The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-06

Skenedonk climbed a ladder to
the loft with our saddlebags.
Where Is that chambermaid?' cried
the tavern keeper.
Eyes, where is .she2' said man who
on bench by the entrance: i've
heard Of her so often would ike 10
see her myself"
The landlord, deaf to raillery. hustled
about and spread our table in his public |
room.
Corn bread, hominy. side meat, ven
zin." he shouted in the Kitchen str
yourself, you black rascal, and dish up
the gentlemans supper
Skenedonk walked boldly to the Kitchen
door and saw our landlord stewing ana
broiling performing the Offices OF COOK
as he had performed those OF stablemah'
He kept on scolding and marrying the peo-
pie who should have been at his command:
'Step around lively. Sam. Tell the gen
tleman the black bottle is In the fireplace
cupboard If he wants to sharpen his APP
Npetite Where is that little niger that
picks up chips? Bring me some more
wood from the wood pile! I'll teach you
to go to sleep behind the door!'
Our host served us himself, running
with sleeves turned back to admonish
an imaginary cook. His taproom was the
fireplace cupboard. and it was visited
while we ate our supper. by men IN elk
skin trousers and caps and hooded ca
potes Of blue cloth. These Canadians
mixed their own drink and made cross
mark on the inside Of the. cupboard door,
using a system of bookkeeping evidently
,,sreed upon between themselves and the
landlord He shouted for the lazy bar
keeper, who answered nothing out OF noth-
ingness.
Nightfall was very clear and fair in
this northwestern territory. A man 1elt
near to the sunset. The region took hold
upon me: particularly when one VINO was
neither a warehouseman nor Canadian
fur hunter hurried in and took me by the
hand
II am Pierre Grignon," he said.
Indeed, If he had held his fiddle. and
tuned it upon an arm not quite so stout,
I should have known without being told
that he was the man who had played
In the Saint-Michel cabin while Annabel
de Chaumont climbed the chimney
We sat and talked until the light faded
The landlord brought candle, and yelled
up the loft, where Sekenedonk had already
stretched himself in his blanket, as he
loved to do:
"Chambermaid, light up!''
| "You drive your slaves too hard, land
lord" said Pierre Grignon.
You'd think I hadn't any, Mr.. Grignon
for they're never in the way when they're
wanted"
lone Industrious man you certainl,
have"
Eyes, Sam is a good fellow; but I'll
have to go out and wake him up and make
him rub the horses down.
Never mind said Pierre Grignon. Il n
going to take these travellers home with
, me-"
Now I know how tavern ought to be
kept" said the landlord But what's the
use of my keeping one If Pierre Grignor
, carries off all the guests?'
L all Pri1 t111 Hn Ia n
. lord.
Hes old friend to everybody that come
to Green Bay. I'll never get SO much a.
sign painted to hang in front of tn
>. Palace tavern"
gave him twice his charges and h
said:
What a. loss it was to enterprise in, tn
D Bay when Pierre Grigron came here an
built for the whole United States!'
The Grignon house, whether built TO
the whole United States or not, was tn
largest in Green Bay Its lawn slope
down to the Fox river. 1t was a hug
square Of oak timbers, with detache
kitchen, sheltered by giant elms To th1
day it stands defying time with It's dark
ening frame like some massive rock tn
fan windows in the gables keeping guar
north and south.
A hall divided the house through tn
center and here Madame Grignon we
guest, for this was her custom; and g
soon as she clearly remembered me, lie
Z me into a drawing room where state
old lady sat making lace.
This was the grandmother Of the hous
Such house would have been 1ncomple
without a grandmother at the hearth
The furniture of this hall family roo
had been brought from Montreal; spind
chairs and a pier table Of mahogany;
Turkey carpet, laid smoothly on the pc
ished floor to be spurned aside by your
dancers there; some impossible sea pl
lures. with patron saints in the clouds ov
mariners; an immense stuffed sofa, WI
an arm dividing it across the center;-t
very place for those head-to-head CO.
yersations with young men which the gil
of the house called ''twosing." It. was,
fact, the favorite "twosing' spot of Gre
' Bay.
chairs for old people were not lacking. T
small yellow spinning wheel Of Mada1
IJrsule as T found afterwards Mada1
Grignon was commonly called, stood rea
to reyolve it's golden disk wherever S
sat.
~ The servants were Pawnee India7
~ moving about their duties ALMOST )"
IN stealth.
~ The little Grignon daughter who
stood lost in wonder at the dancing
Annabel de Chaumont, was now a TURF
of heads herself all faxen Whlte, a
contrasting with the darkness of Katar
Tank. Katarina was taken home TO
:, Grtgnon's after her mothers death 81
ann girls had been educated in Montreal.
Its ITS The seigniorial state in which Pie
nE Grignon lived became at once ev1de
bill found it was the custom dur
the Advent for all the villagers to meet In
. IN IN house and sing hymns On Christmas [
mot his tables were loaded for everybody
epa- came. If any one died, he was brou
ma to Pierre Grignon's for prayer, and al
n sSr his buriel, the nourners went back
All Pierre Grignon's for supper. Pie
YE. Grignon and his wife were g
n Iss, father and godmother to most
o. %. the children born at La Baye.
sys-, a. child was left without father and me
ysis. 4er, Pierre Grignon's house became
tn. the ASYLUM until a home could be found
ores it. The few American officers static
ting at the old stockade nearly every ever
its met the beauties of Green Bay at Pit
' t4kk Grignon's and if he did not fiddle
Ess them he led Madame in the dancing.
J or grandmother herself sometimes, took