not in acres, but in value. It was a huge task, involving voluminous calculations and extensive surveys in the field.

"During the year 1866 I was in the employ of the Central Pacific Railway of California, topographical department. The work extended from the Sierra Nevada mountains to Great Salt Lake City, Utah. I frequently boasted to friends that I knew every bunch of willows from the Sierra Nevadas to Salt Lake. It was in these bunches of willows that we usually found our water, thus they became of great importance and worth remembering.

"In 1867 I received a contract from the U. S. Surveyor General's office of Nevada, located in Virginia City, to locate and survey the Humboldt River Guide Meridian to begin at township corners 35 and 36, east of Mt. Diablo base and meridian, and extend the same north to the Oregon boundary line, also to survey and locate township lines in the Humboldt river valley, extending these north so as to include all of Paradise Valley. Returning to Virginia City after the completion of the contract, we camped at the French Bridge on the Humboldt River October 18th, 1867. The three or four people living at the bridge came to our camp and informed us that they thought of starting a town at the bridge and requested that we survey and locate a few blocks for them in the embryo city. On the 18th of October we made said survey. We surveyed Main Street extending out southerly from the bridge, staked corners of three or four cross streets. All thought that quite sufficient for a starter, and indeed it was. The projectors were pleased to give the name of 'Winnemuca' to the projected city. Since, it has grown to be a beautiful little city of several thousand people, and is the capitol of Humboldt County.

"In February, 1868 I was appointed U. S. Mineral Deputy by the Surveyor General of Montana for the district composed of the counties of Deer Lodge and Missoula. Arrived in Helena, Mont., April 10, 1868, making immediate arrangements to take up the work. The trip from Virginia City, Nevada to Helena, Montana, 1200 miles, was made by stage coach.

"In 1866 my brother, Myron Leslie, then located in Chicago, in the practice of law, in quest of health crossed the plains from St. Joseph, Mo., to Helena, Montana. A month after his arrival at Helena he died-Sept. 5, 1866. He was

buried in the City Cemetery located in a nearby valley that proved to be rich in placer gold. My parents learning of this and understanding that his grave would have to be removed earnestly requested me to exhume the body of my brother and bring it home, a request I could not refuse. Consequently early in August I raised my brother's remains and had them prepared for shipment. The day I opened the grave miners were at work within 100 feet of it. Doubtless mining was continued until all the cemetery was worked over.

"My journey home from Helena was so interesting in so many ways that I feel justified in giving an account of it in detail. On the 30th of July left for home via Ft. Benton and the Missouri River. We took stage coach from Helena to Ft. Benton, arriving on August 3rd. No steamboats were there, but were hourly expected. On the 4th the good steamer 'Success' arrived in port. We went aboard and engaged passage. The rate was $125 to St. Louis, which we paid and secured stateroom. The 'Success' was to remain in port for several days, so on the morning of the 10th left Ft. Benton in company with the two pilots and mate to visit the Great Falls, distant above about 30 or 40 miles. We engaged a light team with driver. Tuesday, August 11, 1868, my diary reads as follows: 'Visited the upper, middle and Lower Falls. The upper falls are beautiful, the middle falls very nice, the lower ones sublime, being 80 or 90 feet high, the whole immense river falling this great height.' These falls are seldom visited by white men (I speak of the time we were there,) they are out of the way of general travel, besides, the Indians have always been bad. No where about did we see signs of life, or that anyone had ever been there, excepting away down on the river bank, below the lower falls, as we stood on a high cliff we saw a lone Indian leading a pony. We did nothing to attract his attention, perfectly willing he should go his own way. Indeed it was a wild situation (not so now) at the upper falls. On the south side there stands a busy city, having among other objects of interest, a chimney built for a smelter, one of the largest and tallest in the world. We returned to the Fort at noon on the 12th. The boat had steam up ready to go and was waiting for us. Lines were cast off and the good steamer 'Success' headed for her long voyage down the Missouri River to

St. Louis. Aboard there were about 200 passengers, composed generally of miners, mountain men and men of the plains, going to the states to spend the winter and to be once more with friends. For more than 1000 miles after leaving Ft. Benton there were no wood yards. Wood for steam had to be gathered, as was needed along the river. The boat would land where there seemed to be plenty of wood, captain, officers, members of the crew, and maybe an hundred of passengers would go ashore and scour the adjacent timber for dry trees or any kind that was good to make steam. Great stacks would be brought in and piled on the boiler deck and forward, and while the boat was out in the stream going down, the roustabouts would cut it up into suitable lengths. Passengers as general rule would be glad to get ashore to have an outing in the woods, for they were mostly men who were accustomed to the open. Confinement on the boat, to them, was irksome.

