Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-21
THE SCULPTOR'S WARNING.
FRANC WATSON.

fur trading stations, few white men
braved the rigors of the climate and the
dangers of the frontier in an attempt TO
make homes in that region.
Among them was Jean Baptiste Ca
dotte-more properly Cadieu "a French
man who came as voyageur with the
then but little more civilized region
about Montreal, to the favorite camping
ground of the Ojibway Indians, then
known as the Bow ting, or "Falling
Water" This waslocated at the foot of the
rapids of the st. Mary's River, nesr the
present site of the thriving City of Salt
| Ste. Mary.
Here Cadotte, attracted by the singu-
lar beauty of the surroundings and hav-
ing no family ties to recall him to civil
cation, decided TO remain.
Trapping, hunting and fishing served
for his occu patton for time, but, being
man of unusual ability and irmness of
character, he was appointed agent at the
fur trading station then under the con-
troll of Capt. de Boune and Chevelier de
Repentigny-the latter a soldier of for
tune whose true name was Louis Lagar-
deur-to whom a grant of the territory
had been made by the French Govern
ment.
4
settlers, had taken an Indian maiden,
daughter of a tribal chief, TO mis- log
cabin as his wife, and several swarthy
| children was the result of this union.
from this period to the date of his
death history and tradition have much
relating to the senior Cadotte. During
the absence of the grantees the Territory
passed from French to English rule, and
it was reported that Cadotte secured
much land and some money because of
his failure to defend the post and its
! ready transfer to the English at the time
of the French and Indian war.
| Be this as it may, large tract of land
passed under his control, and he built,
and for a portion of the time occupied, a
| log cottage some miles down the river at
one of the most picturesque aud beauti-
full spots imaginable, on the Middle Nee
| bish or ''Tea" Island.
Here, with the aid of his sturdy sons,
he made 2 small clearing, though the
chase and fishing furnished their main
occupations. The cottage was in plain
view of the river, and the voyageur, the
| Indian and the trader each made it a
stopping point on the only route of trav-
81 in that early day. The hospitality of
Cadotte was proverb1al for its open
handed cordiality. No traveller was ever
turned away hungry or thirsty.
England and France each claimed the
territory. Agents and runners were pass
ing from nation to nation and from
either endeavoring to hold the natives in
check or trying 10 fan the spark of dis
content into flame Of war. 1t was no
unusual thing for these messengers, both
| white and red, never to return.
| A body, mutilated beyond recognition
| by the wolves which infested the region,
or bleached and moldy bones might some
| day be found; but that could tell no story
of their end.
| Tradition is fruitful IN incidents of
this character, but of one only have we
to do. From the fertilization at Michli-
| Mackinao young officer, nephew of the
English commandant, started OUT one
lovely morning in the month of October
on a mission to the Indians up the river,
who were rumored to be dissatisfied with
the English rule aud ready to don the war
| paint In open revolt.
The young lieutenant, dressed in a
huntsman's outfit of deerskin, fur cap
On his head and moccasins on his feet,
carrying his fintlock rifle, babe good bye
| to his friends at the post, descended the
stony roadway leading from the fort to
| the beach, entered small canoe and pad
died away round the point to the north
ward. Loving eyes watched his progress
hands of dear ones waved a sad adieu, for
his mission was one of danger.
Aided by favorite winds and small
sail, he that night landed near the mouth
of the river at ''de tour" as 1T was called,
| having passed number of downward
bound Indian laden canoes unquestioned
and in safety. Here he lodged in the hut
of friendly halfb breed.
From this point all trace of him is
lost. Deeming it safer to travel through
the woods and swamps than to risk en-
countering hostile Indians on the trackless
highway of the frontier, he struck into
| the forest. Subsequently his canoe was
| found safe in the rear of Rousseau's cabin,
who stated to the soldiers who were
| searching for the missing officer that its
owner had gone up the river, leaving it
until his return.
| The same month and at period, so
| far as can be learned, corresponding to
the middle of the week subsequent to the
incident just narrated, while Michael
| CadOtte, the younger of the two sons, was
| following the track of deer on the
| freshly fallen snow, he was stopped by
| hearing groan in an adjacent thicket.
Whether it was caused by wild beast or
| by some person in distress he could not
| determine, but, throwing his gun across
| his arm, he entered the clump of alders
| with noiseless tread.
| Startling was the sight that met his
gaze. CrOuched in huge bed of moss
| and leaves was the spectral figure of
man, VINO, with the action and manner of
one famished, was gnawing at the bark
! on branch OF a tree which he grasped
in his enaciated and bony hands, moan
| ing and swaying backward and forward
as though in the greatest agony. When
young Cadotte approached he seemed not
to hear him, neither was he sensible to
the pressure of hand upon his shoulder.
The unknown was entirely naked and
wasted to the merest skeleton. The
hunters first thought was: ut is some
famished trapper who has lost his way"
but closer examination disclosed the
| fallacy of this belief. On the back of
the head was an ugly bruise made with
some heavy instrument, while an oval
shaped wound with infiamed and liberated
edges, on the top, showed that the unfor-
tunate had been caIped-a victim to In
dian cruelty. Horriblel Tomahawked.
seal ped, robbed and left for dead; yet he
survived, and, a starving, helpless maniac,
bade fair to die a lingering death. Young
Oadotte, though halfbreed, had none of
the cruel instincts of the race of his
mother. Though several miles from
home, the nearest shelter, he determined
to take the sufferer thither, Lashing his
rifle across his shoulders with thongs of
i buckskin taken from his pocket, he raised
| the wanderer IN his arms as gently as