The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-04-28
Phalin had held nomiually for his dccsAsed

lSItucr.
lie, therefore, in the fall Of 1889, had
built little log house at the present juno
ton OF Bench aud Third streets. opposite the
Bridge Head, when rhalin returned, "a be-
fore narrated. and exhibited such violent
regard for the interests Of his deceased
friend. but Vetal's claim, being legally
confirmed, and protected by the public cen.
'lment Of the entire community-that is to
say by the aggregate sentiment OF about six
Pcrsons--h he felt hmselfa liberty &c perform
an act OF generosity for worthy friend Of
HIS one Peter Grvais; and that same year
gave Peter half his clam. about eighty
acres, as "a mark Of his consideration. Peter
s'gnded his high appreciation Of the gift
by selling il the year after to Scott Camp
bell--lnd'an interpreter a, Fort Smelling
for fifty dollars aud Scott Campbell made
asplendd speculation by selling Il again in
1912. to WIN. lIartshorn, for $500.
Long before the Sioux treaty Of 1887,
vagrant colony OF Swiss aud Others, who in
1929 had followed the agents Of Lord Sci.
kirk TO bis new settlement on the banks OF
the Red River, driven thence in 1925 BY a
disastrous food reached Fort Smelling In
state Of abjcct indIgcncc, TO seek more pro.
pitious homes in the United States. by per.
mission OF the officers, some Of them settled
on tho Reservation near the Fort. Abra-
ham Perry lived for twelve years In little
house between the Fort and the present 81.
Louis House, where he had n Aourishipg
farm well stocked with cattle. Benjamin
and Peter Gcrvais, Canadians. also from the
Red River. In 1887 lived In the same local
ity. When the treaty was contaminated in
1898, Perry and the Gcrvais took claims
on the ccded lands l'crry's claim resting
on the beautiful creek which flows below
the cave" above Vance Browns residence;
aud Hen Gervais. aftcr abandoning claim
near the cave, made one embracing the
present frcchs addition, where he had q
farm Of some thirty or forty acres. Al this
land WAN then held by the Fort Smelling
authorities 10 b. within the Military Rewr.
walton. The settlers wcre accordingly or
dcrcd OIL. Not con@nting 10 20 peaccably.
orders were solicited and received from
Washington for their lorcible election. Ac.
cordingly on May 9th, 1910, the troops sa.
lied out, drove ID the claimants---three or
four families in all perhaps and destroyed
their houses To The poor Swiss Perry,
eKiled from his native mountains driven
from pillar 10 post by fool aud IRE, and
sword this was hard blow. lie moved
to the johnson place. then owned by James
Clcwett, who afterwards married one Of bis
daughters when, after kittson became the
owner Of the claim, he lived with Crevior, a
Canadian, who afterwards married another
OF his daughters, and we believe died here
In the old log house, still standing for land.
mark VI twenty ycars ago. la tie wilderness
Of new houses u ercab0uts. Ben. Gervais
on the same day on which be was driven
from his farm, bought Of Parrnnt bis origi.
nal claim house, on bench street, the FIRST
house IN 81. Paul, aud the claim Herewith,
embracing lG0 acres Of what is now the
most valuable property 10 st. Paul, for Tss
DOrLAhs In hll---casb NJ We are informed.
10 IS43, Gervas sold the claim 10 Louis
Roberts, who had just arrived. and Alex.
RDder Mcleod, for $3.50 worth now five
million dollars. At the same time Angus
tins IArrntcur, father Of our iArpcntear,
oGep Iefa Gurrm 81 600 for HI. dam OF
| kt o,,xs and Wal ,<(,s.d ~
This offer in l543 Of 1925 per acre for q
tract Of land lying now IN the heart
Of city Of fifteen thousand souls, but
then a uH.less swamp--this offer, aud,
above oil, the refusal of il. were considered
/ by the wise 0n,s Of the tims, Nv such con.
summate piece Of folly on the one hand aud
weakness oo the other, ~ words were inade-
| qnaie 10 express. But the idea had already
worked itssli into the head Of this unlcttered
| Vetal, ~ VI some others, that the Head Of
Navigation bad not been put here for no
| thing. IL Ia worth while for the future his
torian OF ~. Paul to know something more
| u this astut FrDchman, whose name "
conspicuous on the map Of 81. Paul, aud
who IL indebted 10 his own foresight for
ranking among the mos, wealthy real estate
/ owners the city.
Vetal IL French Canadian, about fifty
years Of oge pcrhaIs. who leit Canada 10
| 1882 10 enlist ~ yoyagcur and trader in
the rryicc u the American Fur Company.
After q desnItory life at various trading
poets on the Missouri, In 1852. ut Mendoza,
/ and Prairie du Chen, aud Traverse des
SiDux, be- had finally sc,tlcd for several
years at Mendota. 10 the employ Of the elder
J. Il. Faribault. when the arrest OF Phalin
down at Point has" or Parrants place,
as they called il then. led 70 his jumping
Hays claim IN 1889. M already related.
Before this. however, in 1888, b. and Beau.
mette had bought Parrant's original claim
at the cave for sl3j.
IN l54I be married = daughter Of that
Abraham Perry, already mentioned, and
located permanently 10 the neat log house
which be had built TO receive bis bride
the same which now stands ut the junction
"a It..,,eh .,J Third str,cts In n nx--t NJ