The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-02-07

rescue Of those who were in distress, and al
fonicd every assistance possible. Such exhi
\ billions Of qualities 70 contradictory. wef,
Characteristic Of all the old class Of lniiai
traders.
In times Of famine. or Of sickness among Ii,
Indians themselves, the trader Was 10 them
ministering angel. No Que was sent ava,
unrelieved. so long Us his stores lasted. III,
consequence Of such generosity borc its legiti
mate fruit The reliance Of the savage upol
his trader became, ia course Of time, almos
without limit, and be took no important stcI
without first consulting him, The white mai
was the eonfdant of his joys and his SORROWS
and his influence was augmented in proportion
That this influence was not often used TO nc
complsh selfish and unworthy purposes, | d,
not pretend TO assert that il was more ire
quently employed for the benefit Of the lndiar
and OF his race, most unhestatingly believe
As the trader received his goods on credit al
. stipulated price above the cost, either from
individual merchants or from associations, Sc
he in turn made advances TO the Indian hunt
ers, Us his knowledge OF their characters for
honesty and skill in the chase. justified him il
So doing. The system OF credits was adopte,
more or less generally throughout the north
west and has not entirely ceased. even q. chi.
day; but il must soon come TO an end. Tor civ
ilization with all its blessings can afford nc
substitute for the simple Indian trader OF ,h,
olden time who equally with honest Leather
stocking Stunned the society Of his fellow whit,
men, and above oil. despised the whole machine
~ Of the law--and the contact Of the Indian
with the whites has So far demoralizcl him, "a
to render il unsafe longer TO trust 10 his honesty
sxsr'nss 80 soss oF THE EARiN TRADERS.
Having INDUCED in these general remarks
with reference to Indian traders, shall pro
coed TO particularize a very few Of the class
have described with whom il was my fortune
TO become personally acquainted,
Joseph Renville was one OF these men, and
Us memoir of him has heretofore been pub
lished in your annals, ! will merely mention
the fact IN connection with him, that he was
the first stock-raiscr in Minnesota for more
than twenty-five years ago. at Lac-qui.Psrle
he owned sheep by the hundreds and cattle by
the score.
Louis Provencalie was man Of even less
educatios than RenviIle, but like him he was
gifted with II strong natural intellect. lie
kept his Indian crelitbooks by hieroglyphics,
having a particular figure for each article Of
merchandise, understood only by hinlscls and
in marking down peltries received FROM Indians
he drew the form OF Tie aiiiiiiai the skin 81
which was to be represented. He had also a
mode Of indicating the names Of his Indian
debtors on his account.boohs peculiar to him.
self Fortunately, he had mastered the mys
terry Of figures sufficiently well to express by
them the amount he wished 10 designate. and
the general correctness Of his accounts did not
admit Of question.
lie it Is Of whom il is truly related, that
when threatened by band Of wild Dakotas
with the pillage OF his goods, he seized fire.
brand and holding il within few inches Of an
open keg filled with gunpowder, be declared
his determination 10 blow them, with himself
into the air, IL they seized upon single article
II is hardly necessary 10 mention that his rcck
less conduct had the desired effect, and he suf
fered no further annoyance of Ike kind.
Another adventure in which he participated,
terminated less successfully. have of,en
heard the recital OF il from his own lips. In
company with Que Of his men, he was engaged
in search for an Indian camp, where he had
been informed there was large number Of
buffalo robes. Fatigued and hungry, they
found themselves near herd OF buffalo. and
not suspccting that there were Indians near
they shot COW and brought her to the ground
The report Of the guns put the animals 10
flight, and in few moments Provencallc and
his companion were assailed by Indians knock
ed down and severely beaten with their bows.
and otherwise maltreate,l. II appeared that
the band Of which he was In search were about
completing q o'ne, or surround of the buffalo,
the men crawling cautiously 10 their appointed
stations, when the interference Of the white