ewas
and had their wounded with them and many gory scalps, too. We ran
shrieking for the house but only our timid mother and grandmother were
there. The Sioux camped just above the house, and at night had their war
dance. I was only seven years old at the time, but I shall never forget
the awful sight of those dripping scalps and those hollering, whooping
fiends, as they danced. I think they must have been surprised in camp by
the Chippewas for they had wounded squaws, too, with them. One old one
was shot through the mouth. The men were hideously painted. One side of
one's face would be yellow and the other green. It seemed no two were
exactly alike.
One Sunday morning I was barefoot, playing in the yard. There were
bushes around and I heard a queer noise like peas rattling in a box. I
could not see what made it, so finally ran in and told father. He came
out and lifted up a wide board over two stones. He jumped back and
called to me to run in the house, then grabbed an ax and cut the head
off a huge rattlesnake. It had ten rattles. We never saw its mate.
The first school taught in Minneapolis proper was taught by Clara
Tuttle, a niece of Calvin Tuttle, in one of the rooms of the government
log cabin where we were living in '51. The pupils were her cousins. Miss
Tuttle returned to the east the next summer and died of consumption. My
cousin Luella Tuttle, the next year used to go over to St. Anthony to
school, on the logs, jumping from one to the other, rather than wait for
the ferry.
In '58 we returned to Minneapolis to live. Old Dr. Ames was our doctor.
He was one of the finest men that ever lived. I had terrible nose
bleeds. His treatment was to whittle pine plugs and insert them in the
nostrils. It always cured. No matter how poor a patient was, Dr. Ames
always did his best. No child was ever afraid of him. He was very slow
in his movements.
Mrs. Mary Harrison--1850.
I came to Minnesota from Maine. I had never been on the railroad or seen
a train, so when I saw what I thought then was the most awe inspiring
and stupendous mechanism there was ever going to be in the world, I took
my seat with elation and bumped along on that crazy track with the
greatest joy. I took no thought of danger. Now I should want an
insurance of $100,000 to ride a block under those circumstances. The
rails were of wood, with an iron top. I have heard my friends say that
these iron pieces sometimes came up through the floor. We we
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