History of New Rockford- March 27, 2019

The June 6, 1902, “New Rockford Transcript” offered an opinion on the Minnewaukan baseball team. On May 30, New Rockford had played “the gentlemanly Carrington team,” but on June 3 they played in Minnewaukan against a team that exhibited “rottenness and ‘baby play.’” Most of the team from up north were a bunch of “bluffing, blatting hoodlums” who didn’t know how to play clean baseball. “Prune out your low-lived, dirty ball players, Minnewaukan” because they’re just “rag-chewing scalawags…”

In a separate article the paper said the Minnewaukan players began “beefing” from the very beginning of the game until the top of the eighth inning in what “was one of the most elaborate exhibitions of ‘rag-chewing’ and ‘baby play’ ever witnessed.” The New Rockford players became “so disquieted” by “the unquestioned crookedness of the Minnewaukan umpire” and the actions of their opponents, they refused to continue unless the play was determined by the rule book, not by the umpire who apparently had a financial stake in a Minnewaukan win. When Minnewaukan refused to agree, New Rockford left the field.

The paper went on that even some of the leading Minnewaukan businessmen apologized to the New Rockford fans for the behavior of their team.

The following New Rockford businesses would be closed July 4, in honor of the day: H. Peoples and Co.; Rodenberg & Schwoebel; Prader & Goss; R.R. Woodward; Thomas Ose, hardware; J.M. Mulvey, hardware; J.W. Rager’s harness shop; F. Howard, jeweler; Eddy County State Bank; Bank of New Rockford; George Fahrer’s meat market; Donald Niven’s meat market; Mrs. L.J. Brown, millinery; Mrs. A.W. Cady, millinery; D.Y. Stanton, barber; A.C. Buck, drug store; Babcock & Bucklin’s drug store; Clure Implement Co.; G.W. Brownell, lumber; Gull River Lumber Co.; Powers Elevator Co.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Maxwell and family were enjoying their two-seat carriage purchased from Prader & Goss.

John Wenz’s two-story building at Villard and Dakota was nearing completion. The foundation was complete for the Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hylton house in southeast New Rockford. Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Brownell were having their house on Stimson Avenue painted cherry red.

Samuel McDowell still had 300 acres of flax to plant.

John Jenson was recovering from his illness, possibly typhoid.

W.H. Fletcher was the new Roadmaster on the Devils Lake and Oberon branch lines of the Northern Pacific. That railroad had raised the salaries of section foremen and their assistants from $45 to $47.50 a month and $1.40 to $1.50 per day respectively.

Sometime near the end of the week, the high school held its closing exercises. David Henry, who was in town on business, attended them.

On the morning of June 6, contractor Charles Culp raised the framework for R.R. Woodward’s house. That morning Anson Bonney was at work on the E.R. Davidson farm when his .22 revolver discharged, sending the bullet into his right leg just below the hip and lodging near the knee. The wound proved very painful, but it was healing nicely. Veterinary surgeon J.C. Whiteman returned from his Michigan trip. John Hogan and Oscar Irwin were in from Tiffany. Wayne and Ralph Johnston were in town. John R. Ducke from near McHenry was in on business.

The Tri-County Teachers’ Association met in the courthouse in New Rockford on June 6 and 7. The day of June 6 was taken up by practical observations of public school work and in the evening by a lecture from Prof. J.H. Worth, president of NDAC in Fargo, which was well-attended. On June 7, a New Rockford ladies’ quartet (Blanche Brownell, Vada Aultman, Hattie Davidson, Sarah West) sang, then there were recitations, papers, demonstrations and a general discussion. Mrs. William Miller sang a solo. A male quartet (W.A. Tucker, L.M. Tucker, Woodward, Gardner) closed the evening. The event was “well-attended.”

On June 6 to June 10, Miss Ella Swayne was over from Bowdon to visit friends before returning to teach school in Wells County.

On June 7, George Crossen drove to Harvey to visit friends. That afternoon in baseball it was New Rockford High School 22, at Sheyenne 2.

Sunday, June 8, was Children’s Day at the Baptist Church. The exercises and service were “very well attended” with the church filled to capacity.

On June 9, Hans Jenson was in from eastern Eddy County; he was “slightly under the weather.” Miss Katie Stewart was up from Carrington to visit. Dr. Charles McNamara went to Duluth to visit friends and relatives. W.H. Steinweg left to visit relatives in Casselton and Fargo and then go on to the Twin Cities. Elevatorman H.G. Gage left for Minneapolis to meet Mrs. Gage; they returned to New Rockford on June 13. Clayton Hall went to Fargo for federal grand jury duty.

On June 10, Tiffany blacksmith John McCrum came in on business. C.A. Lathrop returned from Minneapolis and the Elks Carnival; Mrs. Lathrop returned the next day. Miss Beth Davidson arrived from Hamline, Minn., where she had attended the University, to spend the summer with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Carter were in shopping.

On June 11, Barney Engberg from his Barlow farm, J.L. Prader, Jr., and Fred Lahue were in on business. Rudolph Indergaard was in New Rockford. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Clure and Mrs. Samuel McDowell were in shopping. Miss Marguerite Sheehy [of Carrington?] visited friends between trains. Louis Oefstedahl was down from Sheyenne for the baseball game. In baseball it was York 14, at New Rockford 3 (nine innings); the “Transcript” commented that the “York boys are a nice set of gentlemen…” Minnewaukan attorney C.W. Buttz was a spectator, as was Wallace Galehouse of Carrington. A group of Sheyenne men– O.O. Walden, M.H. Oliver, P.D. Anderson, and C.C. Manning– drove down for the game and drove back that evening. That evening Barlow liveryman August Swanson was in New Rockford.

During the week 11-year old Charles H. Maddux was ill with inflammatory rheumatism. On June 11, Mr. and Mrs. Maddux took him aboard the train on a stretcher for the first leg of a trip to a Minneapolis hospital for treatment. He made slow improvement, but was still there on June 20.