Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1903-01-29
|WhitGHandl
"a Tale Of tho Early Settlers F;
/ Of Louisiana. ;
R Nv AUSTIN @. BuRpIcK
cHApTEn 1.

CHAPTER l.
We who turn our eyes westward and
beholhing the "Star OF Empire" setting
amid the golden waters OF the Pacific,
while the folds OF our nations banner al
most enwrap the continent. are pron0 70
look upon the valley OF the Mississippi aa
a region old In civilization. Yet, long
after the Atlantic shores were gemmcd
With cities and thriving villages, the
great valley OF the mld-continent was II
vast solitude unknown TO our forefathers
Long after colleges and schools. govern
ments and courts. societies and churches,
had arisen and aourIshed Ia the Atlantic
colonies, the red man hunted his game
In the forest, and drove bis canoe over
the bosom Of tho great Father OF Waters.
unmolestcd by the pale-faced invader.
In the middle OF the sixteen century, a
bold aud hardy band OF adventurous
knights and warriors. led by HcrDando do
Soto, landed at the bay Of Santo Spiritu,
In Florida, aud, In nil the pride and pomp
OF glorious array. started of through the
deep forests In quest OF those tabled
cities where untold gold awaited their
coming. On they went. meeting and
VNNEAbmlHk buAANNlth Hhhg
at length, a worn aud weary remnant OF
the once proud host sat down to rest upon
the bank OF the mighty river. A little
further on, they went through the wilds
OF Arkansas, but the same stern, dark
forest, with It's ayeng,ng hordoa OF red
men, met Eiem nt every step, and they
came back TO the Mississippi, where DE
Soto laid down and died. Ills great,
hard heart was broken. The remnant OF
his party hastily constructed few rude
vessels, and sailed down the river, fol-
lowed by the curses OF the Indians.
After this, the great valley rcmaIncd
untrodden by the white men for cen.
tury aud half, when. In July. i0T3, n
small band Of Europeans and Canadians,
under Joliet and Marquette. reached the
banks OF the great river. They had come
from the 81. Lawrence. and had wan
dered through the vast soltudes of the
Maumee and the Wabash. They hoated
down as far as the mouth OF the Ar
kansas, where, having made themselves
sure that the Mississippi emptied into tho
Gulf OF Mexico, they returned 10 their
people In Canada, Great rejoicings were
held over the reports these adventures
brought with them; yet Joliet and Mar
quette both died ere the white man again
sought the Father Of Waters.
Seven years later. the celebrated La
Sale. at the head Of forty soldiers and a
few monks, found the mighty river. and
after recrossing the Atlantic, and return
Ing with more aid, and after passing
through adventures almost Incredible, he
fairly commenced q colony In Louisiana.
In 1887. he was assassinated by his own
companions, and the few white men left
were little better than a mere handful
Of wanderers In the wilderness.
A few years later. came the men whose
names are cherished as among those who
suffered the most and worked the most
faithfully for the noble homes of the
South. Most prominent among them
were the two brothers, Iberville and
Bienville, the latter OF whom was the
founder Of the city Of New Orleans. and
From this time really commenced the
growth OF Louisiana.
This territory was inhabited by numer-
ous tribes OF Indians, more numerous,
perhaps, than In any other section Of the
country. Some Of them were mere fam
llies, Insignificant In their capacity as dis
tinctive tribes, but yet speaking an idiom
peculiar to themselves, chcrishing their
own exclusive traditions, and exercising
all the rights Of Independent powers. But
the principal tribes In the southern coun-
try were three in numbcr-the Natchex,
the Choctaws, and the Chickasaws, and
with these and the Yazoos. did the
French Of that period have mostly to
deal.
1t was In the summer Of 1927 that we
introduce our readers to n pleasant home
on the banks Of the Mississippi. Some
forty miles above where the city OF Baton
Rouge now stands, the Marquis Brion st.
julien had located himself, and erected a
house. Ho was now past the prime OF
life, having been some five years ON tho
road through the second half century OF
his life, and had left France out Of pure
disgust for the society he was Obliged
TO mingle with there. Unlike most OF
those who came to the new home In the
vast wilderness, he was wealthy, He
had left his wife in the tomb OF her an
cestors, and her death was severe blow
upon his noble heart.
Money was potent, even In the wilder
ness, and the marquis had the most
sumptuous residence In the country. Near
his estate, the great river made sweep
to the westward, md his house was built
upon small tributary stream, which ran
nearly south from It's source, and at a
distance Of nearly two miles from the
Mississippi.
Here he and his family lived, with such
OF his domestics as were needed about
him. The house faced to the west beinv
about ten rods from the river. Next were
two buildings one upon the north and
the other upon the south of the main
house, and each about twenty feet dis
tant. These were for the residence Of the
black slaves. Then back Of all these, and
distant forty feet, we're two more build
ings, one of them, twenty feet square,
was for the stable, and the other, fifty
feet square, was for the general store
house of provisions for both man and
beast. In front Of the main dwelling(
extended beautiful garden almost to
the river, Outside Of oil, was a stout,
barricade, completely enclosing the
grounds on which stood the buildings and
most of the garden. 1t was formed Of
posts driven firmly into the ground, at
the distance of foot apart and twelve
feet high, and then these intervals were
tightly allied with other upright timbers,
firmly fastened in their places by trans
verse girths and stout wooden pins.
There were numerous loop or portfolios
through this barricade, which could be
opened or closed at pleasure.
The whole household Of the marquis
consisted Of fifty-two persons. There
were himself and two children, and one