Modern Lewis and Clark entourage arriving in Cape today

Jim Racher paid a little boy in Elizabeth, Penn., a gold dollar for a black rooster feather and vowed he'd take it to the Pacific Ocean with him.

Eighty-one days and 5,000 grueling miles later, the St. Charles, Mo., man is keeping his promise.

When members of the Lewis and Clark Discovery Expedition docked in Commerce, Mo., Wednesday evening, the feather was still tucked proudly in the band of Racher's felt hat.

"We've taught a little bit of history to thousands of kids on this trip. It's been an amazing experience," said Racher, whose character, Ruben Field, was accused of stealing a pig in Cape Girardeau on the original voyage of Lewis and Clark.

The Discovery Expedition -- a group of men and women retracing the 1803-1806 waterway journey from Pennsylvania to Montana -- will arrive in Cape Girardeau today for a weekend-long celebration of the expedition's bicentennial.

Dressed in authentic period clothing, the crew is traveling in handcrafted replicas of Lewis and Clark's keelboat and a red pirogue. Members portray individuals from the original journey.

Stepping into his role on the expedition was fairly easy for Peyton "Bud" Clark, who plays the character of his great-great-great-grandfather, Capt. William Clark.

"It's an emotional experience for me," said Clark, a native of St. Louis who now lives in Dearborn, Mich. "It makes me really proud to be an American. The warmth and hospitality has been wonderful."

In Commerce, expedition participants camped overnight and visited various historical locations Thursday, including the Commerce Museum.

The crew was scheduled to dock overnight in Thebes, Ill., Thursday, before traveling to Cape Girardeau today.

cclark@semissourian.com

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