The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-10-30
CHAPTER II.
History Of the Beaucaires.

History Of the 6~eaucaires.
The first two days and nights Of the
journey southwark were devoid of any
special interest or adventure. After
the first day Kirby withdrew all atten-
ton from me and ceased in his en-
deavor to cultivate my acquaintance,
convinced of my Discrimination to in
dulge in cards. Throckmorton, being
his own pilot, seldom left the Wheel
house, and consequently I passed many
hours on the bench beside him. At one
time or another he had met the IA
nous characters along the river banks,
and through continual questioning I
thus finally became possessed of the
story of the house of Beaucaire.
features. Through the personal in
fuence of D'Iberville at Louis court
Alphonse de Beaucaire had originally
received a royal grant of ten thou
sand acres of land bordering the west
bank of The Mississippi a few miles
above st. Louis. When his master re-
turned to France leaving him unem-
ployed, Beaucaire, possessing ample
means of his own, had preferred to re-
| main in America. In fiatboats, pro-
PEELED by voyageurs, and accompanied
by a considerable retinue of slaves. he,
with his family, had assembled the river
and finally settled on his princely es-
tate. Here he erected what for those
early days was a stately mansion, and
devoted himself to %cultivating the
land. Twenty years later, when his
death occurred, he possessed the finest
property along the upper river, was
shipping heavily to the New Orleans
market, and was probably the most
influential man in all that section.
His only son, Felipe, succeeded him,
but was not sc successful in admins
t~ration, seriously lacking in business
judgment, and being decidedly indo-
lent by nature. Felipe married into
one Of the oldest and most respectable
families of st. Louis, and as a result
| of that union had one son, Lucius, who
grew up reckless of restraint, and pre-.
ferred to spend his time in New Or.
leans, rather than upon the plantation,
Lucius was a young man Of twenty.
six, unsettled in habits, when the IA
Their died, and, against his inclination,
was compelled to return to Missouri
and assume control of the property
He found matters in rather bad cOndi'
ton, and his was not at all the type
of mind to remedy them. Much of the
land had been already irretrlevably
lost through speculation, and when his
fathers obligations had been met, ani
his own gambling debts paid, the es
tate, once so princely and magnificent
was reduced to barely five hundred
acres, together with 9 comparativel,
small amount of cash. This condition
suficed to sober Lucius for a few
years, and he married a Menard O.
Cape Girardeau, of excellent famil!
but not great wealth, and earnestl!
endeavored to rebuild his fortunes
Unfortunately his reform did not last
The evil influences Of the past sOol
proved too strong for n Of his TEN
permanent. The plantation house be
came in time a rendezvous for all tn,
wild spirits Of that neighborhood, an
stories of fierce drinking bouts an,
mad gambling were current in 81
Louis.
"Have you ever been at Beaucairt
captain?" I asked.
I'VE ..lways stop at the landing, bu
/ have only once been up the cliff t
where the house stands. The judg
was away from home-in st. Louis.