ccessful.

Rolette and I were close friends. We had served together in the council
at its preceding session, and afterwards in the constitutional
convention, and always roomed together when in St. Paul. I lived at
Traverse des Sioux, which is next door to St. Peter, at the time of this
attempt to remove the capital there, but vigorously opposed the measure.
Rolette's life was threatened by the friends of removal, and many is the
night I have played the part of bodyguard to him, armed to the teeth;
but fortunately he was not assailed.

As I rather admired the plucky manner in which my friend had stood by
St. Paul in this, the hour of her danger, I conceived the idea of
preserving the event to history by presenting his portrait to the
Historical Society of the state, which I did, in April, 1890, and also
hung one in the Minnesota Club. It is a capital likeness, representing
him, full life size, in the wild and picturesque costume of the border.
A brass tablet on the frame is inscribed with the following legend: "The
Hon. Joe Rolette, who saved the capital to St. Paul, by running away
with the bill removing it to St. Peter, in 1857."

Joe died at Pembina, and is buried in the graveyard of the old Catholic
church of Belencourt, under a cross of oak, which once bore the words:

"Here reposes Joseph Rolette.
"Born Oct. 23, 1820.
"Died May 16, 1871."

The simple chronicle is long since effaced.

"_Requiescat in pace!_" is the wish and hope of his historian and
friend.

[Illustration]

AN EDITOR INCOG.

In the years 1864 and 1865 I lived in Carson City, the capital of
Nevada, which recently became famous as the place where the great prize
fight between Bob Fitzsimmons and Gentleman Jim Corbett occurred. The
racecourse which became the arena on that occasion was during all the
time of my residence there used by me daily as a gymnasium for exercise.
I had very little to do with the actual politics of the country, because
I was, and had always been, a Democrat of the most uncompromising
character, and the party divisions out in that country were between the
Republicans and men from the Southern States, who were generally
outspoken rebels; and as it was in the midst of the Civil War, the
feeling was intense between them. I was a warm supporter of the war for
the Union, and found myself in the position of a man without a party.
The situation did not incommode me, however, as I was fully occup