The Press., 1895-09-26
NORTH DAKOTA LETTERS
Oberon. N. D.. Sept. Il. IS

NORTH DAKOTA LETTERt
 oberon, N. D., Sept. Il, 1895.
 Thisis my first letter to The Press since the lamentable death of the senior editor and publisher of this. paper. The news came so suddenly and unexpectedly that we were for time bewildered, and some days passed before we could adjust our mind to receive the event as fact. Even now, it is difficult to-.realize that Trhis per sonality has departed from this paper. We cannot speak of a very extended ac- quaintance with him. It is just about twenty eight years since we first wrote to this paper. The correspondence has GOV cred wide range of topics. During all this time we have written for many other papers articles of corr orrespondence and dis cussing various matters of publi interest, but in no paper have these articles ap- peared with so few typographical, or other blemishes as in The Press. MT. Mc- Laughlin always seemed to us to be a fair-minded man a righteous man; not in restricted, technical sense, but broad ly and accurately. He seemed to love mercy, and had a desire to deal justly. His treatment of his town has been broad and liberal, and without at all being in- different to the just claims of neighboring communities. In this, as in many other particulars, he is in marked contrast with western editors of local papers, and ap- in o fo 1irh RYIt Xuo will not go on, as we but intended to ex- press, in few words, our own personal be- reavement in this public calamity.
 The generation of men whom we have known in Stafford is fast passing away. Were we now to visit the town it, would be to us new Stafford, not only in it's general physical and architectural appear ance, but in the living creatures we would meet on every hand
 This brings us to say few words abont Stafford Illustrated" copy of which we received, soon after it came out, through the kindness of a Stafford lady
 We were delighted with it. It is a hand some volume. The subject matter is well and intelligently treated. It is put in tasty dress. Its illustrations are just what an old resident of the town would like to see. For one who has been long time away from the town, to go through the book is like visit to it. There are so many familiar faces and views it gives one a homecoming feeling to look upon them. The older and tho younger faces, the older and the mower buildings, blend nicely the past and the present. Growth does not seem to be altogether following the everlasting method. In architecture there are new types. The former days seem not to have been better than these latter ones. Progress is the watchword.
 Improvement is all around, but it is doubtful if the men of to-day are stronger,
 better and more industrious, and we had nearly written enterprising, than their
 fathers. After all, the men who have
 largely made Stafford what 1t is, were,
 many of them, in active life thirty and
 forty years ago. The sons of such gen.
 eration of fathers may well build better | CLdu IIlSy, udNlIS' ny lllhSLlChhCCI 6 IhOAo
 excellent opportunity.
 We know so many of these faces-how natural they do look. These sample the !, men of New England. NewlEngland will l keep to the forefl ont while she breeds ) such men.
 We do not forget that this book was is. sued in the time of the rising of women into great prominence, and the appearing ) of the thew woman," but there is no evil 5 dence of it in these pages. There must be many noble, capable, enterprisinG } women in Stafford. Can it be possible that Stafford Illustrated" is only "Staf. l ford partially Tllustrated?" Of course , the book is small and there is not room even though the material was abundant. } We will not criticise, but the book is SC } good that we wish it might have been } larger and just as good It ought to have l wide circulation out of, as well as within Stafford. It is itself a good Illustration of what Stafford is.
 r We did not expect to fill up this letter l with just these two matters when we be- r gan it, but we have, and that is the end o t it. 0. P. CIIAMPLIN.