Anthony, just as we came to the
highest point, I looked all around and said "This is the most beautiful
country I have ever seen."

Where Mrs. Richard Chute lived in Minneapolis, the view was wonderfully
beautiful. Near there, was a house with the front door on the back side
so that the view could be seen better. Times were very, very hard in '57
and '58. We never saw any money and to our Yankee minds this was the
worst part of our new life. A friend had been staying with us for months
sharing what we had. One day he said to my husband, "I'm here and I'm
stranded, I can see no way to pay you anything, but I can give you an
old mare which I have up in the country." He finally induced Mr. Todd to
take her and almost immediately, we had a chance to swap her for an
Indian pony. A short time after, there was a call for ponies at the fort
and the pony was sold to the Government for $50.00 in gold. This seemed
like $1,000.00 would now.

The first time I saw an apple in Minnesota was in '58. A big spaniel had
come to us, probably lost by some party of homeseekers. After having him
a short time, we became very tired of him. One of the teamsters was
going to St. Paul, so we told him to take the dog and lose him. Better
than that, he swapped him for a barrel of apples with a man who had
brought them up the river as a speculation. The new owner was to take
the dog back down the river that day, but that dog was back almost as
soon as the teamster was. We used to joke and say we lived on that dog
all winter.

The early settlers brought slips of all kinds of houseplants which they
shared with all. The windows were gay with fuchias, geraniums, roses,
etc. Most everyone had a heliotrope too. All started slips under an
inverted tumbler to be ready for newcomers.

Mr. Edwin Clarke--1856.

On April 12, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln, two days prior to his
assassination, signed my commission as United States Indian Agent for
the Chippewas of the Mississippi, Pillager and Lake Winnebagosish bands,
and the Indians of Red Lake and Pembina.

The Mississippi Bands, numbering about two thousand five hundred, were
principally located around Mille Lac, Gull and Sandy Lakes; the Pillager
and Winnebagosish bands, about two thousand, around Leach,
Winnebagosish, Cass and Ottertail Lakes; the Red Lake Bands, numbering
about fifteen hundred, were located about Red Lake and the Pembina Bands
about one thousand at Pembina and Turtle Mountain, D