Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
June 4, 1907, was “Gopher Day.” There was $67 in prizes for the rodents’ tails of which 9177 were turned in. The following were the contestants, their number of tails, and their prizes: 1st prize, $20, Herman Utecht, 1495; 2nd, $15, Robert Klumph, 1015; 3rd, $10, Harry Clark, 737; 4th, $5, Julius Moe, 611; two prizes of $3 went to Gordon Kepner, 589 and Johnnie Dodds, 529; three prizes of $2 went to Clifford Gardner, 524; Harry Nunn, 474; and Fred Speckner, 455; five prizes of $1 were given to Paul Getz, 360; Charles Parker, 299; Ernest Noack, 297; William Goodrich, 261; and Hans J. Norin, 226; all other contestants received 50 cents: Edgar Mattson, 201; Granville Austin, 175; Harold Pike, 170; Henry Torkelson, 165; Percy Johnson, 141; Miss Parish Wilson, 124; Mary Monroe, 114; Frank Mattis, 100; Willis Johnson, 96; and Lester Hudson, 16.
A heavy downpour in the early morning hours and occasional rain until noon forced the postponement of many activities which had been scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. The business places closed at 1 p.m., the band played a number, and the sports began on Chicago Street: Boys’ Foot Race (under 12): 1st prize, .22 rifle, H. Pike; 2nd prize, pair of gloves, H. Torkelson; Girls’ Foot Race (under 12): 1st prize, pair of shoes, Emma Wenz; 2nd prize, box of candy, Edna Kennedy; Boys’ Foot Race (under eight): 1st prize, $1, Leo Leonard; 2nd prize, 75 cents, William Kennedy; 3rd prize, 50 cents, Charles Hersey; Men’s Free-for-all Foot Race: 1st prize, $3 hat, Christ Guler; 2nd prize, box of cigars, Urban A. Wiltsie; 3rd prize, buggy whip, W.R. Ervin; Ladies’ Foot Race (ages 16 to 25): 1st prize, pair of shoes, Celia O’Connell; 2nd prize, 2-lb. box of candy, Irene Kennedy; 3rd prize, bottle of perfume, Alice Short; Ladies Free-for-All Foot Race: 1st prize, bottle of perfume, Alice Short; 2nd prize, pair of slippers, Olive Couch; 3rd prize, 2-lb. box of candy, Gertrude Buck; Fat Men’s Race: 1st prize, pair of shoes, Arthur Lewis; 2nd prize, buggy whip, H.H. Miller; Fat Ladies’ Foot Race: 1st prize to Mrs. Bucklin; 2nd prize to Mrs. Henning; Potato Race: 1st prize, a dozen photos, Mrs. Tarbell; 2nd prize, $2, Sarah Johnson; 3rd prize, $1, Mrs. O.J. Schutt; Farmers’ Jumping Contest: 1st prize, buggy neck yoke, William Placic; 2nd prize, haircut and shave, Charles Wilson; Sack Race: 1st prize, boneless ham, Austin Randolph; 2nd prize, smoked ham, J. Spielman; 3rd prize, $1, Verne Norton; Ladies’ Nail Driving Contest: 1st prize, fancy tea kettle, Miss Anna Haskell; 2nd prize, $2 cash, Mrs. Buck; 3rd prize, alarm clock, Mrs. W.O. Baird; Coins in Pans of Flour Contest (boys under 12); prize, 50 cents in each of six pans of flour; 1st, Wiemals; 2nd, Baird; 3rd, Clavin; 4th, Kepner; 5th, Leonard; 6th, Healy; Tug of War between the east and west side sides of the tracks: winners, $5, East Side; losers, box of cigars, West Side.
The crowd then moved to the west side race track, where the following took place on a “pretty heavy” track – Free-for-All, Trot or Pace, best 2 of 3 half-mile heats: College Belle owned by Dr. MacLachlan, finished 1st and 1st, $15; Rookhmaranda owned by a stock co., 2nd and 3rd, $7.50; Mary Bryan owned by D.Y. Stanton, 3rd and 2nd, $7.50; Green Race, Trot or Pace, half-mile heats: Tony owned by E.H. Martin, $5; bay stallion owned by James MacLachlan, $3; brown mare owned by D.Y. Stanton, $2; Free-for-All Run, best 2 or 3 half-mile heats: gray mare owned by J.P. Welsh, 1st and 1st, $5; gray pony owned by Father L.J. VandenBergh, 3rd and 2nd, $3; bay pony owned by G.S. Radley, 4th [2nd?] and 3rd, $2.
A baseball game that went 12 innings between Carrington and New Rockford followed, with Carrington winning 12-9. The battery for New Rockford was Row and Biggs.
Sealed bids were received by county auditor W.C. Schwoebel until 2 p.m. June 4, for the grading of county roads and for a cement sidewalk along the court house lots. That day the school election was held to replace the retiring director John F. Goss. Only 15 votes were cast, with A.R. Johns receiving eight and John F. Goss seven. All but two of the Phillips Academy’s Board of Trustees met; Trustee Abram Baldwin came down from Oberon to attend and stayed over for the graduation exercises. Dr. Roy McKenzie of Chatham, Ontario, arrived to visit his uncle Dr. Charles MacLachlan and family and look for a place in North Dakota to practice medicine; he had been to New Rockford six years before.
That evening the Graduation Exercises for the New Rockford High School and Grammar School students were supposed to begin in the Opera House at 8 p.m., but as the evening’s speaker, Mr. Stockwell, was driving between Minnewaukan and New Rockford, his horses ran away about three miles south of Minnewaukan, and he was thrown into a ditch, but was not hurt. The exercises were postponed until 9 p.m. [This was the first graduation since NRHS became a three-year institution.] Decorations were in the class colors: maize and blue for the high school and wine and olive for the eighth grade. The class flowers were also worn: yellow roses by the high school and dark red carnations by the eighth grade.
The high school graduates were Jennie H. Hersey, Merrille G. Pike, and Lawrence Fisher, who had finished his work the year before and could not be present to receive his diploma. Jennie Hersey was the Valedictorian and Merrille Pike was the Salutatorian.
The eighth grade graduates were Mary P. Aldrich [Pearl Aldrich?], Mary M. Adams [Adam?], Maude E. Baeder, Lloyd G. Beardsley, Hazel M. Clouser, William E. Dresser, Flossie M. Fields, Clifford B. Gardner, Elmer G. Gronvold, Maude B. Hersey, Lydia M. Hylton, Hazel M. Kepner, Agnes J. O’Connor, Lynn W. Radke, Edna Stanton, Harriet A. Watts, and Millo E. Zehrfeld. Clifford Gardner was the valedictorian and Lydia Hylton was the salutatorian. They received certificates of promotion to the high school.
The Commencement program had an Invocation by Father L.G. VandenBergh; Salutatory “Napoleon Bonaparte,” Merrille G. Pike; Vocal Duet (Fena Carlson and Sarah Johnson), “Where the Fragrant Roses Blow”; Graduation Address, State Superintendent W.L. Stockwell; Valedictory “The Value of an Education,” Jennie H. Hersey; Song by the Chorus, “The Land of the Swallows”; Presentation of Diplomas by School Board member W.C. Dresser; Song by the Chorus, “Spring Flowers”; Benediction, Rev. S.F. Beer.
The diplomas were in book form with covers of wine-colored sheepskin, silk-lined, with the name of the school and the graduate embossed in gold letters. On the front of the enclosed diploma was the class motto and on the last page the class roll.
While he was in town, Stockwell made an inspection of the school and said he would recommend that NRHS be moved up to a second-class high school. He also said that within two years, the school should be a first-class high school.
