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rdly　believe　that　in　these　days　there　should　be　a　living　village　called　Minneapolis　by　living　men。　　I　presume　I　should　describe　it　as　a　town；　for　it　has　a　municipality；　and　a　post…office；　and；　of　course；　a　large　hotel。　　The　interest　of　the　place；　however；　is　in　the　saw…　mills。　　On　the　opposite　side　of　the　water；　at　St。　Anthony；　is　another　very　large　hoteland　also　a　smaller　one。　　The　smaller　one　may　be　about　the　size　of　the　first…class　hotels　at　Cheltenham　or　Leamington。　　They　were　both　closed；　and　there　seemed　to　be　but　little　prospect　that　either　would　be　opened　till　the　war　should　be　over。　　The　saw…mills；　however；　were　at　full　work；　and　to　my　eyes　were　extremely　picturesque。　　I　had　been　told　that　the　beauty　of　the　falls　had　been　destroyed　by　the　mills。　　Indeed；　all　who　had　spoken　to　me　about　St。　Anthony　had　said　so。　　But　I　did　not　agree　with　them。　　Here；　as　at　Ottawa；　the　charm　in　fact　consists；　not　in　an　uninterrupted　shoot　of　water；　but　in　a　succession　of　rapids　over　a　bed　of　broken　rocks。　　Among　these　rocks　logs　of　loose　timber　are　caught；　which　have　escaped　from　their　proper　courses；　and　here　they　lie；　heaped　up　in　some　places；　and　constructing　themselves　into　bridges　in　others；　till　the　freshets　of　the　spring　carry　them　off。　The　timber　is　generally　brought　down　in　logs　to　St。　Anthony；　is　sawn　there；　and　then　sent　down　the　Mississippi　in　large　rafts。　These　rafts　on　other　rivers　are；　I　think；　generally　made　of　unsawn　timber。　　Such　logs　as　have　escaped　in　the　manner　above　described　are　recognized　on　their　passage　down　the　river　by　their　marks；　and　are　made　up　separately；　the　original　owners　receiving　the　valueor　not　receiving　it　as　the　case　may　be。　　〃There　is　quite　a　trade　going　on　with　the　loose　lumber；〃　my　informant　told　me。　　And　from　his　tone　I　was　led　to　suppose　that　he　regarded　the　trade　as　sufficiently　lucrative；　if　not　peculiarly　honest。　There　is　very　much　in　the　mode　of　life　adopted　by　the　settlers　in　these　regions　which　creates　admiration。　　The　people　are　all　intelligent。　　They　are　energetic　and　speculative；　conceiving　grand　ideas；　and　carrying　them　out　almost　with　the　rapidity　of　magic。　　A　suspension　bridge　half　a　mile　long　is　erected；　while　in　England　we　should　be　fastening　together　a　few　planks　for　a　foot　passage。　Progress；　mental　as　well　as　material；　is　the　demand　of　the　people　generally。　　Everybody　understands　everything；　and　everybody　intends　sooner　or　later　to　do　everything。　　All　this　is　very　grand；　but　then　there　is　a　terrible　drawback。　　One　hears　on　every　side　of　intelligence；　but　one　hears　also　on　every　side　of　dishonesty。　　Talk　to　whom　you　will；　of　whom　you　will；　and　you　will　hear　some　tale　of　successful　or　unsuccessful　swindling。　　It　seems　to　be　the　recognized　rule　of　commerce　in　the　far　West　that　men　shall　go　into　the　world's　markets　prepared　to　cheat　and　to　be　cheated。　　It　may　be　said　that　as　long　as　this　is　acknowledged　and　understood　on　all　sides；　no　harm　will　be　done。　　It　is　equally　fair　for　all。　　When　I　was　a　child　there　used　to　be　certain　games　at　which　it　was　agreed　in　beginning　either　that　there　should　be　cheating　or　that　there　should　not。　　