St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-15

| when he has walked the streets or TINS
| city loaded with knives and revolvers
in company with Rolette, ready to de-
| fend him from expected attack.
This circumstance in the career OF
Rolette, although not commendable as
parliamentary method of defeating a
f! legislative enactment, renders him his
torical, and should endear him to the
people of st. Paul.
His subsequent career was compare
| lively obscure. He lived and died at
his distant home in Pembina, but al
ways held warm place in the hearts
of the settlers of his day. The writer
was especially attached to him.
l think the portrait is worthy of
| place in the achives of the society, and
| if you agree with me, it will remain to
| commemorate prominent parsonage in
the early and rougher age of our his
tory.
!. V. D. Heard offered the following
resolution:
Resolved, This 18th day of April, 1890, by
| the executive council of the Minnesota His
| torical society," that they gratefully accept
| the portrait presented by Judge Charles Il.
Flandrau Of the late Joseph Rolette; that
| this portrait of one of Minnesota's most
noted men in early days be hung in proml-
nent place in the rooms of the society, and
that properly engrossed copy of this resolu
| tlOn DE sent TO the donor.
MIR. Hoard's Address.
Mr.. Heard said: The intrinsic value
of this gift is enhanced by its coming
from one who was for many years Mr..
Rolette's most intimate friend. How
often in the fifties were they to be seen
| together in the streets of st. Paul, at
tracing attention by their half-savage
attire. In the winter they wore singu-
lar caps of fur. with fox tails streaming
in the wind. Nothing seemed to dis
turb their amity, although one wore the
moccasins of the Algonquins and the
other those of their deadly enemies, the
Sioux. Rolette, in compliment to the
Judges 1.-THE, active Indian figure and
aboriginal tastes, always called him
Hiawatha, after the mythical wise man
of the Ojibwas.
But for the judges forethought we
should probably have never had the
cheerful face of this Yorck of the bor-
der to cast its sunlight over the relics of
the stone age, the scalp of Kapo-
sia's chief and the grave faces
of the warriors and statesmen of
civilization. The jOcund has its rights.
The names of Mr.. Rolette's father and
mothers father have been written in
the annals of the West for over eighty
years. When Montgomery Pike. the
first United States officer OH the Upper
Mississippi, landed at Prairie du CHEN
OH the 4th day of September. 1905, to
pick out site for a fort. the father of
the mother of the subject of this por-
trait provided him with quarters and
with light barges for the upper river:
Wing, OH his return from his tiresOme
and periious voyage to the head waters
of the river, he was met by a present
from Monsieur Joseph ROlette. of
Prairie du Chen, of brandy. coffee, and
sugar, and when he reached the Prairie
he was right royalty Toasted by M.
Rolette and his friends. This M. Ro!ette,
of the Prairie, was very enterprlSlng.
Among other occupations, he cultivated
large farm. He was part proprietor OF
The First Saw Mill
On the Chippewa river, paying the Sioux
chief, Wabashaw, $1,000 per year for the
privilege and the timber. He built
chandiSe between the Portage and the
Prairie. He was leader in politics.
He was chief justice of Crawford
county. He was noted for making good
bargains, thereby acquiring, as one of
his names among the Indians, that of
Sapan-Zapta, meaning five more, be-
cause, as they SAID, let them offer what
numoer of skins they would in ex-
change for an article, his terms invaria-
bly, were five more" His superiority
as business man is further illustrated
by the following story from the Annals
of Wisconsin:
The scene was on Lake Winnebago, where
N. Rolette was engaged with trading boat
when he met another boat, on which were
his employees. directly from Prairie du Chen.
OF course, after an absence OF some weeks
from home, the meeting on these lonely
waters. and the exchanging of news was an
occasion of great excitement. The boats
were stopped, earnest greetings exchanged,
question followed question.
'Ehl bien.'' inquired M. Rolette, shave
the finished he new houseT
''Oui. monsieur"
"Et la cheminee fame-tele?" docs the
chimney smokey
mon, monsieur"
"And the harvest, how is that?"
every fine indeed.
lis the mill at work."
Eyes, plenty of water"
"How is Whip? (His favorite horse.)
"Oh, Whip is first-rate."
Everything, in short, about the store, the
farm, the business of various descriptions
being satisfactorily gone over, there was no
occasion for further delay. IL was time to
proceed.
"Arrachez-mes gens!' (Go ahead, men,
Then suddenly: "Arretez. arretez." stop!
stopD
Comment Sc portent Nine. Rolette ct les
enfants?'' (HoW are Mrs. Rolette and the
childrenO
The officers of the law decided about as M.
Rolette, Of the Prairie, wished without forms
or phrases. A soldier named Fry was brought
before justice, accused of stealing and kill
ing calf of M. Rolette. The justice had just
before been engaged with his friends in
drinking brandy. which he called taking
little "quelque chose" He addressed the
prisoner as follows: "Fry. you great rascal
What for you kill NJ. Rolettes calf?''
Fry-I did not kill M. Roiette's calf
Justice Shaking his fistl-You lie you
great rascal. Constable, take him to Jail.
Come, gentlemen, come, let us take little
9uelque-chose.
In elections M. Rolette made it very simple
for his friends and adherents, tor, when
asked for what candidates they were going to
vote their answer Invariably was ''Je va vote
pour Mons. ROlette p"
As the American element increased,
Nj. ROlette's modes did not seem en-
tirely to suit, and it is said that the
commanding officer at Fort Crawford
Banished Him to an Island. @
where he was forced to spend the VIM
ter. nj. Rolette introduced the first
sheep on the Upper mississippi; but
these, although bought for ewes. turned
out to be wethers. He is said to have
introduced the first swine in the North
west; their number rapidly increased.
The Sioux name of Joseph R0lette. the
subject of the portrait, and son of this
Joseph Rolette of the Prairie, was
Sheyo-cihint-ku. Prairie-Chicken's-Son.
At the Prairie young Joseph. of course,
learned the French, English, Sioux,
and, probably, the Menominee and Sac
and Fox languages. When he went to
New York city to obtain the classical
and commercial education which he
there acquired at the school OF Mr.. Hya-
cinth Penquet, he was the type of wild
Western boy. Upon his first appear
ance on Broadway he was dressed in
buckskin and carried long rifle. When
he left the city. besides his other accom-
plishments, he had learned to talk
Spansh-and walk it. too. HE had
heard the chimes at midnight"
In 1s43 young Mr.. Rolette, in connec--
ton with his uncle, Mr.. Fisher, started
his line of Red river carts between