tn . I"" of will be dissipated obviously h repayment of their deposits federal corporation. These obi? contend furtJier that the fedeS ,m has not had an opportunity rnr test It is their thnmrhf l"rttit of five years or more will be re2 ? to vcain An Irtpn a? i v hnu v uie Is going to function. It to to be nS ' ..ww uicu levied on the banks which am bers of the pool thus far beyond Z original cash contribution for membership purchase. The test 2 come, therefore, when the $400000000 j.uuu j.ita urcu exmtustea and tl. ' tZl must afcuiu the torder. oeiiau-- uifc up 1UI1US tO oermu r. jye r Dakota, a Republican Nye Predicts New Party Tl of X0V Independent, on record with ft, prediction that , new political party is bound to mi ' , lw, 1.,. 1, ,,i : lie ueufves i is DOW gal niiu.1 mm. The senator was rapid headway. quite specific in his declaration, how. ever, because he gave the Impression that he recognizes many of the problems confronting organization of i third party. He has shied away from campaigning for Republican regulars seeking senatorial seats this fall m to that extent has definitely pat m. self In the position to be active in an; tnira party movement, The thing which Senator Nye and other Independents on the Republican side are dodging Is President Roose velt's direct action in drawing from liberal members of both Republican and Democratic affiliation. It is regarded by political students here u quite obvious that only a few of tht Republican Independents ever r3 stay put In a party organized as the; believe Mr. Roosevelt to be organiiiaj a new party. It Is the old story o( new party ambitions existing in t many spots. They exist among now in the North and the Northwest and In some sections of tht Middle West, and they exist among tie radical wing of the Democratic parti in some sections of the South and Ii most parts of the Middle West. But as far as Washington information goa there are few points upon which these various groups are yet ablett agree. Old line Republicans and the c servatlve wing of the Democratic party are paying little attention, to the threats of party defection. Those with whom I have telkei apparently rely on history as the ha for the conclusion that the current political uprising will die down Into time. Many "efficiency experts" are lr pearing In the New Deal governmental agencies and tie FederalClerkthe&ds of Lose Jobs beginning clerks w to fH The process arating workers from the f of federal pa- always Is a difficult propositi and so the efficiency experts are moBut authentic rling very slowly. Indicate there will be a sharp eports reduction In the government payro11 shortly after election. It seems po sible that a few will Join the ranka the unemployed even before electloa but the number is likely to be lw sequential according to the intonation I have obtained. The appearance of the efEcW raw boys, however, has started tK on correspondents Washington trail of something deeper. While do of them, as far as I know, have hen able to learn definite and IrrefutaW Information as to plans, there doubt in their minds that the paJ reduction presages something In n way of tax legislation In the or will go congress. How far it new taxation methods may result, ttn of course, too early to tell. U One of the best proofs of this C" Senator recent statement by who Glass, the Virginia Democrat fipi" long has been an outstanding the senate on financial C'1' Senator Glass said In a speech. said It with emphasis, that "thM a pay day coming." He amnlM remark only to the extent that the tremendous rate of spf' eventually has to be checked and the credit of the federal governing Is to be maintained, provision tcJ tlrement of the great public now In excess of $i;S,0O0,0O0,(X1('11" be made very soon. It Is this question of expend!" that Is causing alarm among to business Interests and Senator A nllnd ottnnttnn fn flint. t'llleSl gress resorts to a sales tax of if ernl character, it Is obvious thnt ness must carry the brunt of burden. The sentiment of the th'1 congress and several prior to the to has been directly opposed tax. Tax legislation appears W rontiOD i ? irr a ic ul inn. wn next congress. yroll ot' l' ti ft, Wtrn Nwttxuf L'n,,B- - |