Show 1 When Two Knives Reached the Vate i 1 iTe L Li i Toward Te the lh SettinG I J 11 A 1 I t r rs t j it Ii- Ii f rr OFF T 1 oY GoN Ij 2 I 5 NEVADAr Ky L DO sw aMft i w 4 7 r 1 a M I x Ji I RE it i F C G i firby iy P k r II By ey ELMO SCOTT WATSON T 1 WAS Just years ago ogo that lint two young I Americans reached rt the time goal gool of ot a 2000 mile mlle blazing trall expedition through a n avast avast vast wilderness and came to the halfway halfway half holt way mark of w what hot hat tins has been aptly called coiled n a magnificent cent adventure For It was wason wason on November ember 7 1801 1815 that lint MerIwether Lewis and William lark Clark captains of the Long Knives IIII and tho the first white men to ascend the Missouri river to Its source and to descend the Columbia river to the ocean first caught sight lIght of the tho Big Water Toward the Setting sun Pun un which for tor BO so many months had hOI beckoned bekond them on The story of ot the time Lewis and Clark expedition Is la not only one of the treat rent romances of American history but It Is ts nn exploring epic ot of all time In the early days of the American republic the I Mississippi river was not only the western boundary boun boun- dary of the new Dew nation but It was also the off jumping place Into an unknown almost us liS mysterious as that which confronted Columbus when he be set the sails of f hI his caravels els to voyage across the Atlantic True a II few tew French traders trailers and ond venturesome American trappers had gone up the Mississippi 1 to the of the Sioux and and there had a ar ard vague tales of her the he r regions lons beyond from other traders who hind had ventured ven ven- south or southwesterly from the Canadian empire where the British h fur companies reigned True In 1702 Capt Kobert Gray Cray of the ship Columbia out of Boston had blundered Into Inlo the time harbor barbor of u II vast rive riff flowing Into the Pacific and had called this river after ds 1111 ih ship But what lay between th mouth of the Missouri Mis MIs- and the mouth rf K f the Columbia practically practically cally unknown to the man mall They knew kne vaguely that there thre was n vast area oreo of grassy plains but what lay beyond them was not even guessed nt at The Hocky mountains were not wn to exist although under the name of Stonier their northern extensions In the part of America held by th the British appeared on some maps But where was that first thin trickle which grew larger and larger as asI It I woun wound 1 Its wn WRY way south finally to pour the waters of the he Big Muddy Into tho the Father of Waters Waters' above e the he old French town of St. St Louis No one knew I 1 IThen IThen Then Bonaparte planning another war wor with Gleat Britain u a war In 10 which he would need a treat rent amount of ot money anti and realizing that hat the Mistress of the Seas could readily seize and bold hold the vast territory o ot of Louisiana Frames Frame's only territory In III America derided decided upon B P double double- edged stroke at nt his hated enemy lie He would sell Louisiana to the Americans lIns President Thomas Jefferson holding his ills Ideal of If a n nation that hilt should be as os broad ns as the n R n republic under one flag flog from ocean to ocean OCel was wn quick to 0 see the opportunity So J the loul Purchase t the he tae biggest real estate den deai In to h history r wits w-us made Napoleon I Is and h the Infant republic lic double expanse o O overnight liven Ft 1 ell en bi the re purchase treaty wits was sl signed Jefferson Jeferson was planning the nu audacious enterprise of exploring the wilder less which h III lay Iny between the Mississippi und and the Ind c lie III had been ills ills- tut lied by hy the reports that hat the Ike h were lre planning plan IllIn ning an expedition to study 1111 III the geo geography raphy of If the he western roust const and possibly to io colonize e It If it In January January Jan Jan- uary 1801 he hud hind secured from congress gress n I secret promise to II sen sent a II party of ten In 1111 men 11 across 8 what was teas stilt still French fInch territory to 0 explore Ih the river rifer and ami whatever lr river ricer heading bending with Ith I that Hint runs into Info the till western ern sea For the the er of f II lh II i Jefferson JeTerson had hod chosen his secretory secretary re red headed young Lewis 18 a II twenty old Virginian who had had- already made Ids his nark mark us as a II soldier under tinier Mad Anthony Wayne Lewis In III turn selected another Virginian his friend William Clark brother er of or lingers Rogers Clark Clork time the conqueror of the old lt during the lIe Devolution as his hU second in Ia coin command nut rid und and substitute commander