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GOODWIN'S WEEKLY. 5 f fl
would bo to go through Washington Irving's
charming narrative of the Astorians, then into
fBancroft's purported review of this narrative, not
neglecting the many insulting flings that are
wholly without basis in fact, as to Irving's syco
nphancy and relationship with John Jacob Astor.
'Then read John C. Fremont's charming and simple-hearted
descriptions of his entrance into tho
wonderful valley of the Great Salt Lake, and
Bancroft's insulting diatribe, flinging aspersions
'at the man whose work counted for so much in
he bringing of the West to attention of tha
United States government.
And so, forgetting Bancroft as iuily as pos
sible, and approaching such a man as Jedediah
Smith, prepared to do credit iu tne men who
had the nation-making hardihood to push out into
country really unknown, search out its highways
and byways, we And first of all that he was de
voutedly a Christian, that his sense of honor was
of the highest order, that much of his wealth
(and he accumulated a fortune), went to the Meth
odist church, and that he carried always with
him a copy of the Holy Bible, for solace when out
in the wilderness, and for comfort upon all oc
casions. Once even he abandoned a great trap
ping area out of a sense of honor, and a pledged
word to a British claimant.
There is on file with the Missouri Historical
society a document having much more to do with
"Utah than with Missouri history. It is a remarkable-bill
of sale, executed "near the Grand
Lake west of the Rocky Mountains, July 18, 1826."
The seller was William H. Ashley, whose two
years of adventure in Utah ended with this date.
The buyers were three men of the hundred and
twenty who served under Ashley. Jedediah Smith,
of these, was the senior, and the others were
Jackson, and William L. Sublette. The Arm of
. Smith, Jackson and Sublette came into being in
Great Salt Lake valley, from this incident. Its
trappers were dispatched from the lendezvous
held here that summer, to gather again with
their catches in the same place in the summer of
1827.
While some of them scattered to the north
and east, Smith, with a considerable party, de
I tevmined to prospect to the south and west. That
was the trip that carried him past Los Vegas,
through the Cajon pass and into Los Angeles. To
return to his Great Salt Lake valley meeting ar
ranged for 1857, it was that he crowded back
over the Sierras, and crossed the desert west of
'Great Salt Lake, bringing with him only a few
of his men, and leaving the rest there to fall into
serious trouble with the scared Mexican gov
ernors. His return to them in the fall, their arrest,
confinement, and banishment from California!
over a route which brought them to the Amer
ican river when it was so high that they could
not ford and were forced to make a camp, from
which the Spaniards gave it this name, is trace
able through his letters and reports to friends
and government officials.
Thtre is first a letter to General Clark, writ
ten at Great Salt Lake in the summer of 1827,
and published in the Missouri Republican for
Oct. 11, 1827. All the writer has seen Is a refer
ence to it, but for a Utah historical society would
it not make a document worth while?
Then there is a letter from Capt. Cunningham,
of the ship Courier, dated at San Diego, Decem
ber, 1826, and published in the Missouri Repub
lican for Oct. 25, 1827. The Kansas Historical
society possesses the letter book of the superin
tendent of Indian affairs, and in this is a state
ment of Smith's explorations as furnished by him
at the request of the agent.
Tho first that is heard of Smith on the plains
and In the mountains was in 1823, when his name
appeared among the "hundred adventurous
young men" that Ashley wanted for mountain
work. A native of Now York state, he was then
18 years old. Andrew Henry had already 'built
a fort on the Yellowstone, and when, in 1823,
Ashley's caravan, outbound, was surrounded by
Aricara Indians on the Missouri, and stopped
after a serious battle, a volunteer became neces
sary to push on alone to Henry's fort and carry
the message as a warning-. Smith came into no
lice in that he volunteered for the service and
carried the message, his power at concealment
and cunning in eluding Indians being all he could
depend on to take him through.
His career ended in 1831. In the meantime
he kept his senior membership in the Arm of
Smith, Jackson and Sublette, after Ashley sold
out in 1826, until 1830, when Jim Bridger, in turn,
bought him out, with other associates. Then he
went into the Santa Fe trade out of St. Louis,
and in 1831 he lost his life.
The trapper era leaves little credit for Fre
mont as a "pathfinder." Like Capt. Bonneville,
whoso greatest achievement was to fall Into the
hands of Washington Irving, and to be written
up in the period of interested readers, Fremont
served in that he carried the message of a coun
try over which he was guided by companions of
Smith and Bridger, on their earlier trails, to peo
ple in a ferment of interest concerning it. His
government report, 20,000 copies of which were
printed, won converts to the idea of California
and Oregon emigration, and served as u guide
Look to the colonization era. Much of it, by the
way, was reprinted in the Millenial Star, preced
ing the Mormon emigration westward. And a
presentation copy of it .was made by Senator
Benton, of Missouri, to Joseph Smith, while a
digest of the book, written by Orson Hyde, was
sent to Joseph Smith, ho having been loaned a
personal copy by Senator Benton to read up on,
while in Washington on business.
But a glance over Jedediah Smith's western,
adventures will show well that he and his men
Wf jfjlEN one selects a hat or a waist at
3&&& is with the assurance that there will be no repe-
SALcityAKE tition -that the articles will not be duplicated
that the creation in each case will be for just one
individual.
That appeals to most fashionable women.
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Our Silk Sale jj I
Will Be a Hummer f;
Starts Monday at 8:30 o'Clock f
with $ 1 0,000 worth of the Most ,
Beautiful Fancy Silks ever shown A H
in this City. U
Bought at two great auction sales in New 'P fl
York last July, just for this great event. V H
Every yard to go, not a single reservation. i- H
Choose from $1.50, $1.75, $2,
$2.50 and $2.75 values at
80c yard ' H
Of all silk sales ever held in this city this is i HI
by far the greatest Hi
When the quantity is considered. T HI
I When the qualities are examined. J
Cft When the price is known 80c the yard. J" HI
Choose Monday. No samples, no exchanges, " I H
no approvals, no reservations must come Mon- ',1? HI
day to get them. ? M
, V Ml
MISS LEE China I
Hvtist Decorator I Hi
544 Constitution Bid;., 30-32 Main St. f Kj
Place and Tally Card Tavors f Hi
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KfiiiiHBQHDSSDSBni "
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The Millinery f I
Department Wants If B
't mi
?n11 T come and share in the j M
I UU. Special Bargains that we've K
arranged for Monday's rapid selling. !. Wi
Every day we are told by enthused If ffi
purchasers that our Millinery is by far - , K
the fairest priced in town. Must be so, i DJ
judging by the many new patrons added ; ' Hi
daily. Mondays "Special" is an ex- i Jfl
ample of how we undersell. L H
Don t Miss it I
$12.00 HATS FOR $5.00 iM B
When we say $ 1 2.00 Hats, we mean our U I
lines regularly sold at that price values that In D
will stand the test of comparison. These are jj H
in all colors, and the variety is exteu ' ' i H
enough to satisfy every taste. H
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