The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-09-13
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Little Journeys in
Americana
BY LESTER B. COLBY
Vigo's Bell

the story Of Francisco vigo's
bell? vigo of Old vincennes and New
Orleans and many places up and
down the river; vigo, for whom a
county In Indiana Is named. Some
day, II you are in Terre Haute you
may hear the golden note Of Old
vigo's bell and If you ever do. stand
for moment with uncovered head
you will feel the better for 1t. This
is the story Of vigo and his bell.
vigo was Spaniard. he came to
America via Cuba. The Revolution
airy war found him a trader on the
Mississippi He talked Spanish,
French and English and knew quite
bit about the Indians. He was not
friendly to the English. They were
"buying hair" the fresh. red scalps
Of the settlers, men. women and chill
dren-and Vigo didn't think well of
the trade
George Rogers Clark and his ITO
men, 'Tong Knives" they were called
by the Indians, came into the valley
and captured Kaskaskia below st.
Louis, farthest outpost Of the Brit
1sh. who held about everything be-
tween the Alleghenies and Mississip-
pi. All west of that river belonged
to Spain.
When George Rogers Clark and his
men took over Kaskaskia they were
threadbare. The long march overland
had wori out their clothes and shoes
Gunpow Ter and lead was about gone
They were In distress. Vigo. the
trader. came to their relief.
Vigo QUILTED them; gave them ev-
erything he had. Then he went to
Vfncennes to spy out the situation
there. Vincennes must be taken or
Kaskaskfa would surely fall again to
the British. Vigo the trader, spy
for sure, went to the English fort
and offered wares for sale.
Vigo was arrested. The English got
ready to shoot him. But he had
friends among the French in Vim
cennes. They swore that he was
known to them, an honest trader who
regularly trafficked with them and
the Indians, and he was released.
But once released vigo carried the
Information he had with all speed to
Clark. Then daring expedition set
out an expedition that for sacrifice
and courage has seldom been equaled
In history. Vincennes fell and the
British lost a vast domain.
Vigo? oh, yes. This was back in
the latter years Of the Revolutionary
war. George Rogers Clark and his
men had consumed everything vigo
possessed. And Vigo, once prosper
Gus, was broke. Clark gave him an
order on the United States treasury
for $4,000 It was to pay him for
lis goods. Was Vigo paid? No.
Poor old vigo was wheeled to a
pauper's grave In 1886. In his lat
ter years men had considered him
daft. His mind was turned, they
said, by worry over the money he
never could get. Vigo used to talk
Of his dollars" that were coming
some day. But, in his patois he called
them "doleurs." Doleurs in French
means grief and pain. So people who
did not understand, made cruel pun
of the old mans sorrow-"vigo's dol.
eurs" became a joke.
When Vigo died, fifty-seven years
after he had pauperized himself to
help George Rogers Clark and George
Washington and his adopted land, his
executors, who examined his estate"
realized that he had had a strange
and abiding faith. He had always
said, proudly, "Some day the govern
ment will pay" And In his will he
left bequest.
It was this-that when the govern
ment finally paid his "doleurs" a fine
bell was to be bought. The bell was
to be presented to the county Of vigo,
state Of Indiana. The bell was to be
placed In the belfry Of the court.
house In Terre Haute. And when
this was done, it should be rung loud.
ly to proclaim that Old Vigo was
right-the government paid its debts
Yes, the government paid. It paid
In 1875 but poor old vigo had been
dead then for thirty-nine years. The
government had paid ninety-six years
after establishing the Indebtedness.
But 1t paid, as vigo said 1t would. If
you ever hear vigo's bell ring in
Terre Haute, bare your head a mo-
ment. You will feel better for doing
this small homage to Vigo.