In en case se of need Bot Both h tvete e commissioned captains In ID the regular arlU artily army Lewis hind had begun his Ida preparations preparations prepa prepa- rations for the Journey journy when wileD Louisiana was Jur aur- rendered to the Ameri ur commissioner in April 1803 a r Paint Hi Paint 9 y kaIn ka a I In the Ule full fall of 1803 Captain Lewis went to the mouth of Wood river near St. St Louis and ond there on the soil soli of Illinois established headquarters and began raising his forte force of picket picked men The Time p p was to 0 number 45 men nod and durl g all Hint Ihra winter the young commander r hll burdened the men to rigid discipline superintended the Ihl building of boots boats an and 1 the time making of arms act accouterments scientific apparatus and nil all e equipments III I s. s On May U H 1801 ISO 1801 the expedition set out In three boats boas up the Missouri 1 At the Hie prow of the he main boat a bateau M 55 feet felt lorg long manned by 2 22 ours oars floated the American ting hug Th The Th other boats were open pirogues wit with h about Iu six Fix oars each Horses were led along the bank batik by hy members of the party for dally use Je of or the Hie rf und and for fot emergencies If attacked by hy On Mil May v 22 the he explorers had their Ih first contact with the Indians a party of I who gave Jn thorn them four deer on Good Mans Man's river It was not cot more than a month lot later later June June r-June June 20 that 20 they reached the present site sill of Kansas I City 43 City 13 daF In crossing the he state slate of Missouri o a Journey journy viii h can lIn now not he made over over- lr night Here lIere the explorers held i a council with the Kansas I Indians lons and here for the first time lime th they hey y saw buffalo 10 On July 21 they rein rear tied the mouth ot at the Platte river and their dangers begun Legan Heretofore I the Hie Indians whom Ih they y hud hod met were friendly but the Hie tribes wh lived l yond beyond this point paint were e an unknown n n quantity Ai At es j a part of their duly dllY a as s outlined by Jefferson th they next dispatched messengers mes Illes with gifts lo in 0 the III Pawnee arid and Otoe vII vil Cages lages to the west Inviting the he chiefs to toI a I coun ruun council cil ou on n bluff on the tIe present site sill of Calhoun Neb t l C called II Council not Council Bluffs to 11 u The council was us held Oil on August Augus' 3 i and after gRin giving g the chiefs gifts girts of sorts ret received 1 the their r r assurance of a II friendly attitude toward this the e whites 11 The only den In the 1111 party luring III rill the e entire expedition lIlIon k place lle ut of I this Ibis lime that HUM n of If f Sergi Charles FI yd who lIu w tt is as burled on the Hie to toof top liP P i of or u II billIT v. v which still hears henrs I Its Is name a II short I dl distance st flee below below- Sioux I it Ity 11 own 11 The le explorers wen wr now coming to tu the he terri teal to lor tory ry of the lire Sioux Stour not u o fur for their heir ft fl f 11 i tit y I and I Irr n 1111 1 11 11 and Chirk hell belli I successful ful with wild tare tiie Yankton Siut on or t August M IJ anI with wills the lilt felons on tin September 2 2 1 i 11 Within the Ilie text next hi I ry had lit d iIi the Iii i country of If he the a und Had Mintie- Mintie tL tunes lIre Here the they divided I. I to Ih the winter and ant I near I floe Hie present He Ile ot at erek K N. N I h II I he the y i established a u fI pi 04 which lIld they 1111 1 Von Tort i n By tits Ills tinge lime tile the lu bad d late lI iC taw mi miles dur big ing I their heir journey they had bud kept m of If nil 1111 I 1111 they hll had 1 St seen en During I Hie Ile winter usurer lilt they worked on n a their reports the Ille first w records record t r dg 1 legion ie- ie e. e c gion glon that Itin I had bad ever 1 ver ben been and 1111 w n spring K g opened the he next year IlIr a i d' d of If 14 wen men menns is ns ns s y chosen to II curry lids Ibis report buck back to lII President t Jefferson On Oil ha April 7 thu rho i pa 1111 iy y left Fort n i. i having hn built buill new CUnO canoes and maid laid up lip n a lar large sup i. i ply ply- II of or provisions aU the dri dried d Jl uncut meal of buffalo The party parly now numbered 8 82 occupying lg six canoes rind two t pirogues Th The fhe e were made malle from frum green col cottonwood ton wood th Hie he e only available and although It u n-u s scarcely suitable for tor the purpose yet It Is II a part par l of Lewis and ond Clarkes Clarke's brilliant achievement ement that the l they traversed over 1000 miles millS of the roughest t J water of the Missouri In such makeshift craft s as s these Yi j M I SrA 01 A. A 1 Allee The Tile