Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-03-15
a RETORT:

Protest and Explain Con-
corning Last Weeks Hell
Bend" Article.
CIvIr. BEND, March IL, 1882.
Editor Cotuicg:--I saw an article
in the last issue of your paper, un-
der the head of "Hell Bend which
locates He'll Bend rs commencing
on the school section just below Elk
Point. Now, Mr.. Editor there is no
place on earth where Il more peace-
able, quiet, law-abiding, industrious
and intelligent people live, than live
six or eight continuous miles south
Of the north line of said school sec
ton; and -tenths of the crimes
that are perpetrated even farther
down the river than that, are not
perpctrated by the actual residents
Of that locality, but it must be re-
membered that that is a timbered
locality, and it is consequently a
place where the people from the
prairie regions of Dakota, northwest
ern Iowa, southern Minnesota and
northern Nebraska flock every win
ter to cut cord wood, saw logs. ETC.,
and a great deal of the crime and
debauchery that are accredited to
the so called "Hell Bend" comes
from this class of foreigners.
! have no tine, and perhaps not
the ability 70 enter into the details
of the lengthy article headed Hell
Bend" though we would say it is a
strange thing to US, why it is that
when they have social dance in
Elk Point the COURIER always refers
to it as being a very enjoyable affair
bu. if they happen to have a social
dance at the residence of He'll
Bender, though he be a man of un-
disputable good character, and the
dance is attended by ladies and gen.
tlemen of high standing, the CouRI-
Err will grovel in the dust and call
it 'sow- JAM dance.
The article headed "Hell Bend
is no doubt an outgrowth of the
Walters-Eslick tragedy; and let me
also add right here, that the two
young men who are responsible to a
great extent for the tragedy, and
who commenced the disturbance or
| that night, are not residents of Civil
Bend. Hell Bend, Sioux Point OF
Jefferson, the locality which has
been detained. But one of them
is a resident of the city of Elk Pom
and the other a resident of Sioux
Valley township. <
Imagine for a moment the embar.
rassment of many Union county par
ents and not only Union county par
ITS Lut parents all over the coun
try when they are asked to explain
| the meaning of the foul words @
! which the article was composed.
have been reader OF the CoUBIEl
for many years; subscribed for it he
fore the first copy was ever ISSUED
under the head lines OF the " Ell
Point LEADER" and my confidence i
the paper has been such that
would not have believed that j
would have given space to an articl
that did so heartlessly defame tn
population Of fully one third of tn
area of the entire county. While W
are willing to limit that portio
et the article was founded on fact
| (thc pangs of which no one feel
more keenly than the populace {
this locality, we do think tie art
Gle has done us grave injustice, an
to take it as whole it was an unger
tlemanly production and unworth.
its space in respectable paper.
By A CITIZEN
Who has lived in SO Gale
He'll Bend for nearly seventee
years.
Frank Leslie's Sunday Magaziil
for April is unusually attractive
the editor. Rev. DR.. Talmage, contii
ues his interesting papers. people
Have met" he also describes "Wh;
| Saw Of Mormonism," and in IL
,, "Home Pulpit" is sermon by hi
! on the subject of Longevity
There are admirable articles, finel
, illustrated entitled, "A Missional
Explorer" David Livingstone
"Reminiscences Of an Old Ne