g. One of them
slipped up, and patting her on the back said, "Tonka squaw! Tonka
squaw!" Tonka meaning big or brave. The Indians reversed their words,
like Minnetonka--water-big--Minne meaning water.

That Indian never came into the house again. The men at the mill were a
little afraid. They thought it unwise of her and kept close watch. The
Indians would come in from hunting and sit around on our floor. Mother
would give them a good kick if they got in the way. This made her more
popular than ever. They considered her a very fine lady because she was
not afraid of them, but cudgelled them about. There were always three or
four of them sitting around on the kitchen floor.

The Indians' sense of humor was very keen. Mrs. Maxwell's little girl
was tow-headed. The Indians always stroked her head and laughed. My
older brother had beautiful curly hair. The Indians called it "Ha-ha
hair"--curling or laughing. He was very fond of the Indians and used to
tumble about them examining their powder horns, until one day an Indian
pulled up his top curl and ran around it with the back of his knife as
if to say what a fine scalp that would be. The frightened boy never
would go near them again.

"Washta Doc" pronounced gutturally and meaning North Bay is the original
of Wayzata, pronounced, Waytzete.

Colonel A. P. Connolly--1857.

By rail and boat we reached St. Paul on Friday, in May '57. A party of
us who had become acquainted on the steamer, chartered a small
four-wheel craft, two-horse affair and headed toward St. Anthony. We
came up to the old government road passing the "Half Way House" and the
well known Larpenteur and Des Noyer farms. It had been raining and the
roads were bad. Four times we had to get out, put our shoulders to the
wheels and get our little craft on the terra firma.

The palatial Winslow house built at this time was largely patronized in
summer by the slave-holding aristocracy of the South. I remember one
southerner, Colonel Slaybeck, by name, who used to come each year with
his family and servants. He would always say to his slaves, "Now you are
in the north where they do not own slaves, and if you wish to escape,
this is your chance to run away." Not one of his servants ever took the
opportunity.

My first unpleasant experience was in connection with this house. I was
one of its builders for I put on lath at 4 cents a yard. By working
early and late, I made $4 a day. I was very economical and trust