St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-21

can trace back 200 years, and is said by
those who know him, to have heart as
big as his body, that is, he has always been
and is now, very generous. He is very
fond of hunting, and is much of a poll
tician, especially on the Democratic
side. He is very free and frank
in his manners, and is an off-hand, pleasant
gentleman. He was born in Missouri in
1925: educated there; learned the trade of a
printer; worked on a FARM came to st. Paul
in 1845; boated and made voyages into the
interior; in 1S4S went to st. Louis and was
married.; in 1850 took journey to Cali
fornia and engaged in mining; returned
to Minnesota in 1851 and set
tied at Belle PLANE, where he
remained up to 1858, when he
moved to st. Paul; during the Indian out
break he went to Fort Ridgely with Gen.
Sibley; he was deputy sheriff under King
two years, and for a time under Richter;
has lived in West ST. Paul for some time,
where he now resides, and is the father of
six grown-u up boys Property he purchased
there has greatly advanced, while the in
creased value of the property he has now in
that ward will make him well off.
He is one of the Oldest settlers,
and has vivid recollection of
the old times and the old
landmarks of the long-gone past.
JOSEPH ROBERT.
Mr.. Robert is a brother of the late Louis
Robert, and was born in Missouri in 1927;
worked on farm up to 1874; removed to
Prairie du Chen; came to ST. Paul in 1S45;
engaged with his brother in store; the
same year went to the Red River OF the
North with three carts loaded with goods,
and an Indian pony; traded there until
1850, when he returned to st. Paul and
took charge of the transportation OF the
goods of the Winnebago Indians to Long
Prairie; bought a store at Swan river
and commenced trading; ran it for two
years; began freighting in 1884, and in
1859 took contract to carry goods and en-
igrants from St Paul to st. Anthony, Crow
Wing, and other points in the territory;
then bought lands in various parts of Min
nesota, having made no money in the In
dian trade, probably being too honest; i'll
1860 was connected with his brother in the
Indian business. He was on his way to
one of his brothers trading posts,
when he was informed that the
Indians had broken out and were
killing the settlers. He rode out from New
Ulm near enough to satisfy himself that
this was the fact, when he turned and gave
the settlers warning; re-entered New Ulm;
was bearer of dispatches to Gen. Sibley;
returned and was in the fight seventeen
days at New Ulm. In the fall OF 1852
speaking the Chippewa language readily,
he commenced trading with that tribe at
Mile Lac He continued there up to 1882,
when he returned to st. Paul. where
he has remained every since. In 1865 he
went through to Vermillion lake for New
York company with seven teams. Since
1882 he has resided mostly in st. Paul, al
though he spends his summers at his coun-
try residence on the shores of Bald Eagle
lake.
AT WASHINGTON.
{. In 1884 Mr.. Robert visited Washington
and spent two months fighting for the
rights of the Indians, as a decision had
been made that. the whites had right
to go on to the Indian reservation
and make. homesteads. 1t was through
Mfr. Roberts influence that this decision
was revoked, and now he finds that the
white settlers who went on to the land in
good faith, under the decision of the gov
eminent, are ordered to leave without any
redress, and he thinks this great wrong;
that their money ought to be refunded and
they reeempensed for their loss, and Mr..
Robert is right.
PLOUGHING IN THE CITY.
In 1915, or forty years ago, Mr.. Robert
ploughed field of about twenty acres, then
fenced, running from Third street back to
nearly Sixth street, and from half way to
Minnesota one way and half way to Jack
son the other, and in this field he planted
oats and raised good crop. The twenty
acres cost his brother about $500; worth
now upward of $4,000, 900! At this time
there were about ten families in the place,
and not to exceed fifty white people.
Mr.. Robert has been an important interpre-
ter for both the Sioux and the Chippewa
Indians; was elected alderman of st. Paul
in 1881, and reelected in 1888, serving two
terms. He is a tall, muscular man, some
what commanding in his appearance, well
preserved physically, and differing from an
ordinary Frenchman in that he is moderate
in his conversation and in his man
ments, and yet he is a man of activity and
great endurance. as checkered life of
some forty years in Minnesota clearly
shows. He is social, pleasant, honest; a
great friend of the Indians and great
friend of humanity generally.