"For 600 miles above the mouth of the Yellowstone, during the warm part of the day, herds of Buffalo, countless in number would come down from the high, dry interior for water. After drinking they would stand for hours along the river, and especially on all the sandbars. Our boat would turn a bend above coming suddenly in full sight when they would, in their fright stampede. A part would rush for the nearest bank, while others would plunge into the water for the other shore. By the time they got fairly in mid stream the steamer would be upon them. Our humane captain would check the speed of the vessel, or turn to one side, blow his whistle and ring the bell, thus giving them a chance to get out of the way. No Buffalo was ever touched. Shooting the animals from the upper deck was indulged in at the beginning, but we soon created a sentiment against such wanton cruelty that put a stop to it.

"After passing old Ft. Union at the mouth of the Yellowstone we saw a great many Indians but no Buffalo. The Indians seemed to be especially numerous at once in the vicinity of old Ft. Berthold. I have frequently remarked that I never felt farther from home than when our boat touched the shore at Ft. Berthold. The high bank was lined for half a mile with Indians dressed in every imaginable garb. Above the mouth of the Yellowstone we saw but few or no Indians. I think that accounts for the buffalo being there. The Indians did not show

themselves, because they were bad along the upper stretch of the river. Lower down, in the vicinity of where Bismark is now we passed through the Montana Indian Nation. I saw them in their buffalo-hide boats, and they looked very foreign and strange to us. These boats were round, not long and

narrow.

"Another day brought us to a tie up not far below Ft. Rice. We only traveled in the day time, making fast to shore at night. Near our landing we saw the Indian method of caring for their dead. In a small prairie near the landing, we saw numerous scaffolds, upon each of which a departed Indian reposed, enveloped securely in a buffalo hide. Many other things of interest might be mentioned. Suffice it to say we reached St. Louis September 2nd, having been on the voyage 21 days. I arrived at home on the 6th of September, delivered my precious charge to parents and friends. On the 7th we re-interred the remains of my brother in the family lot in Zion church yard.

"I had been absent from home eight years, lacking one month.

"In January, 1869, I returned to California via New York and Panama, and on arriving found that Mr. Woodman and family had left Petaluma, removing to San Bernadino, to which place I also went, where we remained a month, visiting San Diego and other points in extreme southern California. In March, 1869 I received a contract from the Surveyor General of Nevada to survey and locate the boundary between Nevada and Utah, beginning at a certain degree of longitude on the Colorado river, running thence north to Idaho. After investigating I found the appropriations insufficient for the work and therefore surrendered the contract.

"Feeling the want of change from the strenuous life of a U. S. Government Surveyor in the trans-Rocky Mountain regions, I repaired to the place of my birth for temporary respite. July 5th, 1870, was married to Miss Matilda Ellen Conover, daughter of Levi and Phoeba Conover, whose farm adjoined that of my father. It is something worth mentioning that our bridal trip was made to Duluth, the place of my first marriage to Miss Woodman, eleven years before, and seven years after that good woman's death in Nevada.

"From Chicago we went via the Lakes to Duluth. It was an incident in our trip that on our return we routed via St. Paul and the Mississippi River. We were passengers on the first passenger train that ever run from Duluth to St. Paulthe Duluth and St. Paul Railway had just been completedhad to wait at Duluth a week to get the train. The train was started amid the strains of the music of brass bands and the acclaim of the people.

"After a residence of four years on the farm, was elected sheriff of Cass County, Ill., in 1874. Held the office one term two years. Served as president of the Centennial National Bank of Virginia, Ill., for ten years.

"In December, 1900, left Illinois, going to Louisiana, where I again took up surveying rice farm surveying—and rice planting to some extent. In the fall of 1901, my family coming from Illinois, joined me, we taking up our abode in Lake Charles.

"Because of the ill health of Mrs. Epler, my wife, making hospital treatment necessary, we removed back to Illinois, making Jacksonville our home. While residing in Jacksonville our daughter, Clara, who had graduated in the Lake Charles High School with the class of 1904, attended Illinois College. In 1910 we removed back to Louisiana taking our abode, as before, in Lake Charles.

"Because of failing eyesight in 1912 I retired from business, and on this, my 80th birthday, am residing quietly with my family at 917 South Division Street, Lake Charles, La.”

AN ABBREVIATION.

"Was born in Morgan County, Ill. (now Cass), April 15, 1835, son of John and Sarah Beggs Epler; received my education in the country schools of the neighborhood and at Illinois College; was U. S. Deputy Land Surveyor, given contracts for surveying by U. S. Surveyor General's Offices located at St. Paul, Minn., San Francisco, Calif., Virginia City, Nev., and Helena, Mont.; assistant engineer in survey of C. P. R. R. of California and Salt Lake City in 1866; member first constitutional convention of Nevada 1863; sheriff of Cass County, Ill.,