y into Minnesota. A constitution for the proposed
state was framed in 1857, and in the fall of that year the election for
the officers of the first state government was held, and, of course,
great interest was manifested as to the result. The general election was
fixed by law for November in all of the counties of the territory except
one. The county of Pembina was so distant from the capital that it was
found to be difficult to get the returns in so as to be counted with
those of the rest of the state. The only transportation between the two
places was by Red River carts, drawn by oxen in the summer, and by dog
trains in the winter; the distance to be travelled was about four
hundred miles, and the time necessary to compass it nearly or quite a
month. The legislature had, in 1853, in order to remedy this difficulty,
and because the population was on its annual buffalo hunt in November,
passed an act fixing the time for holding elections in the county of
Pembina on the second Tuesday in September in each year, thus giving
ample opportunity to get the returns to the authorities in St. Paul in
time to be counted with those from the other districts. The result of
this was that no one outside of Pembina ever knew how many votes had
been polled in that district until long after the rest of the territory
had been heard from, and it became a common saying among the Whigs that
the Pembina returns were held back until it became known how many votes
were necessary to carry the election for the Democrats, and that they
were fixed accordingly, which the Democrats denounced as a Whig lie.

About all that was known of Pembina was that it was inhabited by a
savage looking race of Chippewa half-breeds, and that Joe Rolette lived
there, and Norman W. Kittson went there occasionally. It carried on an
immense trade in furs with St. Paul, by means of brigades of Red River
carts each summer and by dog trains in the winter, and the more you saw
of these people the more you were impressed with their savage appearance
and bearing.

The first state election, curious as it may appear, was held in 1857,
before the state was admitted into the Union, which latter event was
postponed until May 11, 1858, and when the votes from all the counties
except Pembina had been returned to the proper officer the result, as
far as could be ascertained before the official count was made, was
somewhat in doubt, which circumstance naturally excited great interest