It　may　be　said　that　out　there　in　the　Western　States；　men　agree　to　play　the　cheating　game；　and　that　the　cheating　game　has　more　of　interest　in　it　than　the　other。　　Unfortunately；　however；　they　who　agree　to　play　this　game　on　a　large　scale　do　not　keep　outsiders　altogether　out　of　the　playground。　　Indeed；　outsiders　become　very　welcome　to　them；　and　then　it　is　not　pleasant　to　hear　the　tone　in　which　such　outsiders　speak　of　the　peculiarities　of　the　sport　to　which　they　have　been　introduced。　　When　a　beginner　in　trade　finds　himself　furnished　with　a　barrel　of　wooden　nutmegs；　the　joke　is　not　so　good　to　him　as　to　the　experienced　merchant　who　supplies　him。　　This　dealing　in　wooden　nutmegs；　this　selling　of　things　which　do　not　exist；　and　buying　of　goods　for　which　no　price　is　ever　to　be　given；　is　an　institution　which　is　much　honored　in　the　West。　　We　call　it　swindlingand　so　do　they。　　But　it　seemed　to　me　that　in　the　Western　States　the　word　hardly　seemed　to　leave　the　same　impress　on　the　mind　that　it　does　elsewhere。　On　our　return　down　the　river　we　passed　La　Crosse；　at　which　we　had　embarked；　and　went　down　as　far　as　Dubuque　in　Iowa。　　On　our　way　down　we　came　to　grief　and　broke　one　of　our　paddle…wheels　to　pieces。　　We　had　no　special　accident。　　We　struck　against　nothing　above　or　below　water。　　But　the　wheel　went　to　pieces；　and　we　laid　to　on　the　river　side　for　the　greater　part　of　a　day　while　the　necessary　repairs　were　being　made。　　Delay　in　traveling　is　usually　an　annoyance；　because　it　causes　the　unsettlement　of　a　settled　purpose。　　But　the　loss　of　the　day　did　us　no　harm；　and　our　accident　had　happened　at　a　very　pretty　spot。　　I　climbed　up　to　the　top　of　the　nearest　bluff；　and　walked　back　till　I　came　to　the　open　country；　and　also　went　up　and　down　the　river　banks；　visiting　the　cabins　of　two　settlers　who　live　there　by　supplying　wood　to　the　river　steamers。　　One　of　these　was　close　to　the　spot　at　which　we　were　lying；　and　yet　though　most　of　our　passengers　came　on　shore；　I　was　the　only　one　who　spoke　to　the　inmates　of　the　cabin。　　These　people　must　live　there　almost　in　desolation　from　one　year's　end　to　another。　　Once　in　a　fortnight　or　so　they　go　up　to　a　market　town　in　their　small　boats；　but　beyond　that　they　can　have　little　intercourse　with　their　fellow…creatures。　Nevertheless　none　of　these　dwellers　by　the　river　side　came　out　to　speak　to　the　men　and　women　who　were　lounging　about　from　eleven　in　the　morning　till　four　in　the　afternoon；　nor　did　one　of　the　passengers；　except　myself；　knock　at　the　door　or　enter　the　cabin；　or　exchange　a　word　with　those　who　lived　there。　I　spoke　to　the　master　of　the　house；　whom　I　met　outside；　and　he　at　once　asked　me　to　come　in　and　sit　down。　　I　found　his　father　there　and　his　mother；　his　wife；　his　brother；　and　two　young　children。　　The　wife；　who　was　cooking；　was　a　very　pretty；　pale　young　woman；　who；　however；　could　have　circulated　round　her　stove　more　conveniently　had　her　crinoline　been　of　less　dimensions。　　She　bade　me　welcome　very　prettily；　and　went　on　with　her　cooking；　talking　the　while；　as　though　she　were　in　the　habit　of　entertaining　guests　in　that　way　daily。　　