. Farming was new to him and he did not make a
great success of it. He was a ship builder by trade.

Once he took a load of pumpkins to town, some twelve or fourteen miles,
getting fifty cents for them. On his return he broke his wagon, costing
a dollar to repair it. He often said he never felt so poor in all his
life, although he lived to be ninety-two years of age. On another
occasion we were out of provisions. He made a trip to the old water
mill, a few miles distant, to get 50c worth of cornmeal, but the
proprietor would not trust him so he had to return home to get a half
dollar that had been laid by for a rainy day. He was thus forced to make
another trip to secure the purchase; by this time we children were good
and hungry.

On another occasion, after killing his hogs, he drove with them one
hundred miles to the lead mines at Galena, but the market was over
stocked so he proceeded to Platteville, Wisconsin, twenty or more miles
further, where he sold the pork for two and one-half cents per pound,
taking one half in store pay and the other half in a note. The note is
still unpaid. It required a week or more to make the trip.

I have always had a great fondness for the Mississippi River. I was born
on its banks and for more than forty years navigated its water. My first
dollar was spent to buy a small skiff. As soon as I was old enough, I
commenced running on the river. My first trip to St. Paul was in 1857. I
was a boy of thirteen. What progress since that time in our state!

The steamboat was a mighty factor in the settlement growth and
development of Minnesota. I feel safe in saying that during the palmy
days of steamboating, more than one thousand different steamers brought
emigrants, their household goods and stock to this commonwealth.

While there were regular lines of steamers, there were also many outside
boats which were termed "wild" boats. These boats would often secure a
full cargo on the Ohio River, or at St. Louis and come to St. Paul. If
water was at a good stage, large profits would result.

A story is told of the steamer, "Fire Canoe." (I will not mention the
captain's name.) The water was low and the boat got aground a good many
times causing much delay. For a meal or two, the passengers were without
meat but soon there seemed to be a plentiful supply of nice fresh
veal--one of the passengers who, with his family and stock of young
calves, was moving to Minnesota, complimented the captain hi