Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-03
KEOKUK'S ONLY HEIR
GRANDDAUGHTER OF FAMOUS IN.
DIAN cHlEFTAIN EARNS HER
LIVING IN DIES MONIES.

LIVING IN DIES MONIES.
Sad Story of Miss Octave de Louis,
White Haired Woman With a Ro.
/ mantle History-Gves Music Les
sons for Living-vast Estate Gone.
Miss Octave de Louis, of Des Moines,
the only living descendant of the fam
GUS Chief Keoiuk, in years past fire.
quently visited in Ottumwa and is re-
membered today by many Of the older
residents of the city. Through the per-
| fidy OF two successive guardians Miss
de Louis who as child was possessed
of almost untold wealth. is today earn
| ing her living as a private teacher of
music in the city of Des Moines.
| The Ottumwans who remember Miss
de Louis will be interested in the fol-
lowing brief story of her life as 1t ap-
peared recently in a Des Moines pa
per:
Once the proud young daughter of a
gallant chevalier of the Legion Of Hon
or, who fought side by side with Napo-
leon, with boundless wealth at her
command-now poor music teacher,
with snow-white hair, earning her liv-
ing with simple dignity that forbids
too great a curiosity about the events
which have thrown such halo of ro-
nance about her life-this is the story
of Miss Octave de Louis of 71S West
Fourth street, as told by her own lips
for the first time for publication.
Daughter of Romantic Marriage.
The daughter of most romantic
marriage between a gallant officer of
the French army, who wooed beauti-
full and gentle Indian maid, said to be
a daughter of Chief Keol1ul, for his
bride; brought up in secluded con-
vent and turned adrift at the age of 20
years; defrauded of all of her immense
fortune and as ignorant of the ways of
the world as a 5-year-old babe, Miss
De Louis life story contains all the
elements of romance, intrigue and
pathos, necessary to a modern histor-
ical novel
When the dark grave swallowed up
the pretty Indian bride it took also all
the sunshine from the life of the young
French chevalier. Henceforth every
thing must be gray and desolate Yet
he turned from the grave while the
drops of grief were yet wet upon his
lashes to tenderly minister to the IL
weeks-old baby girl and the older boy,
left motherless. They were placed in
convent; and when Henri de Louis
tvoc IN jNi &c hriH tha ~
estates were turned over to a trusted
friend. How well that friend fulfilled
his trust white-haired woman, with
dark eyes and French accent, who
today is struggling for livelihood as
a private music teacher in the city of
Des Moines. can tell.
Knows Little Of History.
| Miss De Louis knows but little Of the
history of her parents and who were
| her relatives. From certain facts OBJ
tanned, it is thought she is direct de-
scendant of Chief Keokuk. All the ro-
mantle love story of her parents was
enacted in that part of Iowa which Is
now the city of Keokuk. Her mother
was beautiful girl, educated at the
Convent of the Sacred Heart ST. Louis,
| eLllO lllC oWhC1 VI a SooG CSGolC, WlllCu
is now part of the famous Half-Breed
tract
| Her father was Henri de Louis of
France, who had followed the Corsican
hero over the SHOWS of the Alps and to
the bloody battlefelds of Waterloo
The little girl, Octave, was II years
old when the father died, leaving his
two children at the Convent of the
Visitation in Keokuk and appointing as
guardian James L. Estes. a man of
humble circumstances in Keokul. Mr..
Estes, however soon began to prosper.
His humble home soon took the proper
tions of palatial residence, surround
ed with beautiful grounds, filled with
cleaning white statuary and tinkling
/ fountains Thither to some of the big
parties given the little French maid
from The convent was hidden and per.
mitted to feast her eyes on the splen.
dor. Playing too fast and loose, how
ever at last forced Mr.. Estes into
bankruptcy, leaving the De Louis es.
tate in sadly mixed up condition. A
second guardian was appointed. He
was kind, and the girl, then budding
into young womanhood, was content
Meanwhile tract after tract of the lands
were sold, but their proceeds failed to
go to her who was the daughter of a
proud race. Nurtured in the shelter OF
the convert for so many years, both
the boy and the girl were as ignorant
of the stern realities of life as it were
possible to be, when at last the realiza
ton dawned upon them that they were
penniless and alone in the world. Miss
De Louis had received fine musical
education at the convent, and when q
priest of st. Ambrose church of Des
Moincs heard her play he sought hel
services at once as pipe organist fol
his church.
Searches for Relatives.
So at the age of 20, ignorant even as
to the price of rooms and board. Miss
De Louis came with her brother to Des
Moines. where she has pursued hel
musical career ever since as a means Of
i livelihood, the brother having died
some time since. She has no trace Of
her mothers family beyond an aunt
who used occasionally to write her, bu
oh uoc oycoodipolv yyoo1th1, &c