with one of
these carts was twelve miles. The first stop was at Elk River, now
Dalyrimple, then to Goose River, the present site of Caledonia and then
to Frog Point and from there to what is now Grand Forks. The freight was
teamed to and from St. Cloud and Benson.

Mr. Charles M. Loring--1860.

On the 20th day of September 1860, I reached Minneapolis with my wife
and little son, and went to the Nicollet Hotel where I made arrangements
for board for the winter. The hotel was kept by Eustis & Hill. They
fixed the price at $6.00 a week including fire and laundry for the
family, i. e. $2.00 a week for each person. Mr Loren Fletcher occupied
the rooms adjoining and paid the same price that I paid, notwithstanding
there were but two in his family, but his rooms were considered to be
more favorably located being on the corner of Hennepin and Washington
Avenues.

The cook at the hotel was a Mrs. Tibbets from New England who was an
expert in preparing the famous dishes of that section of our country,
and in the many years that have elapsed since that time, I have never
been in a hotel where cooking was so appetizing.

Our first winter in Minnesota was passed in the most delightful and
pleasant manner.

The following spring, I rented the house on the corner of what is now
Third Avenue and Sixth Street, for the sum of $6.00 a month. This house
is still standing and is a comfortable two story New England house. At
that time it stood alone on the prairie with not more than three or four
houses south of it. One of these is still standing at the corner of
Tenth Street and Park Avenue and is occupied as a "Keeley Cure."

There were few luxuries in the market, but everything that could be
purchased was good and cheap. There was but one meatshop which was kept
by a Mr. Hoblet. He kept his place open in the forenoon only, as his
afternoons were spent in driving over the country in search of a "fat
critter." The best steaks and roasts were 8c a pound and chickens 4 to
6c a pound. Eggs, we bought at 6c a dozen and butter at 8 to 10c a
pound. In winter, we purchased a hind quarter of beef at 3 and 4c a
pound, chickens 3c and occasionally pork could be bought at 6c a pound,
but this was rarely in market. Mutton was never seen. Prairie chickens,
partridges, ducks and venison was very plentiful in the season and very
cheap. We used to purchase these in quantities after cold weather came,
freeze them and pack them in snow. This worked w