The suburban citizen., 1900-11-17


into telling about his youthful start
in the same place. This is his story:
1t seems a great deal farther away
30 you than to me--the time when
John Jacob Astor was boss of every
thing here, and I was sixteen years
old / suppose l was the youngest
clerk in the American Fur Company,
and I'm quite sure l was the lone
soonest, after l had been here three
months. A letter from my mother had
come up by bateau and canoe from
Montreal, telling me that my sister
Stella was at deaths door, and the let
ter was five weeks old when l got it.
AS soon as I'd read il | went to Mr..
Crooks-Crooks and Stewart were the
Mackinac agents of the fur company
and I showed it to him, and begged to
be allowed to so home. I was from
New York State, and had persuaded my
father to get me into the service, for
my head was full OF romantic notions
OF adventure.
mo, you can't CO." Mr. Crooks told
me, firmly, although ne seemed sorry
for me. you are like a soldier You've
enlisted for five years, and you must
serve your time. We couldn't get any
body this side Of Montreal to take your
place. Besides, what's the use Of go
ing, my boy? The letter is five weeks
old. and your sister is either quite woll
ncw-or in heaven"
That refusal seemed 20 me like rank
tyranny. l was sick Of the service.
anyway My notion that fur-trading
meant shooting and fishing and having
a good time in the open air had been
all wrong From FIVE IN the morning
till seven in the evening, except for
an hour at noon, | sorted and packed
and carried furs-and l can remember
those backaches to this hour. At night
/ couldn't sleep. The company's board
ing house was hot and crowded and
rank and noisy, and In summer the
whole village rang with the yells Of
Indians and the shouts and songs OF
the voyageurs.
After l left Mr.. Crooks, l began
thinking Of all the hardships before
me- / was only at the beginning Of
my trouble Not to see any Of my
people for five years. And / must soon
be sent away back in the wilderness,
where I could get no letters at ALL or
only once q year or so. Then the devil
came along and tempted me.
Among the voyageurs that l had be-
come acquainted with on the long yoy-
age from Montreal, was Francois Robi-
daux, a French boatman from Quebec.
He was still a "pork-eatar." as we used
TO call new men THAI had not got used
to the company's rations. On the voy-
age up, Francois had been jolly and
good-natured, but after three months
he was still grumblng at the Mackinac
fare. / can remember the very tones
Df his voice after more than sixty
years. Francois would say:
me, l wish l was back in Montreal
Tor sure-den I cold get good grub.
Hall de way up tey's give out salt pork
and good pea-soup and hard bread. but
now dey's got us here, baptime! we
lon't get noting, hOnly hulled corn and
a small little Bit OF tallow, and some
four for pancakes on Sunday And
Baptiste Beaubign, he's say I'll be glad
Tor get dat before de brigade come back
10 Mackinac next summer. He's say
hall last winter he's get noting for a
month h1uly fish wisout salt Me,
hoiu' coin for eat 10 such trash-no
vch!'
Ana so Francois had proposed 70 me
tha. VIC should teAt bateau some
dark, 4Jonie5s night ard set out f1i
Buffalo. He said we could follow the
shores OF Lake Huron and Lake Erie
hoist a sail when the wind was fair
aud camp on the beach when II was
too stormy to travel and with good
lucl, we might make the voyage in two
or three weeks.
had refused his proposal, and had
even mildly rebuRed him for making
Il; but it fingered in my mind, ant
that evening, whSn my heart was sor,
with the thought Of my sisters illness
Il tempted me hard. In fact I wen
10 Francois and told him that II h,
still wanted TO go, I'd have talk will
him the next day about it; and theI
went back to the boarding house.
hadn't been there ten minutes whei
sne OF the other clerks came in an
4aid: Howard, Bir. Crooks wants t
sec you in the private office"
My heart gave a great bound.
thought Mr. Crooks had relented, an
would let me 90 home, after all. Blu
It was for a very different purpose tina
he wanted me. A party Of twenty-fy
men was at work on Bois Blanc Island
cutting wood for the use of the agenc
at Mackinac through the winter. Tn
clerk who had had charge Of the wor
mad been taken sick, and two OF tn
men had brought him across to Nackl
rae IN a canoe. Some one must tax
bis place. Tor wood-outting could no
ba finished fer several days, aud Al
crooks had selected me.