History of New Rockford: March 13, 2023

On Oct. 24, 1905, P.J. Hester came back from a business trip to the western part of the state. Sheyenne druggist Frank L. Kermott was down on business and to visit. E.R. Davidson came in from Bismarck to check on his farm northeast of town. James Davidson was in from his farm on business. J.M. Mulvey returned from a hunting trip with some nice geese. H.J. Mitchell and grain buyer J.E. Bennett brought in some geese from a two-day hunt. W.H. Wilder brought six large potatoes from his farm to the “Transcript” office; he had planted them June 29.

At noon Oct. 25, there was a double wedding at the home of Mr. and Mrs. O. Christopherson in Odessa Township, Nelson County, when their daughters Mary Christopherson and Lena Christopherson were married to William Anderson and George Brennan of Odessa Township by Rev. Meiser of Odessa. Anderson was the son of Ezra Anderson of Eddy County and the nephew of W.C. Dresser of New Rockford.

On the morning of Oct. 25, Val Fertig, John and Fred Von Almen, Robert Weddle, and Granville Egbert went on a goose hunting trip to eastern Eddy County; on the afternoon of Oct. 29, they brought home eleven geese [Egbert’s name was not among those who returned]. Mr. Greenhoot of Griswold, Browning & Co. had for sale a complete line of ladies’ skirts, suits, and cloaks at the Opera House. J.W. Young and Frank Bailey were in from Tiffany. John T. West returned from a business trip to Denhoff. Joseph Christ came back from the South St. Paul market, where he had taken a carload of stock; he found the market glutted and the sales were “very slow.” Barlow bank cashier A.E. Swanson was up on business. John Dutee, Sr., was in on business and to see his friends. Mrs. C.B. Goodrich went to Carrington to visit; she returned the next day and the day after that she and her husband left for a winter in California. Mrs. R.P. Allison and Mrs. W.J. Carroll visited in Barlow between trains. Miss Lena Dexter left for her home in Carrington, then she would go on to Jamestown, where she had taken a position. H.C. Johnson went to the Twin Cities. A.B. (Arthur B.) Corry, who had been helping at the “Transcript” for two weeks, left for Logan County, where he might start his own newspaper. That evening, the Royal Male Quartette appeared at the Opera House before a large audience.

On Oct. 25 and 26, Miss Reilly of the Chicago Lyceum Bureau was at Phillips Academy; on the latter day she spoke at the morning chapel service.

On Oct. 26, Henry Miller came in on business from eastern Eddy County. Miss Jennie Hendry, the daytime operator at the telephone exchange, left for a few days’ visit at Leeds; she returned on Oct. 28. Mr. and Mrs. F.C. Davies and their son Freddie left on a western trip that would eventually take them to San Diego, where they would spend the winter. Mrs. Hugh Paukratz left for a winter at her old home Long Prairie, Minn.; her husband would join her in a few weeks. That afternoon, the New Rockford High School Literary Society presented a program: a Song by the Society; Reading, Celestia Kellington; Vocal Solo, Mabel House; Recitation, Amy Crane; Oration, Roger Mattson; Vocal Duet, Fena Carlson and Elsie Tarbell; Debate on the question, “Resolved, That the Sale of Liquors in the State Should be Licensed.” Merrille Pike, Mary Monahan, and George Hawthorn had the Affirmative; Jennie Hersey, Harry West, and Beatrice Marriage defended the Negative; a Song by the Society.

The Oct. 27, 1905 “Transcript” had the School Notes provided by student George Healey. Miss Kennedy had started school the previous week after a long bout of illness. On Oct. 23, Hazel Black and Berthia Mattis joined the fourth grade; on that day both Newville and Vernon Johnson were absent from the seventh grade. High school student Beatrice Marriage was absent on Oct. 25. On Oct. 26, Mrs. D.M. Stegenga visited the school.

L.J. Aldrich as the chairman of the Lecture Committee announced that the committee had signed a contract with the Mutual Lyceum Bureau of Chicago for five entertainments and lectures to be held in New Rockford: Nov. 4, S. Platt Jones, entertainer; near the end of Nov., the Butterworth Musical Co.; Jan. 5, “Gearheart”; in the spring, the Parhand-Newhall Co.; the fifth number had not been finalized. Ticket prices were $1.75 for all five numbers and fifty cents for a single admission.

The lower story of the Hotel Mattson had been fitted for the use of gas.

E.E. Dresser of Minneapolis visited his brother W.C. Dresser and family for a few days.

Ella Holte, Marguerite Ford, and Alberta Borthwick were attending the Valley City Normal School. A note said that Miss Elsie Keime of New Rockford was the fifth and sixth grade teacher at Anamoose, N.D.; she would also teach music in the Grammar Department.

The previous week, Henry Von Almen began work in the Elias Saad general store.

The Great Madden [Dr. James Madden], an authority on eyes and the inventor of EZY-EYE-SPEX, was in Barlow on Oct. 27 and at the Hotel Davies in New Rockford on Oct. 28.

On the evening of Oct. 27, the Phillips Academy Musical and Literary Society presented the following program: Song by Society Members; Recitation, Stella Pike; Theme “Horses,” Verne Wiltsie; Recitation, Lily Ohrner; Vocal Solo, Jet Richter; Essay, Ethel Treffry; Piano Solo, Miss Miller; Dialogue “Box and Cox” with Ralph Beebe as Box, a printer, Harry Burt as Cox, a hatter and Gertrude Buck as Mrs. Bouncer. Visitors included Asa Hylton, Sumner Engberg of Barlow, and Beatrice Henry of Sheyenne. That night, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. George Snyder southeast of McHenry.

On Oct. 28, Joseph Pottner returned to Minneapolis after two weeks visiting his brothers Charles and Francis. Mr. and Mrs. Francis Pottner were in shopping. Attorney James Carroll returned from Bismarck, where he had appeared before the State Supreme Court and been admitted to the Bar. Thomas Bollingberg came back from Crookston, Minn., after a lengthy visit with his sister. After spending part of the summer visiting his daughter Mrs. Peter Riggle and family, C.C. Hunter returned to his Missouri home. That afternoon, real estate agent O.G. Cooling was examining “a repeating shotgun” in his office on Chicago Street, when the gun accidentally discharged, sending the shot through the window and into a tree in front of Streeter & Cooling; however, the tree did not stop all the shot and one buckshot passed through the front of Eddie Anderson’s vest. That night some friends were invited to the home of Mr. and Mrs. B.W. Rantz to help celebrate the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary; the guests approached the house with cowbells, tin horns, and other instruments, creating quite a noise along their route.

On Sunday, Oct. 29, Rev. E.W. Burleson conducted Episcopal services in the Baptist Church with Holy Communion at 10:15 and preaching at 11 a.m.

On Oct. 29 and 30, Miss Sarah West and Ernest Lindgren of Fessenden were over to visit her parents.