and we all
took chances. Any county could issue money by giving some sort of a
bond, so we had among others "Glencoe County," "Freeborn County",
"Fillmore County," "Chisago County," "La Crosse and La Crescent," and
many others. Daily bulletins were issued telling what money was good. In
the final round up, the only money redeemed at face value was "La Crosse
and La Crescent." I printed a directory with a Mr. Chamberlain of
Boston. I sold my book and took "Wild Cat" in payment and, after paying
the printer, had quite a bunch of it on hand, but merchants would not
take it at its face value. We had no bank of exchange then. Orin Curtis
had a little place he called a bank, but I never saw money go in or out
of it.

I found what was termed a bank on the west side of the river--a two room
affair, up one pair of stairs, and presided over by J. K. Sidle, who
afterwards was president of the First National Bank. He was at that time
loaning money at three per cent a month. The nearest bank of Exchange
was that of Borup & Oakes of St. Paul, and the only way to get there was
to walk or pay Allen & Chase one dollar and a half for the round trip. I
preferred to walk, and so did, to receive an offer of eighty five cents
on the dollar for my "Wild Cat." "No, sir," I said, "I'll go back home
first," and walked back. I made three other trips and finally took
twenty-five cents on the dollar and was glad to get it, for in a short
time, it was worthless. Merchants issued their own individual scrip and
payed many local bills that way. For instance: "David Edwards will pay
five dollars in goods at his store upon presentation of this paper,
etc." Times were hard, but pioneers never desert. They are always on
deck. Hence our Minneapolis of today.

While on this subject of three and five per cent, I will relate an
incident. There was a great revival in the First Methodist Church on the
East Side, J. F. Chaffee, pastor. We all got religion, and I thought I
had a call to preach, so with a dozen others, took on theological
studies. We were very studious and zealous with a prospective D. D.
ahead; but, I "flunked," got disgusted, side tracked the call, and in
time enlisted for the war and went fighting rather than preaching. But,
during the same revival and while it was at white heat, old Squire Geo.
E. H. Day was in the fore front. Now brother Day was very zealous and at
times thought he got at the very foot of the throne; but, he loaned
money at