In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.




TO

MY NIECES

THIS VOLUME OF SKETCHES

_IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED_

BY THE AUTHOR




PREFACE.


By general consent Minnesota has enjoyed a superior reputation for
climate, soil, and scenery beyond that of any other State in the Union,
with, perhaps, a single exception.

The real ground of this pre-eminence, especially in climate, has not
been well understood, owing, probably, in part, to the slight
acquaintance with the general features and characteristics of the State
itself, and, in part, to that want of attention which the subject of