Moonshine, Hailstones, etc.

In case anyone is interested the x's on a moonshine jug are supposed to mean how many times the product has been run through a still.  Today, Tuesday, I finally got around to listening to a digital file that's been sitting in my recorder for the better part of three years.  I kept putting it off; it is the final recording I made with Dad before he passed away.  He told some fun stories on that session, even though his speech showed some early strokes taking place.  

His grandpa, my great-grandpa, possessed a still in those years when the law said no, you can't make this stuff, prohibition, don't you know.  The sheriff of the county  must not have liked arresting people for this infringement, so he would call ahead to say he intended to come out and inspect.  Great-grandpa feared the consequences and asked his partner what they should do.  Partner said to hide it up in the cupola of the barn.  So a ladder was gotten and onto the roof they climbed, tore boards off the side of the cupola, and stored it in there.

He told of the time when the sheriff went to a farm where the residents had the reputation of making lots of moonshine.  When he left his car to snoop around,  family members sneaked behind the car and pushed it into the Sheyenne River.  Think of the great story telling that must have come from that episode.  At any rate, I value the stories and as I listen, I type, transcribing the words.  It's a slow job but worth it.  Some day the stories will be set down into a book.

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History takes up the better part of my reading time.  A book - Following the Custer Trail of 1876 -  outlines the suffering of men and animals on the march westward to the Little Big Horn.  Near present day New Salem the weather on May 19 turned sour and a heavy thunderstorm drenched everything.  At noon hail began.  General Terry in a journal said:  "The storm terrified the drenched and bawling herd of beef cattle into a wild stampede!  Man and beast alike sustained bruises from this untoward assault from the skies.  The drovers tried to keep the herd as contained as possible, to prevent stampede, for the hailstones could be observed literally dancing from the exposed backs of the frightened beasts.  Hailstones ripped into the muddied white canvas covers of the wagons like white mini-balls.  The cavalry mounts, struck repeatedly, whinnied and snorted in wild-eyed fright and uncertainty..."

I still remember the time when I was a boy seeing a herd of cattle caught in a hailstorm away from shelter.  The hailstones were big, some tennis ball sized.  Those poor cows didn't know what kind of hell rained down on them that day.  I'm sure they must have been bruised badly.

Another bad weather occurrence made for miserable conditions on June 2 at the west side of the Little Missouri River.  A snow storm stopped the command.  Mark Kellogg, the reporter from the Bismarck Tribune who was killed along with the rest of Custer's men, wrote in his diary: "Reveille at 3 A.M.  Looking out inches of snow on ground and snow hard.  Has snowed nearly all day.  Have not moved.  Seven o'clock and snowing harder than ever, wind blowing from northwest, growing colder..." And these were just weather inconveniences.  Blisters, heat, mud, poor food, and many other things made for miserable conditions.

History, Close-up

Passionate feelings have caused violence in this state.  This picture of a lynching not far south of Bismarck occurred in 1897 when a mob took the law into their own hands to avenge the murder of a family.  The murder of six members of the Spicer family in Winona, a settlement just east across the Missouri River from Fort Yates, led to this scene.  Traffic flowed across the river either by ferry or on the ice, and residents of the Fort Yates agency came to Winona to trade, mostly to buy liquor which was not available on the reservation.  For some reason, a proprietor of one of the establishments would not sell alcohol to them.  Instead he told them he had hauled his supply over to another party.  Going there, they received another story, that Spicers' were storing it for them.  It so happened Spicer was a strong church going man who would have nothing to do with alcohol.  The murderers did not take it any further, but killed all those present.  The court system's proceedings did not satisfy community members and the lynching occurred.  

We talked about this a bit during my presentation last week and Glenn McCrory of Linton mentioned he had worked up a book gleaned from old newspapers that told this story.  The book was put together by the newspaper in Linton, ND, the Emmons County Record (ecrecord.com) and I called to find if it was still available.  Yes, so I charge-carded my order yesterday afternoon and here it arrived in the mail today.  The material is very readable, all re-typed, not photocopies of clippings.  

