The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-06-30

ing passed the two previous years IN
the city of Boston, qualifying myself
TO do business. to seek my fortune IN
Chicago l went via. the New YORK
Central railroad to Buffalo, where l
remained one day, and then started
on the steam propeller, "Sciota,
loaded with railroad iron and bound
for Chicago.
Lake Erie was placid and lovely
when we started, on Friday at q p.
M. but some time during the night
the winds broke loose and started
racket, and when daylight came it
looked as il our boat was trying alter
nately to scoot up to the clouds, and
down to the bottom of the lake, and
1 wondered if the world was about to
come to an end. The lake was very
rough on Saturday, and then we pass
ed I'D the beautiful st. Clair lake and
river, and the remainder of the voy-
age to Chicago, where we arrived on
Friday, Sept. I'd, was charming.
was disappointed in Chicago. 1t
contained about 90, 600 people; its
streets were unpaved, except with
plank, and muddy and nasty. Many
people had died there with the cholera
the previous year and I was afraid of
getting sick. so on Monday, Sept. 10Th,
| pushed out for ST. Paul, place l
had never heard of until my arrival at
Chicago.
went by rail as far as Freeport.
Illinois, where the railroad ended,
then mounted one of feet of stage
coaches belonging to NJ. o. Walker
and spent the whole beautiful moon
light night in riding fifty miles over
the sparseley settled prairie and
through the oak openings, arriving
at Galena at daybreak. This moon
light ride On the top of Concord
coach was so charming that its mem
cries have always remained with me.
After getting on the cars at Chicago,
l fortunately met an old acquaintance,
business man from Boston, who was
taking little pleasure trip to that
"out of the world place." st. Paul,
and we journeyed together until we
reached his destination.
During the day we visited the lead
mines and some of the pottery works
at Galena, and, at four p. m. started
up the river on the large steam
boat, "West Newton" with over 5O'
passengers, who were dumped off a
the many landing places on both side
of the river The treaty with tn
Sioux Indians had been ratified, ant
the stream of immigration into Min
nesota had just fairly set in.
Our trip up to ST. Paul was con
tinual pleasure. We passed many EN-
bryo cities on the river banks, an
most of them always remained in EN-
!. bryo, but the sites of Brownsville
Winona, Reeds Landing, Wabashs
Red Wing and Hastings each contain
ed, apparently, from two to about
dozen houses. This was the hrst yea
that white men had settled on th
west side of the Mississippi rivel
within the territory of Minnesota.
When we awoke on the morning
Friday, the 25th, our steamboat ws
lying quietly at the landing in s
Paul. While on the steamboat l mad
the acquaintance of Alexander Catf
cart, st. Paul dry-goods merchan
The city claimed population of tw
thousand, but most of it was transfer
lumbermen, boatmen, raftsmen, etc
together with many tourists who ha
found their way up into this corner (
the world. Sterse & Hunt had I'll
only brick business house / notice
in st. Paul
We went in hack to Fort Snellir