The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-20
LOST AN ISLAND AT POKER.
Anscdote of Pierre Rottineau, q Pioneer
Erenchman. Who Lately Died.

Anecdote OF Pierre FOttfneau, q Pioneer
Freedman. Who Lately Died.
There died, the other day, at his
| home in Red Lake falls, man who was
SO thoroughly identified with the early
| history of Minnesota that to try to re-
| late it without mentioning his name
would be like trying to make bricks
| without straw. This man was Pierre
Bottineau, the offspring of a French
father and an Indian mother, and he
possessed all the characteristics OF
both races.
Mr.. Bottineau was a native of what
Is now North Dakota, having been
born twelve miles west of the place
where Fargo, n. D., now stands. At the
time of his birth Lord Selkirk formed
colony of Swedes and Scotchmen
near Fort Garry, and when Bottineau
was ten years of age these people be.
gan an exodus for other points. Young
as he was, Bottineau was an expert
enced guide, skilled in wood and
prairie craft, and more than one Of
Lord Selkirk's colonists he piloted out
of the wilderness.
In many of the early expeditions OF
the United States government Pierre
was employed as a guide and scout,
and was one of the principal members
of the noted Siblev expedition, which
crossed the plains in the early days.
He was well acquainted with almost
every foot of the Dakotas, Minnesota
and Wisconsin, and at one time was
the owner of vast tracts of valuable
land. which he subsequently, lost In
some way or another. Mr.. Bottineau
was warm friend of James j. Hill,
the railway magnate, having met him
at st. Paul when that place was little
more than trading point, and where
Mr.. Hill was employed as freighter
In 1S41 Mr.. Bottineau took up a claim
on the spot where St Paul now stands,
but after having held it for a short
time traded it for a horse and COW,
which he drove away to his home in
the wilderness, little thinking that the
land he had almost given away would
in few years DO the site of a great
city. Later on Mr. Bottineau pur,
chased for small sum a large portion
of what is now Minneapolis, but lost
the greater~portio of it through the
dishonesty of purchasers and the rest
through his weakness for poker,
game which he thought he understood,
but which other people understood bet.
ter than he.
There is story, which the older
residents of Minneapolis declare to be
true, that Bottineau was once the sole
owner of Nicollet island, lying in the
Mississippi river, which divides Mime
apolis into East and West Minneapolis,
and which is now one of the most i'm.
portant business and residence districts
in the city and valued at many millions
of dollars, and that he lost it during a
game of poker. A party of men met
one evening at the home of one of
them, so goes the story, to play their |
accustomed game. The stakes kept |
growing larger and larger. until every |
jack pot contained a small fortune, |
even for that early day.
Ever since the game had begun Mr.. |
Bottineau had been losing steadily, but I
at last he was dealt hand upon which 4
he hoped to regain all his losses and /
win something besides He was given /
four queens pat, and drew one card, |
secured an ace. leaving only four kings /
with which his hand could be beaten.
As he saw, or thought he did, which i
amounted 10 the same thing, one of the 1
players discard king, he considered \
his hand invincible, and played it ac-
cordingiy. His opponent also consid. /
cred his hand good one, and prompt
y raised every bet made BY Bottineau.
Soon all the players but Bottineau
and his opponent dropped their hands
and retired from the game. after which
they sat and watched the conflict The
table was heaped with money and the
personal belongings OF two men. who
were wishing they had more 10 wager
upon their respective hands At last
all the men possessed lay on :he table
in front of them, and ie was Bottineau's
bet Carefully looking over his cards
be thought moment and then re-
marked that all he had left was Nicol-
let island, which was once the home Of
Father Hennepin, one OF the earliest
settlers of Minnesota, his log cabin
stood upon little mound in the center
OF the island mp 10 few years ago.
when it was pulled down 20 make room
Tor the residence of Col King.
This island Bottineau was willing &c
het against two hundred dollars The
bet was called by the man on the op-
posite side Of the table and Bo:tineau
laid down his four queens with smile
81 triumph on his face With shou.