The Opelousas courier., 1896-01-11
LOST AN ISLAND AT POKER.
Anecdote or Pierre Eottinean, a f1oneef
Frerchman. Who Lately Died.

EreT C1mans III ~ DiS
There died, the other day, at his
home in Rcd Lake falls, a man who was
20 thoroughly identified with the early
history of Minnesota that to try to re-
late it without mentioning his name
would be like tWing to make orlcks
without straw. This man was Pierre
Bettineau, the offspring OF n french
father and an Indian mother, and ne
possessed all the characteristics OF
both races.
Mr.. Rottineau was a native OF what
is now North Dakota, having peer
born twelve miles west of the place
where Fargo, n. D., now stands. Atthe
time of his birth Lord Selkirk formed
a 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 Sibley expedition, which
crossed the plains in the early days.
He was we'll 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 a warm friend Of James j. Hill,
the railway ~magnate, having met him
at st. Paul when that place was little
more than a trading point, and where
In 1s41 Mr.. Bottineau took up a claim
on the spot where st. Paul now stands,
but after having held it for n short
time traded it for a horse and cow,
which he drove away to his home III
the Wilderness, little thinking that the
land he had almost given away would
in a few years be the site of a great
city. Later on Mr.. Bottineau pur-
chased for a small sum a large portion
of what is Minneapolis, but lost
the greater portion of it through the
dishonesty Of purchasers and the rest
through his weakness for poker, a
game which he thought he understood,
but which other people understood bet
ter than he.
There is a 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
at last he was dealt a hand upon which
he hoped to regain all his losses and
win something besides. He was given
4Oul 4uCSuS DdV, Ola oICH VAC SdlNs
secured an ace, leaving only four kings
with which his hand could be beaten.
AS he saw or thought he did, which
amounted to the same thing, one of the
players discard a king, he considered
his hand invincible, and played it &C
cordingly. His opponent also consrS
cred his hand a good one, and promptx
ly raised every bet made by RottineaS
Soon all the players but Bottineah
and his lrponent 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 to wager
upon their respective hands. At last
all the men possessed lay on the table
in fronto of them, and io was Bottineau's
bet. Carefully looking over his cards
he thought a moment and then re-
marked that all he had left was Nicol-
let island, which was once the home of
Father Hennepin, M of the earliest
settlers of Minnesota, his log cabin
stood upon a little mound in the center
of the island up to a few years ago,
when it was pulled down to make room
for the residence of Col. King.
This island Bottineau was willing to
bet against two hundred dollars. The
bet was called by the man on the OPP
posite side of the table and Bottineau
laid down his four queens with a smile
of triumph on his face. With a shout
his opponent laid on the table, face up,
four kings and a tray. There was a
dead silence for a moment. Then Bot
tineau called for writing materials,
made out a deed to the island and left
the place. Since that day he never
touched a card or co%untenanced gam
bling in any form.
After drifting around the country for
a time Pierre went to Red Lake falls,
where he took up a claim, and where
he remained up to the time of his
at the age of "a years. He
gradually acquired other property and
left his heirs a valuable estate. With
the death Of Pierre Bottineau passes |
away the last of the old-time Canadian
and guides, who were such
an important factor in the upbuilding |
Of the northwest. He wa the father
of twenty-seven children. only a few
of whom survive him. The one best
is ]. B. Bottineau. who spends |
much of his time at Washington as the
attorney of the Turtle mountain In.
dams. Chicago Times Herald.
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