The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-15
FOX WAS MONARCH.
Ran the Whole County During Very
Hard Winter.

Ran the Whole County During Very
Hard Winter.
| There Is q man in the town of Lspgdon,
North Dakota who was the sopreme ruler
of the whole county for about six
| months. He was a Pooh Bah with ven-
geancs. His name is Il. j. Fox, and he is
fond Of telling how he ran Cavalier
county in the nrst winter of its existence.
| 1t came about in this way:
Cavalier county had been named but
unorganized for several years up to 1884.
Ii consisted of q large strip of land, all
owned by the government, lying west OF
the western boundary line: OF Pembina
county. About that time p. McHugh OF
Bathgate was elected as q representative
of Penn bina county in the Legislature,
and it occurred to him and to Attorney
w. j. Mooney of the same village that
1t would be we'll to organize Cavalier
county and add to it the three ranges in
the western part of + embina county.
, This western part OF Pembina county was
very much higher than the rest of the
county, and WAS sitnated, the people said,
and say yet, con the mountain" SO
McHugh got q bill-through the Legisla-
today.
That was In the winter of 1SS4-S5. A
court house was built at Langdon, which
was designated the county seat, and at the
election in November various county
officers were elected. But none of the
county officers came to Langdon to live.
1t was already bad winter, and they
could see no reason why they should
come IL there was some one there to take
charge OF the records. So they united in
asking Il. j. Fox, a young man just from
Canada, to take charge Of the Office until
summer. Fox accepted opposition, or
positions, and in December took charge
of the affairs of the county. The court
house was then large builiing; In fact,
too large for use. Fox decided that it
would be better to leave it vacant until
| spring.. and he took up hts abode in a
one-room "claim shack" the only other
building in town. This was about 10 by
20 feet in dimensions, and there he lived
and did business that winter. He was
deputy clerk of the courts, county Judge,
county treasurer, county auditor, and
registrar OF eeeds. The sheriff lived in
the country and the superintendent of
schools lived just across the Manitoba
line. The sheriff did not serve out his
term, for he was put In jail for shooting
man in y fight. There was not another
living soul within two miles.
Fox lived entirely alone, and did his
own cooking, except the bread baking,
which was done by a neighbor three
miles away. Langdon. though the coun-
ty seat, was not yet Post Office. The
postmaster of Olga in the eastern part of
the county, ussd to send over laree
package Of letters and papers about twice
q week to the people whom he knew lived
near Langdop, and Fox would give to
these people their mail when they called
for il. Tnere was not one settler 40
miles to the west, but about 40 and 30
miles northwest near the Manitoba line,
there were several settlers. and some of
these used to drive that great distance TO
s'nle" OH a homestead or a tree claim.
when they did that Fox had to give them
their meals and lodgings, and in fact, he
had often to keep sort of hotel.
The winter of lSsi-s5 was very cold,
and at night Fox used often to lie awake
and listen 10 the blizzords howl around
his little shack. lie was kept busy, how
ever, for there were many filings. register
ings OF mortgages and few deeds. An
average of two or three men would come
to see him dsily on business, but he sell
dom sw woman. Nearly all the set
tiers near him at that time we're hschel-
ors, who afIerward went oack to Canada
to get married; and, indeeu, Fox d the
same. Everybody was poor, and yet they
all seemed to enjoy themselves, though
they had TO haul their wheat from 90 to
20 miles TO market.
The winter passed very swiftly, and in
tho sumner Mooney and MoEugh came
with their families; then another settlers
began to pour in. Buildings went up. rs
IL by maeic, and in few months there
were q post office and q dozen dwellings.
Talk OF railroad began to he hesrd, and
In a few months,i IL came. Iren, indeed.
"Pooh Bah" Fox had to surrender his
glory. lie chose to take up the hum BILE
position Of superintendent OF the schools
Of the county, and he still retains the
place. lie is disposed 10 think that, in
spite OF the comforts and convenien noes
OF the present mode OF lie here. he en-.
joyed himself moro that winter when
he was monarch of all the government
offices OF Cavalier county.
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