a freight than a passenger boat. She only made
three trips to St. Paul that year. We bought wood along the way,
anywheres we could see a few sticks that some settler had cut. The
Indians always came down to see us wherever we stopped. I did not take
much of a fancy to them devils, even then. It was so cold the fifteenth
day of October that the Captain was afraid that his boat would freeze
in, so would go no further and dumped us in Stillwater. Cold! Well, I
should say it was pretty durned cold!

I had been a sailor, so knew little about other work. On the way up, I
kept wondering, am I painter, blacksmith, shoemaker, carpenter or
farmer? On voyages, the sailors always got together and discussed the
farm they were to have when they saw fit to retire. Said farm was to be
a lot with a vine-wreathed bungalow on some village street. Having
talked this question over so much with the boys, I felt quite
farmerfied, though I had never used shovel, hoe or any farm tool. I said
to myself, I must find out what I am at once for I only have four
shillings. My brother-in-law borrowed this, for it was agreed that he
should go on to St. Paul. As I walked along the one street in Stillwater
with its few houses, I saw a blacksmith shop with the smith settin' and
smokin' and stopped to look things over. There were three yoke of oxen
standing ready to be shod. They were used to haul square timbers. The
smith asked me if I could shoe an ox and then slung one up in the sling
'way off the ground. I did not see my way clear to shoe this ox, so saw
I was not a blacksmith. I could see that there were not houses enough
around to make the paintin' trade last long so gave that up too. In a
little leanto I saw a man fixing a pair of shoes. I watched him, but saw
nothing that looked possible to me so said to myself, "Surely I am no
shoemaker." Further I met a young man sauntering along the road and
asked him about farming. Said he, "You can't raise nothing in this here
country. It would all freeze up; besides the soil is too light." Well,
thinks I, it takes money to buy a hoe anyway, so I guess I'm no farmer.

I went up to the hotel and stayed all night. My brother-in-law had left
a tool chest with me. I was much afraid they would ask for board in
advance, but they did not. In the morning, the proprietor said, "I have
a job of work I want done--is that your chest?" I said, "Here is the
key." "Then", said he, "you are a carpenter." I had worked a littl