both arms. The only reason that I did not cling
with more was that I did not have them.

I went once on a buffalo hunt with my husband. It does not seem possible
that all those animals can be gone. The plains were covered with them.
The steaks from a young male buffalo were the most delicious I have ever
tasted.

Miss Minnesota Neill.

My father, the Reverend Mr. J. D. Neill, first came to St. Paul in April
'49, then returned east to get my mother. In July, when they arrived at
Buffalo on their way west, at the hotel, they met Governor and Mrs.
Ramsey who were on their way to Minnesota to take up their duties there.
They were delighted to meet my father as he was the first man they had
ever met who had seen St. Paul. When they arrived, they were much
surprised at the smallness of the place. My mother was not easily
consoled over the size of their metropolis. Among other supplies she had
brought a broom as she had heard how difficult it was to get them. Mr.
H. M. Rice, who came down to meet them, chided her for being
disappointed and putting the broom over his shoulder with pure military
effect, led her along the little footpath which led over the bluff to
the town, and to the American House. Although this was a hotel par
excellence for the times, the floor was made of splintered, unplaned
boards. My mother was obliged to keep her shoes on until she had got
into bed and put them on before arising, to escape the slivers. The
furniture of the bedroom consisted of a bed and wash stand on which last
piece, the minister wrote powerful sermons. My mother wished to put down
a carpet and bring in some of her own furniture, but the landlady would
not allow this, saying, "There was no knowing where it would stop, if
one was allowed to do the like."

They early began the construction of a small chapel and a large brick
house which later became the stopping place of all ministers entering
the state. In the fall of '49 the house was not completed, but the
chapel was. They felt that the Scotts, where they then lived, needed
their room, so moved into the chapel and putting up their bed on one
side of the pulpit and stove on the other, kept house there for six
weeks. The only drawback was that the bed had to be taken down every
Sunday. In all the six weeks it never rained once on Sunday.

My mother used often to go alone through a ravine at night to see the
Ramsey's. She carried a lantern but was never molested or afraid
althoug