Mrs. Selby was the wife of John W. Selby, one of the first residents of the city, Miss Holyoke was the Clara Barton of Minnesota, devoting her whole time and energy to the work of collecting sanitary supplies for the needy soldiers in the hospitals. Scores of poor soldiers who were languishing in hospital tents on the sunburnt and treeless prairies of the Dakotas, or suffering from disease contracted in the miasmatic swamps of the rebellious South have had their hearts gladdened and their bodies strengthened by being supplied with the delicacies collected through the efforts of the noble and patriotic ladies of this and kindred organizations throughout the state. Many instances are recorded of farmers leaving their harvesters in the field and joining the grand army then forming for the defense of the imperilled state and nation, while their courageous and energetic wives have gone to the fields and finished harvesting the ripened crops. * * * * * By reason of the outbreak the Sioux forfeited to the government, in addition to an annual annuity of $68,000 for fifty years, all the lands they held in Minnesota, amounting in the aggregate to about 750,000 acres, worth at the present time something like $15,000,000. Had they behaved themselves and remained In possession of this immense tract of land, they would have been worth twice as much per capita as any community in the United States. FIREMEN AND FIRES OF PIONEER DAYS. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ST. PAUL, FIRE DEPARTMENT--PIONEER HOOK AND LADDER COMPANY--HOPE ENGINE COMPANY AND MINNEHAHA ENGINE COMPANY--A LARGE NUMBER OF HOTEL FIRES. WHEN WE RAN WITH THE OLD MACHINE. * * * * * Brave relics of the past are we, Old firemen, staunch and true, We're thinking now of days gone by And all that we've gone through. Thro' fire and flames we've made our way, And danger we have seen; We never can forget the time When we ran with the old machine. In numbers now we are but few, A host have pased away, But still we're happy, light and free, Our spirits never decay We often sigh for those old days Whose memory we keep green, Oh! there was joy for man and boy, When we ran with the old machine. --Gus Wiliams. * * * * * Instruments for extinguishing fires were introduced in various parts of Europe more than three hundred years ago. The fire laddies of that period would probably look aghast if they could see the implements in use at the present time. One of the old time machines is said to consist of a huge tank of water placed upon wheels, drawn by a large number of men, and to which was attached a small hose. When the water in the tank became exhausted it was supplied by a bucket brigade, something on the plan in use at the present time in villages not able to support an engine.