The　old　woman　sat　in　a　corner　knittingas　old　women　always　do。　　The　old　man　lounged　with　a　grandchild　on　his　knee；　and　the　master　of　the　house　threw　himself　on　the　floor　while　the　other　child　crawled　over　him。　　There　was　no　stiffness　or　uneasiness　in　their　manners；　nor　was　there　anything　approaching　to　that　republican　roughness　which　so　often　operates　upon　a　poor；　well…　intending　Englishman　like　a　slap　on　the　cheek。　　I　sat　there　for　about　an　hour；　and　when　I　had　discussed　with　them　English　politics　and　the　bearing　of　English　politics　upon　the　American　war；　they　told　me　of　their　own　affairs。　　Food　was　very　plenty；　but　life　was　very　hard。　　Take　the　year　through；　each　man　could　not　earn　above　half　a　dollar　a　day　by　cutting　wood。　　This；　however；　they　owned；　did　not　take　up　all　their　time。　　Working　on　favorable　wood　on　favorable　days　they　could　each　earn　two　dollars　a　day；　but　these　favorable　circumstances　did　not　come　together　very　often。　　They　did　not　deal　with　the　boats　themselves；　and　the　profits　were　eaten　up　by　the　middleman。　　He；　the　middleman；　had　a　good　thing　of　it；　because　he　could　cheat　the　captains　of　the　boats　in　the　measurement　of　the　wood。　　The　chopper　was　obliged　to　supply　a　genuine　cord　of　logstrue　measure。　　But　the　man　who　took　it　off　in　the　barge　to　the　steamer　could　so　pack　it　that　fifteen　true　cords　would　make　twenty…two　false　cords。　　〃It　cuts　up　into　a　fine　trade；　you　see；　sir；〃　said　the　young　man；　as　he　stroked　back　the　little　girl's　hair　from　her　forehead。　　〃But　the　captains　of　course　must　find　it　out；〃　said　I。　　This　he　acknowledged；　but　argued　that　the　captains　on　this　account　insisted　on　buying　the　wood　so　much　cheaper；　and　that　the　loss　all　came　upon　the　chopper。　　I　tried　to　teach　him　that　the　remedy　lay　in　his　own　hands；　and　the　three　men　listened　to　me　quite　patiently　while　I　explained　to　them　how　they　should　carry　on　their　own　trade。　　But　the　young　father　had　the　last　word。　　〃I　guess　we　don't　get　above　the　fifty　cents　a　day　any　way。〃　　He　knew　at　least　where　the　shoe　pinched　him。　　He　was　a　handsome；　manly；　noble…　looking　fellow；　tall　and　thin；　with　black　hair　and　bright　eyes。　But　he　had　the　hollow　look　about　his　jaws；　and　so　had　his　wife；　and　so　had　his　brother。　　They　all　owned　to　fever　and　ague。　　They　had　a　touch　of　it　most　years；　and　sometimes　pretty　sharply。　　〃It　was　a　coarse　place　to　live　in；〃　the　old　woman　said；　〃but　there　was　no　one　to　meddle　with　them；　and　she　guessed　that　it　suited。〃　　They　had　books　and　newspapers；　tidy　delf；　and　clean　glass　upon　their　shelves；　and　undoubtedly　provisions　in　plenty。　　Whether　fever　and　ague　yearly；　and　cords　of　wood　stretched　from　fifteen　to　twenty…two　are　more　than　a　set…off　for　these　good　things；　I　will　leave　every　one　to　decide　according　to　his　own　taste。　In　another　cabin　I　found　women　and　children　only；　and　one　of　the　children　was　in　the　last　stage　of　illness。　　But　nevertheless　the　woman　of　the　house　seemed　glad　to　see　me；　and　talked　cheerfully　as　long　as　I　would　remain。　　She　inquired　what　had　happened　to　the　vessel；　but　it　had　never　occurred　to　her　to　go　out　and　see。　　Her