History of New Rockford: February 19, 2018

The June 21, 1901, edition of the “Transcript” slammed state’s attorney P.M. Mattson in one long and eight short items. Mattson was called a “carbuncle,” a “store dummy,” and in his own newspaper, the “Provost,” admitted he didn’t know he could be prosecuted until he read it in the “Minneapolis Journal.” Mattson was a “spitefully notorious whelp,” a “puddenhead,” and was accused by the “Transcript” of smashing the slot machines confiscated from Doc Leonard in front of the jail window where Leonard could see it, although it was the legal duty of the sheriff, not the state’s attorney, to destroy gambling machines. Mattson was “so crooked he always gets cross wise in bed,” had a “small, quivering, scintillating, snake-like eye.” A ways back after the sheriff raided a booze and poker “emporium” over the old Hoy hardware store, not only did Mattson fail to prosecute, he attempted to get the sheriff ousted. Mattson was characterized as being “jack-legged,” of possessing “un-paralleled ignorance,” of having “vegetable soup” for brains, and of being “a skunk.”

The “Transcript” reported that Mattson had not been disbarred in his recent case, but that he was charged with official corruption and gross neglect of duty. Judge W.S. Lander stated that Mattson had been “extremely negligent in the performance of his duty.” Eddy County had “whiskey joints and gambling holes” that should not be allowed in any North Dakota community. If the proceedings had been to remove Mattson as state’s attorney, the judge said it was “entirely possible” and that he would have ordered the removal. However, since it was based on a disbarment, and disbarment required criminal action by the attorney or moral turpitude on his part, and since the evidence showed neither, the judge dismissed the proceeding.

The “Transcript” also claimed that recently Mattson had lost thirty-five dollars in a poker game at the Hotel Mattson and then threatened the “gamekeeper” he would shut him down if he didn’t give the thirty-five dollars back.

The freight train schedule on the Devils Lake branch showed southbound train 150 arriving in New Rockford at 11:20 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; and northbound train 149 arriving at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Some of the advertisers were Peter Prader, general store; J.D. Oliver, harness shop on Chicago Street; Chris Zoller, tailor; C.O. Breach, music teacher; F. Howard, watchmaker and jeweler. J.W. Young was a clerk at the Hotel Mattson.

Kunkel & Hudson had put in an ice cream parlor in the rear of their fruit and news store. They sold Red Axe Cigars. E.R. Davidson had two Champion mowers for sale.

Prof. E.R. Thomas, principal of the New Rockford Schools, and Anna Porter, both graduates of Iowa State College, were married recently in Redfield, Iowa; the bride had taught the previous year in the Grammar Department of the Redfield School.

On June 21, Ben Nelson of eastern Eddy County was in New Rockford, as were Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Grebb. From June 21 to 22, Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Anderson were in New Rockford. From June 21 to June 25, R.H. Howden of McHenry was in New Rockford.

On June 22, Martin Walsh was in from his farm. T.T. Omoth came up from Fargo, representing the Deering Co. Prof. Leroy L. Boord was up from Jamestown to visit his sister Mrs. W.E. Biggs and family. Frank McCabe was in from eastern Eddy County. Mr. and Mrs. William Wilson arrived to visit his uncle and aunt Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Thomson northeast of town. Matt Mattson was down from the Sheyenne Valley. That evening after the Degree of Honor meeting, the members hosted a “spider web” social.

From June 22 to 23, Miss Helen Schmid visited Mr. and Mrs. Will Carroll on the shore of Washington Lake. C.J. Stickney visited Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Carroll at Washington Lake.

On Sunday, June 23, blacksmith Fred Hanson and Miss Emma Zimmerman were up from Barlow. That evening two more Barlow people were in town: Miss Jennie Miller and George C. Yale of the firm Ewald & Yale.

On June 23 and 24, J.T. Smith was in New Rockford.

On June 24, Mrs. Peter Butler and John West were in town. J.H. Bonney and son Anson were in town looking after business interests. Dick Bohmbach was in from his farm northwest of town on business. L.P. Woodworth and Miss Lillian Smith were over from Cathay to visit. On that day Miss Nellie Worth, 21, and the sister of Mrs. J.N. Kunkle, died at her father’s home n Fitzgerald, GA; her father, J.A. Worth, had lived in Kidder County a number of years, but had moved to Georgia several years prior.

That evening the Royal Neighbors held their meeting and then hosted a “Fish pond” social. Mr. Swanson, manager of the Barlow Roller Mils and a Barlow police officer, were, in New Rockford. A New Rockford baseball team was organized: F.C. Davies, manager; Charles MacNamara, captain; A.J. Clure, p; C.J. Stickney, c; Charles Hensel, 1b; C.J. MacNamara, 2b; Fred Zimmerman, 3b; John Ruttle, ss; H.L. Lyon, rf; Mark Hulbert, cf; and George Yale, lf. Also that evening Sheriff Herman Rutten of Ramsey County came to New Rockford; he was looking for a man had stolen a team of horses, a wagon, harness, and about forty bushels of barley from a farmer near Churchs Ferry. He had sold some of the barley in New Rockford on June 22 and then continued on his way south. Eddy County sheriff J.E. Bennett helped Rutten pick up the trail at Melville.

On June 25 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Walden and Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Goodrich were in town. Mrs. Olof Lundquist returned from a couple weeks at Valley City, where she visited her parents. Mrs. Henry Davis returned from her visit to Dawson. L.G. Lundin was down from Sheyenne on business. Barlow farmer Louis Martinson [Lewis Mortensen?] was in town. Burton Hulbert was in town on business. E.G. Allison, who was a railroad mail clerk on the Jamestown to Miles City, MT run, visited his parents.

On June 26, Frank Parker was in town. R.P. Allison was in Jamestown on legal business.

On June 27, Ludwig Hanson of Plainview and Oscar Irwin were in New Rockford, as was Elias Anderson on business. Rev. C.F. Sewrey of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, arrived to become the Methodist minister. He and his family members who would arrive on June 29, would live in the parsonage. John Wald and J.E. Tate went to Bowbells to erect buildings on their claims.

Baseball: Carrington 19, at New Rockford 13. An eight-man NP bridge crew began repairing the railroad bridge; the work would take about three weeks. That evening Alonzo Neutzel was in New Rockford.

On that day, J.E. Tate and his son Harmon left for Bowbells. On the way the ten-year old boy fell off the wagon and broke his left leg near the hip. They had it set by a Minot doctor.

The June 28, 1901 “Transcript” continued its attack on State’s Attorney P.M.