departure e from Fort Fori Mandun was marked by another high spot In the history of the ton tion For or It was there that they engaged a halt half breed II as guile guHe and Interpreter With this man went his Indian wife the Bird Woman a II captive from the Snake Indians of the Hockles American history might have been different In many mony respect If the tile lives of this Indian girl and the two 1 young youn Virginians had not lIot been Joined on the Italia of North Dakota I years ago ngo It was US eo who told them hem of the shining mountains which lay IllY be beyond ond land on 0 May 20 1805 Merl Meriwether ether Ither Lewis climbed to the top of a n high cliff and for or the IIII first time n II whiteman white while whiteman man looked upon those mountains The lilt clink leu of the Hie t I erty were constantly Increasing The river had bad become too 00 deep for poles and too ton s swift shift for paddles so they hey were forced to 0 pull lull the he boats upstream t-Ith t tow ow lines Despite all nil of the linn limps under which they were laboring the ilie he expedition Rushed pushed on On July 1 19 they entered the nu bluer Gae e of the and six days Ihl'S Inter hater lark discovered ered the three thrle forks of the Missouri t t t- which whirl he jn the hp names of or three thrle American Jefferson Madison and ond Continuing on their Journey on A August 12 they thy came to II a fountain II or spring from trot which h Icy Iry water wa wa- ter trickled hi as the headwater of or the mighty Missouri one cne of f the he gnats I if f their I hn turing luring In the he quarter of a n mile tulle further on they found what hl they dt us liS liSI u I hold bold creek crek running ti 11 the I west weal 1 It II wits was the Lemhi rt river rl eri r n a branch of If t the HIP hp C Frum m now on t t was essentially down a hill hili Journey ai although al- al though their r u l was to iii 10 be tia In some solute of the roughest country op III HIP IIII Athenian American conti mull- neat nent Then too nto H a new er appeared They ca came clune ins Into Ino contact I with willi the IIII Sho ho hone ails ans whose ho hostile e was 1111 changed to 0 friend liness when Sn o a re d d h the duet chief Cam Cam- as liS her brother brothel el whom sh sit l h had find l nn not seen since she ho had 1 been tol tt n from the Snakes Sho- Sho several lIe years eara before Assured now of supplies which hud hurl home become a I serious problem as liS tl-e tl scarcity of pi me Increased the Americans bought horses borsco front from the I ties s and continued 1 their way uy Crossing r the he e I foothills they reached hed 11 a village of t Nez Irre ere e Indians is who hll pave gave theft fist and I en inns rout root t to tu o eat ell Finding the river tier berr nn I uhle they hol 1111 0 I lowed logs wll with b tire lire nn and pun purchasing basing from the hit i Indians Italians as ns many d dogs js for fr food an us they could tali ul d 1 carry the IIII explorers sit n-i sail pall down n the lilt 1 kee ke or Clean lIer rc river r r On 0 tn October Ol 10 HI 0 the reached the he mouth of at Ill If I Snake Situ t. t river and floater floated I out Into the Ill Columbia I heir Jouney Oil on n t West a flawing water waters II hid beer H a one Hue II 11 fa I their s wire were s JI upset I In ih the t 5 whirlpools or crushed crashed rut la h of their Ir r baggage wits was lost 1 With 1111 nothing 11 to 10 O eu eat 1111 I except dug dog meat meal and ate Hie v hl w h i la taught them 11 a rie I II the t they they- w were Irl ry not I and weary tary lacking In 1 rl orrl I r eu-r hili thing t lou but 0 strung u resolution II to Ko u n tin on s t tle Killed the Columbia 11 on un lown 10 1 anal on tin November 7 j their w was as rew or on nn that c lurue e daft aK they hey f cough t sight of ot the 1111 piK u Hint ocean the lIe u f n al nil I our l the HIP rr reward of r nil all our E view clew Tills Thu s 1 Ili the IIII to of te the purl who willi were Irl I I more delighted on no hearing th tile the e roar of If bream I ers rot rs The They lIley h hall d been 1011 cone gun from St St. laula more than 1 18 8 months they IlI tin had J I d covered ny Y land hind and by hy water through perils o of f i ier every er description oldie than lIn miles After Arter spending the winter In a n rude lion linn named Frt Furt IIII he I Mie I set e out ut lut fill on n March ISOO 1810 to their belt steps MM a ward I The lime lIly ney t C had hall Hiken jour them I i 18 took look months to III mi tin them six ne nUis to 0 r return On Oil 3 the they arrived ot III St. St 1 Loui o 0 e the 3 of their heir allow u A Americans H Hr r names rind to ii find them permanently enrolled d among the ad of the lime world lor great grea a ad Iii IB Rl t ty 11 Wt New p per Det I |