History of New Rockford - June 25, 2018

On September 30 and October 1, 1901, J.H. Bacon of Grand Forks was in town.

On October 1, the physiology class did laboratory work to find fibrin in the blood. Andrew Melberg was up from Barlow. Mrs. T.F. McCue and son Harold were up from Carrington to visit Mrs. P.J. Hester, while her attorney-husband looked after some legal business. J.M. Patch went to Sheyenne on business.

On October 1 to 2, Olaf Lundquist’s brother visited him and his wife.

On October 2, the physiology class dissected a frog. At 2 p.m. the Tiffany Ladies’ Aid Society met at Mrs. S.H. Bailey’s. At 6 p.m. Arthur J. Larkin, employed at Clure Implement, and Beatrice Austin were married by Rev. J.R. Beebe at the bride’s parents’ home [Mr. and Mrs. R.U. Austin] on Villard Avenue West. Miss Ethel Bauer was the bridesmaid, while the groom’s brother Robert Larkin was the best man. At 9 p.m., the band marched them to their new home and then serenaded the couple, after which the members were invited in for ice cream and cake. That evening there was a dance at the Greitl farm near Barlow.

On the morning of October 3, Sheriff J.E. Bennett and Otho Lathrop arrested B.C. Freeman on a charge of seduction issued from Defiance, Iowa. Freeman was arrested on the Joseph Miller farm northwest of New Rockford where he was working on a threshing crew. Freeman was in jail, awaiting the arrival of a sheriff from Iowa. John Nystrom was in town. Mrs. B.W. Rantz went to Wilton to visit Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Straus. Mrs. Ben C. Larkin and Miss Lenora Kennedy went out to the Larkin ranch near Bowdon. That evening there was a reception for Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Larkin in the Hotel Davies dining room with dancing, music and refreshments.

The October 4, 1901, “Transcript” carried quite a bit of school news: Leonard Olson was a new sixth-grader. Hattie Holland and Clement Weimals had joined the Grammar Department. New crayons had arrived at the school. Members of the botany class were finishing their mountings. The sophomores were studying algebra. The primary department students were making autumn leaves to decorate the walls of their room. Prof. Thomas had assigned Miss Frances Thomson to teach the physical culture class. The three high school classes had each been given one side of the high school room to decorate; the juniors had lost a bolt of their class ribbon. The week before, the juniors had decorated the school belfry tower in their class colors, but later someone tore them down.

Primary students Gertrude Kunkel and Maud Weeks had been ill. Alfred Omoth and Charles Wenz had been absent from the primary department that week.

The bell schedule was the following: 8:25—first bell rang for five minutes, after which the building was unlocked; 8:58 to 9—second bell rang; 9:05—three taps on the bell indicated tardiness; 10:30 to 10:45—recess; 12 to 12:02—bell for noon dismissal; 12:05—one bell tap for students to march to their rooms; 12:40 to 12:45—first afternoon bell; 1:12 to 1:15—assembly bell; 1:20—afternoon tardy bell; 2:30 to 2:45—recess; 4:15—dismissal.

That issue carried a story under a September 30 dateline that stated that on “Saturday last” [the attack took place on September 28] Filipino insurgents killed over 40 men in Company C, Ninth Infantry, in a surprise attack at Balangiga, Phillippines; American soldiers killed around 140 of the 400 attackers. [Modern authorities set the numbers at 54 American dead and 28 Filipino casualties.]

Miss Amanda Trotter of Jamestown was visiting Mr. and Mrs. L.J. Brown; Miss Trotter was the daughter of conductor Trotter, whose run was from Jamestown to Leeds. Robert Pomranke had been in town recently.

All bills owed to Dr. Charles MacLachlan and to Drs. Charles MacLachlan and Crawford had been turned over to James MacLachlan for collection. Fred Walker had resigned as clerk at Mulvey’s Hardware to take a position in his hometown of Steele. Merritt Lathrop took his place. George Waite was taking J.W. Young’s place as clerk at the Hotel Mattson until Young finished harvesting his flax.

Marsh Chamberlain had breeding ewes and lambs for sale for 60 days for cash or bankable paper.

G.W. Brownell had built a loading ramp on the front of his granary.

P.C. Peterson of Barlow had harvested wheat, which graded #1 Northern and went 18 bushels to the acre and oats, which came in at 35 bushels an acre.

A change was announced for the Devils Lake branch time card: the northbound passenger train would arrive at 12:28 p.m. and the southbound passenger train would be in New Rockford at 4:33 p.m.

Postmaster M.F. Kepner posted a list of star routes available through bids for four years and beginning July 1, 1902: New Rockford to Freeborn, 31 miles and back twice a week; present contract, $389.70; sub-contract, $389; Carrington to Sheyenne, 37 miles and back daily, except Sunday; bids received until 4 p.m. Dec. 3, 1901.

The previous week, Mrs. Nicholas Horton arrived from Chiselhurst, Ont., Canada, to visit her sisters Mrs. J.H. Hohl and Mrs. James Hackney. Ole Hendrickson spent a few days on his farm near Sheyenne. During the latter part of the previous week, a “scarlet woman” arrived in town. On the morning of September 28, Sheriff J.E. Bennett gave her until noon to leave, which she did. She was the third woman of her profession to come to New Rockford in a month.

On October 4, Frank Speck, 14-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Speck, was injured by the accidental discharge of a .32 revolver; the bullet went through his left palm. Mrs. Mary Buttz came down from Minnewaukan to visit her son, druggist W.L. Buttz and his family. Miss Louise Fertig came in from Winona, Wis. to visit her parents Mr. and Mrs. Valentine Fertig. T.C. Kinkaid arrived from Weeping Water, Neb., to visit his brother Nels Kunkel. Peter Prader was in Barlow. That evening there was a dance in the Barlow City Hall until shortly after a midnight lunch had been served.

Alfred Palmateer of Tiffany and Mrs. Annie Donaldson of Brandon City, Man., Canada were married that day by Judge W.C. Beardsley in his office.