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4AUTOBIOGRtAPHY
ed to settle in business, and gave us a history of a recent ex-
perience in a trip through the Mediterranean. He said
he was employed by the steamship company to settle up
some matters between rival lines of boats, for which they paid
him $10,000, making it one of the most profitable pleasure
trips he had ever taken. He was then employed to settle up
a matter between the State and the old Milwaukee railroad,
for which he said he expected to get $10,000. With many good
wishes he bade us good-bye when the boat landed at La Crosse.
   When we arrived at Reed's Landing we learned that the
last boat had gone down the river, and the only thing we
could do would be to board the next boat coming along that
would land us at North Pepin, and from there hire a team to
Eau Claire. We met at North Pepin a gentleman and his wife
who afterwards lived for several years in Eau Claire, on their
first trip to Eau Claire. We hired a team together and the
first day drove to Dunnville, where we remained all night.
The only room left in the hotel was a large one with two beds.
Your mother and the other lady went to bed and turned the
light down, but not so much but we could see which bed we
belonged in. Next morning we were up early and learned
there was a man sick with small pox in the room next to the
one we had occupied. He had been to St. Louis with a little lot
of lumber from Yellow river, and was taken with the small pox
when he got that far on his way back.
           ACQUAINTED WITH J. G. THORP
   We reached Elk Creek in time for dinner and there met
Mr. J. G. Thorp, who had been over to Eau Galle. They had
sent him there with a team, but he was going to foot it to Eau
Claire. I had heard about Chapman & Thorp buying the prop-
erty from Carson & Rand when I was -here in February, and I
thought it was our duty to take Mr. Thorp into our carriage
and bring him to Eau Claire with us. After reaching Eau
Claire we were directed by him to the boarding house for the
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