Part 31 (1/2)

We then concluded, after such bad luck with our crops, ould move back to St Paul, where Mr Gress could work at his trade, that of a shoeht when I would assist hih, cloth, buttoned shoe, called a snow shoe I would close the seams, front and back, all by hand, as we had no machine; open seams and back, stitch down flat, and would bind the tops and laps and make fifteen or twenty buttonholes, for 50c a pair The soles would then be put on in the shop For slippers I received 15c for closing and binding the sa the war I made shi+rts and haver-sacks for the soldiers The shi+rts were dark blue wool and ell made and finished I broke the record one day when I arments and took care of four small children

Mr Alvin M Olin--1855

We caht with us four yoke of oxen, thirty-five head of cattle and three hogs We, with a fahter, were four weeks on the way We crossed the river on a ferry at Prairie du Chien and cah Rochester and Cannon Falls and camped at Stanton while I went to a claim near Kenyon, that I had taken up the fall before, to find it had been jumped so I came on to Northfield and took up a claions--known as prairie schooners In these we had our provisions, composed of flour, smoked meats and a barrel of crackers We also had our furniture, chairs and chests and two rocking chairs for the hter Here all of their leisure ti their knitting needles,to themselves to the accompaniment of the thud, thud of the oxen

Each day was opened with the faon ahead with the pigs, this extra ti the boys found they had started back in the same direction from which they had come and had traveled six miles before they found it out

We purchased a barrel of crackers in Milwaukee and our noonday meal consisted of crackers and s butter was made on the way, and bread and biscuits were baked in a kettle

When we staked out our claim, we laid a floor and placed a tent over it where we lived till logs could be procured These we got on the west side of the river, then governles we drove to Trim Mill ten or twelve miles the other side of Prescott, Wis At one time that summer two hundred Indians were camped near our farm for two days on their way to St Paul

Mrs Pauline Hagen

I was four years old when ed to return to Wisconsin to see about our goods which were delayed in co, and father wintered here and took care of us three small children Our house had no floor and very little furniture, and this hand-h the cracks of which the fire could be plainly seen

At bed time father placed us in sacks, firmly tied around our little bodies, and put us on straw beds on the ground and then covered us with straw for war Our food that first winter consisted mostly of corn meal, made up, in a variety of ways But oods, found her faed and none the worse for the severe winter of '55-'56

Mrs Catherine Meade

We were at Fort Ridgely at the tiathered all the women and children of the settlers for protection We could hear the Indian hoops in the distance The confusion was terrible and twelve of the wo the first twenty-four hours I helped Dr Miller, post surgeon, and for forty-eight hours I had no sleep and hardly time to eat Finally, completely exhausted I fell asleep on the floor, with hter by”The Indians are near at hand,” I declared I o on and remained where I was The alarm was a false one and ere all saved

One woman by the name of Jones told me she took part of her children into the stockade and returned for the rest She found herself confronted by two stalwart Indians She rushed into a s herself between the wall and the door kept it closed in this way until help caave birth to a child beforeinto the stockade she fled with her two children into a corn field, pursued by an Indian He lost track of her and as one child started to scream she al place The Indian after half an hour gave up the search

The stockade at Fort Ridgely had four entrances--one at each corner, at which a cannon was placed There was but one eant Frantzkey, and as he had only unskilled help he was kept very busy running back and forth between the four guns A; nails, screws, sharp pieces of iron and steel were saved and the cannons loaded with this mixture called Sharp Nails This was considered much more deadly than cannon balls, for when fired, it would scatter and fly in all directions

The block house--where the aarrison and stockade, as a protection from fire The only way to replenish the supply was to uard was stationed at each end, and one man ran as fast as he could, secured a supply and ran back, of course at the risk of his life The wo their aprons, while ht, when the excite bullets and were obliged to remain until help came from St Paul--nearly teeks

GREYSOLON DU LHUT CHAPTER

Duluth

MARIE ROBERTSON KEITH

(Mrs Chas Keith)

Mr Glass--1848

I came to Minnesota in 1848 and was later purveyor to the Indians An Indian trail extended from Fond du Lac to St Paul It ran from Fond du Lac by trail to Knife Falls, Knife Falls by canoe on St Louis river to Cloquet, froe from there to Grand Rapids, from Grand Rapids by way of the Mississippi river to St Paul