The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-09-26
$4,000 IN GOLD AND
SILVER GO TO ALLAY
HUNGER or A DELUGE
Last Member Of Famous
Pioneer Family Found Dead
On Cheyenne Reserve.

Pierre, s. D.. Sept. 24.-With the
death of Joe Narcelle, the half breed,
recently found with a bullet hole
through him on the prairie on the
Cheyenne River reservation, died the
last male member of one OF South Da-
kota's earliest and most interesting
families. Pierre Narcelle, the grand
father, came to this country in 1895,
a boy Of Is years, in the employ OF
a fur trading company which main
tanned a post ear the mouth of Chap
pelle creek. His son Narcisse, Joe's
father, was q big cattleman, with his
home on the headwaters OF Cherry
creek, and ranging his stock over the
Cheyenne River reservation. He was
killed in a runaway last winter.
Young Pierre Narcelle first reached
this country in July, 1926. in company
with some New York men, who estab-
lished the store, as noted, near Chap
pelle creek, and made a mint OF money,
probably netting $25 5000 annually
through their fair dealings with h Da-
kotas, who brought their pelts in from
hundreds of miles around. Pierre was
paid $1,000 a year N board. and be-
Ing thrifty, Unsteady OF sending his
money back to the states. invested 1t in
ponies, which were allowed to range
"tNA hSSN VI IHG IiihldLlS, dlld dELlCtcS
which the fur company did not wish to
handle; and with the increase gradu-
ally became w~ell-to-do, married a
squaw and settled down.
Pierre'S own narrative as recorded
in 1900 Is as follows: my money In
those days was always in gold, and as
there were no banks within hundreds
or miles there was nothing to do but
bank in the ground. In half a dozen
places around my house between the
years 1850 and 1860 / frequently had
from $50, 900 to $50, 900 buried. These
banks. known only to the members
OF my family, and no other persons,
We're good and safe enough until the
spring Of 1861, when three of them
silver"
Around our house on Chappelle
creek was a beautiful park OF five
acres, filled with huge cottonwoods,
many of hem directly on the creek
bank, and deep down beneath their
roots l placed my gold and silver
wrapped in buckskin. All these trees
q plat showing the location Of each
bank and the amount of none 1t con-
tanned. The winter of 1S6O-6l was
very severe, with snow at least three
feet deep on the level. with warm
weather the snow vent of rapidly,
with every prOSpecL or nigh water.
The little bottom about the house had
never overlooked, so we all felt secure.
The house stood fully 40 feet above
high water, and the place where the
money was buried was nearly as high,
20 we felt secure. Day after day the
water rose. until suddenly checked by
4 cold snap.
One day some Indians came down
the river and told us there was a great
Ice gorge at Farm island, below Bad
river, n that the water was backed
up for miles. That night 1t broke and
the water came down. In the morning
It had overlooked our park, to within
a few feet OF the door. All day II
continued to rise and at night was on
the floor Of the house. We moved out
and took up our abode in the barn,
ON still higher ground.
In the morning we were up bright
Ind early to view a great change. The
house was still there, but the bank
where the money was buried was gone.
with nothing to mark the location but
a muddy expanse Of water. All the
trees a been washed out and 1oated
down the river. After the water sub
sided, the boys and myself hunted for
the money, but not n cent could we
find"