The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-25

probably occur during the autumn. II Is
expected that the Canadian conLrcss viii
issue an order calling together all the de-
scendauts OF those old French families.
tlat acre expelled from Acsdie IN l155, for
= reunion.
II b. little known that hundreds, per
haps thousands OF families tracing their
descent directly 20 Acadian sources are
scattered iu small agricultural communi-
iies all over the Middle West. from Wis
C0HsIR % Louisiana. They are called Aca-
dams even to-day In the upper portion of
Louisiana, where the majority has set
lied.
fn fact the only points Of picturesque
and historic value now remaining In that
section of the country are these little
French-Csnadian settlements. scarcely
rvyr visited, seldom written Of, yet Of
such unique interest and charm. They
are situated al along through the Valley
Of the Mississippi, quaint Isolated French
Speaking villages. fringing the borders OF
little rivert like the gentle bend Of fieur-
de-ls over the streams OF Normandy and
Brittany.
Many of them, settled by the descend
ants Of those ACadians who were expelled
from Port Royal in 175J hold to-day all
Lpngfellow chants in "Eyangeline" as
for instance. Kaskaskia and Bourbonnais
some that we're established as fur-trading
uosts have grated on them other calls Of
commerce and cf settlement, and have so
mingled blo0ds and forged ahead that the
French physiognomy is dwarfed and all
hut obliterated a In Chicago. St Louis,
and Prairie du Chen. Kaskaskla, Mo-
me ~ mn l.
iHE Of tho fragrance Of the heur-de-lis,
and OF these BourbOnnais Is first
The story Of BoHrbOnnais.
This small French village is situated in
Kankakee County, fifty miles southwest
o. Chicago. 1t IS thrown, just the hand
ful of Il, Ike les feurs des ceriseS. of
from the banks % the Kankakee River,
quite In the heart OF the little hills and
groves OF trees three miles beyond the
city Of Kankakee. \ church spire, dark
as French eyes. slender and full OF grace.
embraced by the misty tops OF soft Will
lows a gold statue Of lie Coeur Sacre, high
on the doomed turret of ST. Vinteur's
College; the tender leaning of flowers
against the stained walls OF old Acadian
fashioned houses; in the spring time such
a feverish burst OF apple blossoms, whit
then al vespers the low voice Of a young
French priest chanting the ave Maria"
this is BourbOnEais. Bourbannais in the
month OF May, gentle and full of quiet,
OVERLOOKING with the new wine of the
wind Of spring" The sky is blue as the
robe of the Sainte Nierge, the air is clean
and cool, and all the village DenetTates
Ike those sweet notes of the meadow
lark as IL nestles 10 quiet in the fields at
night.
There are stories here Every house
on la rue de rEglise. from Sanasec's por-
tque past le barber rentrepreneur de
tOmbe. le dOcteur le marchand, "a pres
bytere, 10 les barriere du convent each
is story all to itself Then the timber
road, the old mail highway. on which the
first settlers used to drive their oxen loads
Of Grain clear 10 Chicago. this stllI re-
mains as IL was. FlageOles stone house
and the old Legris tavern nOddlng gray
and sleepy over its edge like les viex set
tleurs themselves. And les vieux set
ueursi They are the sons and daughters
Of les VOyageurs. les coureur des bois
the fur traders. whose adventurous his
tories light up the waters of the Missis-
sippi and all the Middle West. They still
preserve In all its Acadian fervor and
IL is remarkable that within so short a
distance from St Louis and Chicago a
settlement like Bourbonnais should exist
II is SO entirely out of things, as clois-
tered from ''the pomp Of the world, the
liesh. and the devil" as though 1t, too
like its young sisterhood, had vowed itself
70 virginity, and, clothed IN the white
Veil, consecrated its beauty TO oblivion.
70 was named from Francois Bourbon
nais. a Canadian Frenchman, who settled
there with an Indian wife al the begin
ming of the century. Ii was but a log
cabin deep in the forests, this beginning
Of Rourhonnais. For all the growth IL
had IL might as well have been still-born
for not until the advent of Noel Levas-
seur did il achieve a spark OF life. Levas-
Seur was a Frenchman, with the qualities
or the ChOuteau, who founded st. Louis.
the energy, the executive ability. the
personal force Thus at the start Bour-
lonnais had promise. The French gath
cred from all parts OF Canada and set
tied in the new Acadie. Lecasseur was a
tracer and BourbOnnais became one of
The posts OF the American Fur Company.
as well az an agricultural community.
The Granger family settled there sixty
wears ago That family has had a most
interesting history. holding anew another
story Of Evangellne,
''La FRmille Granger"
The founder OF the family was an Eng
Nsh gentleman, Lawrence Granger. who
came 70 Port Royal, Nova Scotia with an
English squadron late in the seventeenth
century He married a beautiful French
girl daughter OF one OF the first families
In Acadia. Marie rAndry. Their desceo-
t1nts suffered the fate OF all the Aca-
dams in the expulsion OF 1906. and CHARLES
Granger his grandson. was cast ashore
IN the woods OF Connecticut with -
cousin. whom he afterward married Their
son, Jean baptiste, became a comraur eAs
ho.s and yoyager He came 10 81. LouIs
aut was present at the naming OF tbat
,iy. He married Marie Angelique Gre
E0.re IN 1928. and their son, David Granger
-"tlei in BourbonEais Grove with his
-amHy, The Rev. Adolphus Granger. pas-
TOY of the largest French church in Kan
kaho~. - the son OF David Granger.
Father Granger Is an authority on French
aLHllah history, and has made a special
i'F "i the ola Acadian families and set
Elements ia the United States.
The nrst glimpses Of the village are
charming An electric car line extends
from kankakee through Bradley. a small
manufacturing town. quite 10 the end of
h"bIoonn1ls. II !s Ike passing along the
rarr. stripped branch Of a November tree
ana suddenly leaping into a sweet fullness
oi aowers-comme les ileurs des cerises.
ih May II is best, when !g is all gold with
sun and dahdeiions, and green with the
wonderful color OF spring, and the houses
under The tse,ied shadows OF the young
i'&Ves are painted In soft colors. are
Nhlte and rain-~ashed, and do n5; stare
a4fo az me eye One passes swiftly the
mouse OF Hypoilte GousseL the dalryman.
u - IKE hlH aud whin OF scented
lace under the trees, with its curves ana
lJras % minute wood carving btir II i
gone Ike a French gFisegte. aud then gray
1oasd, quiet with clean white trim
mings Ike Eysngeiine turned nun comes
tae house of Moses Narcotic. simple