Annals of our ancestors; one hundred and fifty years of history in the ...

JOSEPH RAY WATKINS 295
comprised Minnesota and Wisconsin; and when he had purchased
his waj^on he was ready to start out, for he had his
first supply of medicine made and bottled.
Mother and Ida were looking out for the return of Joe and
Datus, who had gone together to St. Cloud to bring home the
new wagon; indeed, in the beginning the two were partners.
While mother and sister were at the front windows watching,
they suddenly discovered the horses and wagon at the gate.
They were somewhat startled to see how like a hearse it looked!
It was painted a very dark green, and that gave it a funereal
appearance; but ultimately the box was repainted brown,
which was decided to be less dismal a color. The whole
business finally was left in Brother Joseph's hands, after a
year or so of joint ownership. I have the first account book
of the J. R. Watkins Medical Company; having later been
used as a scrapbook, it came to me in its latter capacity from
our father. It still testifies to the business-like habits of our
younger brother, and the limited beginnings of a young man
who was to enlarge his first undertaking to a great and prosperous
business. It was with this one wagon he began his
long and successful career as the builder of a large fortune.
While pre-eminently conservative, he had the wisdom and fore-
sight to formulate plans to bring about a conspicuous success.
As I review our family after the years have told their story,
I am glad to note the variety there has been in their charac-
teristics, and that they have woven these into their lives to
make them true and useful and crowned with a measure of the
things most desired by the individual.
It was seven years after my brother Joseph's marriage
before I saw my sister, Mary Ellen. When my husband and
I returned to Minnesota to live again for a time, they had
moved to Plainview and bought property. On one corner
of their lot was a modest little laboratory, where my brother
did business and compounded his remedies, making perhaps
two barrels of liniment at a time. I found them in a pleasant
little home of their own in the small country town.
We came in at an unexpected hour, and Mary was out
calling; but when we had taken ofFour things and I had placed
my baby boy Willie on the floor, she came in and I recall very