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

rescue Of those who were in distress, and al
foried every assistance possible. such exhi
bjtious Of qualities 70 contradictory. wer
characteristic Of all the old class Of India
traders.
In times Of famine, or Of sickness among III
Indians themselves, the trader WAS 10 them
ministering angel No one was sent ava,
uurelievcd. 50 long As his stores lasted. Tn
consequence Of such generosity bore its legiti
mate fruit. Tho reliance Of the savage upol
his trailer became. IN course Of time, almos
withou, limit, and he took no important steI
without first consulting him The white mai
was the conhdant Of his joys and his sorrows
and his influence Was augmented in proportion
That this influence was not often used 10 &C
complish selfish and unworthy purposes, | d,
not pretend 10 assert that Il was more ire
quently employed for the benefit Of the lndial
and OF his race. most unhesitatiugly believe
As the trader received his goods on credit q
Q stipulated price above the cost, either frou
individual merchants or from associations. 81
he in turn made advances TO the Indian hunt
ers. us his knowledge OF their characters fol
honesty and skin in the chase, justified him il
so doing. The system Of crdits was adopte,
more or less generally throughout the north
west, and has not entirely ceased. even o., thi,
day but il must soon come to an end. Tor civ
ilization with all its blessings can afford u,
substitute for the simple Indian trader Of th,
ol,ien time who equally with honest Leather
stocking Stunned the society Of his fellow whit
men, and above all despised the whole machine
~ OF the law--and the contact Of the India,
with the whites has so far demoralizel him, a
to render il unsafe longer TO trust to his honesty
SKETCHES or ssss oF THE EARLY TRADERS.
Having INDUCED in these general remarks
with reference TO Indian traders shall pro
coed TO particulariae n very Few OF the s:4ss
have Described, with whom il was my FORUM,
to become personally acquainted.
Joseph Renville was one Of these men, AM
as memoir of him has heretofore been pub
lishcd in your annals, ! will merely mcntio,
the fact in connection with him. that he wa,
the first stock-raiscr in Minnesota for NOR,
than twenty-five years ago, at Lac-qui-Parle
he owned sheep by the hundreds and cattle by
the score.
Louis Provencallc was "a man Of even less
eslucation than Renvillc, but like him be was
gifted with strong natural intellect liz
kept his Indian redit.books by hicroglyphics
having u particular figure for carh article Of
merchandise, understood only by HIMSELF and
~ Srssai " -dasa rsss,ysa iron. lpdisns
he drew the form OF the animal the skin Of
which was 20 be represented. Hr had also a
mode OF indicating the names Of his Indian
debtors on his account-books peculiar to him.
self Fortunately, he had mastered the mys
terry Of figures sufficiently well TO express by
them the amount be wished 10 designate, and
the general correctness Of his accounts did not
admit of question.
lie il Is Of whom il is truly related, that
when threatened by band Of wild Dakotas
brand and holding il within u few inches Of Nh
open keg filed 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 sui
fcred no further annoyance Of like kind.
Another adventure in which he participated,
terminated less successfully. I have oi,en
heard the recital OF il from his own lips. In
company with one of his men, he was engaged
in a search for an Indian camp, where he had
been informed there was large number Of
buffalo robes. Fatiguod 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 TO
flight, and in few moments Provencalle and
his companion were Assailed by Indians. knock.
ed down and severely beaten with their bows
aud otherwise maltreatel. II appeared that
the band Of which he was In search. were about
completing oune. or surround, OF the buffalo
the men crawling cautiously 10 their appointed