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ss S
tory of an Emigrant. 102
immigrants to Minnesota, after their arrival in thiscountry.
Efforts will be made to procure the publication of facts in
regard to the state, in eastern and European journals; to
make arrangements with railroads, more advantageous to
emigrants than, heretofore and to afford them through
interpreters and otherwise reliable information in regard to
the best routes to the state from eastern parts. To give the
emigrant a general idea of the characteristics of every
locality in Minnesota; it is proposed to procure a map or chart
ot the state, showing its boundaries, streams, lakes,
navigable rivers, timber and prairie sections, etc."
One of my first and most pleasant duties as secretary of
the board was to secure aid for the settlers along the
Minnesota river. This locality had suffered from drought the
previous year, and the settlers, most of whom were Swedes,
Norwegians and Finlanders, were almost entirely destitute,
and had no grain left for seed. Having securcd an order
from the government in Washington for provisions from the
commissary department at Fort Ridgely, and being
furnished with a letter of credit from our own state, I left for
the stricken territory in the beginning of April, passing
through the counties of Redwood, Renville, Yellow Medicine
and Chippewa. At New Ulm several hundred sacks of
flour were purchased, and at FAort Ridgely large quantities
ofptovisions were taken out of the United States military
stores. Agents were appointed to distribute thc.-c among
the people, seed wheat and corn were shipped there from the
South, and the settlers were thus relieved.
Soon after my return to St. Paul the board of emigration
was again called together, and I was authorized to appoint
Swedish, Norwegian and German agents and interpreters to
•meet our emigrants in New York and Quebec, and be their
guides and protectors on the journey through the country
to our state. Temporary homes were also secured until the
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