The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1893-05-06
That Mouse River Trip.

That Mouse River Trip.
4 Ye scribe left Washburn on April 15tt
for the scenes Of his earliest experience II
North Dakota-the Mouse river country
The first night out we slept in spaciou
and comfortable residence now built o,
the sight where once, in company will
George Hofmann, now assistant postmas
ter at Willard, McHenry county, we campct
and slept on the ground ten years ago
This is now the famous Lakeview rancf
owned by w. E. Low, esq.,, who has tn,
largest and best arranged horse and cattl,
barns west of the Red river valley, Will,
it's location as stock ranch is superior tx
any other in the state, being in proximity
to unlimited quantities of hay, and Dor
4 dered BY two beautiful, meandered. .lakx
4 of pnre,s fresh -wateFs---ssgo goloneTh
certainly to be congratulated for his pos
lsessiOns. He lacks only one thing to make
his ranch the most complete and desirable
one in the state, and his home to be envied
by all competitors. That is-a wife. But
| she may come later on.
We left Lows ranch on the 10Th and
struck out for John Parks Dog Den ranch
located about l mile west of the big
butte. We had no trail to follow, but sue
ceeded in meandering our way around i'm.
mense snow-drifts (relics of the blizzard
of April 12th) and water holes through the
coteaus and reached Dog Den postoffice
late in the afternoon. Hero we were en-.
tertained in royal style by Mr.. and Mrs
John Park and family until Monday morn
ing, when we resumed the journey and
turned our course toward the hustling little
city of Minot, which nestles closely at the
foot of the hills bordering on the classic
Mouse river, arriving there in the evening.
We placed our autograph ON the register
of the Leland House, kept by that prince
of good fellows, Allan Tompkins, and re-
tired to our lodgings in big arm chair
in the main office (the hotel being so
densely packed Chat all new arrivals had
to sleep on similar couches). The Leland
House is unquestionablY the best managed
hostelry in the west, and no man knows
better how to run hotel than does Mr..
Tompkins. just now Minot is the busiest
city in the state, and with the advent of
the 500 road her future prosperity and
permanencY is assured.
Judge Morgan of Devils Lake was hold
ing term of court in Minot at this time,
and among other important cases before
him was that of Arthur l.. Granger, for
merly barber, blindpigger, ETC., in Wash
bnrn. Arthur showed no disposition to
recognize his Mclean county friends, for
fear he might make break in his we'll
woven thread of falsehoods, but he gazed
intently npon the judge and others who
entertained less sympathy for him than
we. The jury before whom he was tried
returned a verdict of guilty, and the judge
in his infinite mercy sentenced him to
three years. hard labor in the penitentiary
at Bismarck, where his friends will have
ample opportunity to visit him.
From Minot we followed the stage road
down the river to Willard, stopping on the
way with our old friend John Marlenee at
Echo. On arrival at Willard Very little
change in the situation was noticeable, ex-
cept that the Mouse river was on the ram
page and the bottom lands we'll under
water, which at least insures good crop
of hay for the people of that section next
summer. At Willard we were Hospitality
entertained by our former confrere and
neighbor Geo. Hoffman,, who was the first
postmaster of Willard, and IS at present
assistant postmaster at that place. We
spent Sunday, the -23d, in company with
Mr.. and Mrs. Hofmann visiting our old
friends Mr.. and Mrs. John Brooten.
Monday we visited Towner, the county
seat of McHenry Co., and found that little
town in healthy, growing condition, some
new buildings and many business improve
ments having manifested themselves since
our last visit, among the most noticeable
ones being the McHenry County Bank, of
which our most highly respected friend,
George Fl. Soule is cashier, and Hagen II.
Thorn pson, one of Towner's leading mer-
chants, vice president. We domiciled our
self that night with our friends, Mr.. and
Mrs. M. R. Young, formerly of Willard, who
have purchased the Great Western Hotel
at Towner, and are making it a tirst-class
hostelry. Everything around Towner gave
evidence of prosperity, and its people are
looking hopefully forward to the future.
Another evidence of the confidence and
faith possessed by it's business men in
Towner's future growth, is the Mount of
money expended by John L. Clements in
extending his livery stable and stocking
it with score or more of frst-class road
sters. Imbued with the spirit of progress,
which inspires all enterprising citizens,
Mr.. Clements has continued to add i'm
proved features to his business until to-
day he has one of the finest equipped
stables in North Dakota.
Tuesday we returned to Willard, and
Wednesday morning started on our home
ward trip, reaching Turtle Lake that night,
distance of nearly sixty miles, where we
accepted the hospitalities of our most
worthy friends, Mr.. and Mrs. Peter Miller
at the Turtle Lake postonioe. We arrived
there just in time to see Uncle Peter (as
Mr.. Miller is famlllarly called) come IN
from Veeder Lake with brace of fine, fat
white brants which he had brought down
by his unerring aim that afternoon, and
the next day we had baked goose for din
ner. Uncle Peter is firm believer IN Sol
Smith Russen's epicurean idea, who asserts
that there is nothing in this world 80 pal
atable as ''roasted goose stuffed with sage
and inyuns," and therefore he occupies his
leisure time in hunting the struggling
'honkers" that visit his section usually
successfully, too, :.
Notice
To Holders Of Mclean Co. Warrants.