Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/177



their homes in this village. He employed Indian women and old men of the tribe to work in the mines. He learned the habits, superstitions and traditions of the Fox nation and in the course of a few years had acquired great influence with them. They gave him the name of “Little Cloud.”

He opened farms, built fences, erected houses and a horse mill. He put up a smelting furnace on a point now known as Dubuque Bluff. He opened stores, bought furs, sold goods and Indian trinkets, carrying on a large business, including the preparation of ore for market. Twice a year he took boatloads of ore, furs and hides to St. Louis, exchanging them for good, supplies and money.

He became well known in that city as the largest trader of the upper Mississippi Valley and his semi-annual trips were events of importance to that frontier town. Dubuque is described as a man of medium size, wiry and well built, with black hair and eyes, very courteous an affable, with all grace of the typical Frenchman. He was an accomplished diplomat but was not successful in making money. After eight years in mining and trading he made an effort to secure a title to his leased lands, the only title he held being the permit granted by a council of Fox Indians. The instrument executed was a concession or permit from the Indians to Dubuque to mine for lead ore on the lands described. He now claimed that he had paid for the lands in goods and in October, 1796, he presented to the Spanish Governor of Louisiana a petition asking a title to the lands.

Dubuque fully realized the value which time and development must bring to his munificent possessions and took every precaution to perfect his title to the grant. The petition was referred by Governor Carondelet to Don Andrew Todd, a prominent merchant who had secured a monopoly of the Indian trade with the tribes of the Mississippi Valley. Todd was requested to examine into the nature of Dubuque's claim and report to the Governor.