The volume, Tragedy on the Prairie: The Spicer Family Murders 1897, will answer questions for me about the incident.  A very interesting discussion about it on the internet can be found at this link: http://amertribes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=teton&action=print&thread=1459

Times were different.  Supposedly 40 men participated in the lynching.  I wonder if feelings of guilt haunted them.  I'm sure they did, right up to their own deaths.  Other topics pull at me now, but I plan to return. 
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I can't believe this: our state legislature is debating whether or not to allow guns in schools.  I am reminded of ESCALATION.  When will it end?  Will it work?  Gun lovers clap their hands in glee.  Dealers, manufacturers, nuts, all think this is great stuff!  When in grade school we had a box full of boxing gloves and could put them on and wail away at each other.  That doesn't fly now, might get hurt.  But what does a few clips of bullets do?
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A police officer saw a man dressed as a cowboy in the street, complete with huge stetson hat, spurs, and six shooters."Excuse me, sir," said the police officer, "who are you?""My names Tex, officer," said the cowboy." eh?" said the police officer, "Are you from Texas?" "Nope, Louisiana." "Louisiana? So why are you called Tex?" "Dont want to be called Louise, do I .

Yesterday's Presentation

I didn't get around to posting this blog yesterday, Wed., when I usually do because I was tired.  I made the presentation to a nice crowd and many of them said nice things afterwards.  So, I'm going to go with this: it was a success.  To spice things up a bit I told a few jokes, such as - An old cowhand came riding into town on a hot, dry, dusty day.  The local sheriff watched from his chair in front of the saloon as the cowboy dismounted and tied his horse to the rail.  The cowboy then moved to the back of the horse, lifted its tail, and placed a big kiss where the sun don't shine.  He dropped the horse's tail, stepped onto the sidewalk, and headed for the saloon door.

The sheriff said, "Hold on, Mister.  Did I just see what I think I saw?"  

I reckon you did, Sheriff...I got me some powerful chapped lips."

"And that cures them?"

"Nope, but it keeps me from lickin' 'em."

...

I'll be back next week with something worthwhile to say.

 

Just funnin'

 

I love this picture.  I wish I could have shown it to my Uncle Russell (the one with the Buelingos).  This pair has been identified as the Dutch Belted breed.  They have horns; Russell's were a polled breed.  If I remember my history, teamsters wanted horns on their oxen so they couldn't slip out of the yoke.  This picture will appear in my power point presentation next Wednesday.  If the audience looks for a picture of an old-time teamster, this should make them gasp a bit.  How lucky was this photographer to catch such a coordinated color scene?
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Darn birthdays keep coming.  Of course, I should be glad cuz the alternative isn't good.  Anyway, one of the cards I received was a booklet, "1942.  Remember When...A Nostalgic Look Back in Time."  Here are a few tidbits from it: General MacArthur vows, "I Shall Return,"...The Battle of Midway ends with the first major Japanese loss...Major Doolittle leads a bombing group over Tokyo...Gasoline rationing goes into effect...Kellogg's Raisin Bran and instant coffee are introduced...World Series Champion, St. Louis Cardinals...Life expectancy, 62.9 years...Auto manufacturers stopped producing cars to turn production to war materials; the next new car in the U.S. wasn't made until 1945...Average income $1885 per year...Movie ticket .30...etc.
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I never quite knew the meaning of the saying- throwing good money after bad.  Our state legislature sure defined that lately.  The new chancellor, less than a year, of the North Dakota University System already met with disfavor among many in the state, so much so that the state senate just voted to set aside over $800,000 to buy out his contract.  Will the state house follow along?  At any rate, if the chancellor is so bad, $800,000 of good money might just get thrown at him.
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Many stories come to light from studying the life and time of Willliam Wade.  South of Bismarck in a town no longer in existence, six members of the Spicer family were murdered near Winona (across from Fort Yates).  The reasoning really rankles.  Some mixed-bloods came to town looking for liquor.  The bartender told them it had been hauled into a nearby house.  They went there and asked for it.  For the fun of it, that man said no, it was stored in Spicer's cellar over there.  Mr. Spicer was a religious, tee-totalling man who would have nothing to do with liquor.  Nonetheless, all died at the hands of the thirst-crazed men.  Those presumed guilty were arrested and placed in a jail cell.  A vigilante group came, broke them out and lynched them near another town no longer in existence, Williamsport.
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The first newspaper printed in North Dakota originated from Fort Rice, Dak. Terr.  In the issue of July 14, 1864 this article appeared:  Our National Debt.  One of the results of the wicked rebellion against our national government is the accumulation of an enormous debt, which on February 1, 1863, amounted to $815,000,000, and which it is supposed will reach $2,000,000,000...Things never change, do they.