Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-03-21

operation. The line is a little over
hye miles long, and the fence which Is
used ioE the transmission line has been
standing Tor twelve years. The wire
Is iastened 10 the posts with ordinary
staples: There are 10 glass balls used,
writes Mr.. Thomson. / consider them
o. no use-they may be ornamental.
ABOUT April !, 1893, Mr.. Thomson con-
tracted with the Nebraska Telephone
company to extend one of its Rapid
City lines about u mile, so as to con
meet with his barbed wire fence. Where
the line nad to pass gates and cross the
roads, poles twelve feet high were erec-
ted to carry the lines r The lines
crosses the road four times and passes
over five gates. Mr.. Thomson. bv
means OF his barbed wire fence tele-
phone, has communication with all the
lines in the Black Hills. and there is
no better line and few as good in the
Hills"
John Clementson arrived home after
an absence of two months. We note that
the young ladies of the city carry hap
pier expressions on their faces and the
sweetest smiles imaginable are scattered
on the streets like May flowers at a
May day picnic. Whether this con-
/ dition is due to Johns return or the
contemplation of the near approach of
n picnic season We are unable to state.
| During Mr.. Clementson's absence he
visited Atlanta, Ga, being the guest
OF Mr.. and Mrs. F. M. Robinson. form
erly OF Richland. Mr.. Robinson is
making a fortune manufacturing Coca
Cola a soda water drink. Never, John
says, was he better treated in his life,
than by the southerners, whom he met
down there. Everything was done to
to make life enjoyable and the remem-
brance of his visit will be cherished in
his memory as n OF the choice events
of his %eventful and turbulent career.
Prospectors Wenner and Kroksh are
still at work on the old steam boat
which is twelve feet below the sandbar
on the Missouri south of town. They
have made very little progress
for two weeks owing to the insufficient
casing of their shaft and to the lack of
strength to their water buckets. Both
OF these defects have been cured and
they hope to reach the goal of their
ambition ere long. There has been
considerable speculation as to whether
the whisky in the hold of the boat is
any good. One gentleman was heard to
remark that alcohol had a remarkable
affinity tor water and that insomuch
as the hold of the boat as filled with
water by this time after 35 years of
soaking the water must have leaked
its way through the barrels letting the
alcohol out and the water taking it's
place. Experts have claimed that
whisky, where the barrel is surrounded
by water, rots the same as wood. that
to keep whisky in good condition re-
quires a warm dry place. But for all
of that here is hoping that Messrs
Wenner and krOksh will find a million.
Gov. Sheldon has honored our fellow
tOwnsman. Hon. f. G. Ericsson with the
appointment as a commissioner, in con-
junction with two others, to meet a
similar committee from the state of
Nebraska to settle the Dor ndary dis
putes between the two states caused by
the shifting OF the channel of the Mis-
souri, river. The channel of the Mis-
souri, in this section has been changing
rapidly of late years coming further
eastward in Union county each season.
In consequence of this encroachment
upon Union county soil there has been
an addition to Nebraska territory. In
other counties the everse has taken
place-Nebraska losing and Dakota
gaining. The purpose of the commits
sion will be. If we do not misunderstand-
ing 1T. to fix some line of procedure for
the legislature OF each state to act upon
SO that all disputes may be settled upon
n trnyFO,NSn len 1sy n ~ sotS> ~ ~ <n-l~
wealth. The other members of the Da-
of Vermillion and E. A. VanAntwerp OF
Yankton. Unless a similar commission
is selected in Nebraska we presume our
commissioners will have little to do.
The lawyers were kept busy Satur-
day and Monday over u ''wolf scalp
case. Expert testimony was in demand
and insomuch as the only wolf that we
have had any experience with is the
old fellow who haunts our door we
were o called as a witness. The
facts as developed we're that be-
tween Dec. 20 and 81 David Stone of
Civil Bend killed what he claimed to
have been a wolf, that he scalped the
animal. brought it to the county audi
tor, swore to an affidavit that it was a
wolf scalp, and drew a warrant for 81. so
the amount allowed by the commission
ers. Chairman Main believing that it
was a fragrant case of fraud entered a
complaint against Stone, and he was
arrested. The trial took place before
Squire Smythe, occupying two days.
The scalp in question was quite differ
ent than 1.-THE average, being very
red in color with white streaks on the
side of the head. The question at issue
IA what kind of a scalp was it,"
MIR. Stone termed it a red or cayote
wolf, while the prosecution were sure
that it was a fox. The decision of the
squire was that Mr.. Stone had com
mitted a fraud and therefore held him to
await the action of the grand jury.
NEWSPAPER COMMENTS,
VermiliOn Freeman: Father Freeman was
known and loved by almost every resident OF
southern Dakota and his death causes general
sorrow.
Sioux Falls Press. The death of Rev. George
w. Freeman Of Elk Point will be very deeply de-
plOred by hundreds and thousands 81 the people
- Alf. So = ~--l 49,