The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-07


the ENTHUSIASTICALLY in the Cow country,'a
| but which Is seldom the portion Of the Eng
lish woman of rank
IN 1887 the Hon. Coutts Marjoribanks was
the only real good thing in the way of an
Englishman that they had up in North Da-
Kota. Mar1oribanks was a younger son, and
On the '70s and early sos there were plenty
OF his kind all over the prairies The son Of
Baron Tweedmouth and the brother of the
Countess of Aberdeen 1T was thought to be
| the real thing, as part of his efuca-
tion, to give him touch OF roughing 1t. He
was sent out in the early sos. went to the
Black Hills country, was sold $500 cow
boys outfit, was permitted to ride out-of town,
held up and robbed Of the outfit and then
| sold the same lot again.
He made his way north from the hills
country, fell in with the Marquis de Mores
| at Medora, got an allowance from home. and
after generally warm time with the mar
quts made his way to the Mouse River coun-
! try In North Dakota. which was just being
| opened up as cattle country. He had an
allowance Of a couple of Thousand pounds
year and he bought lot of wild laSd.
lot OF wilder cattle and started in to make
his fortune. He had a home ranch about Ave
miles from the present town of Towner. on
the line Of the Great Northern, and spent
good deal of his time in the village. The rail-
road got far West as the river in the sum-
mer OF 1886, but Coutts was there before the
road, and 1t was his province to take W.
corners IN tow and show them the country
he had discovered
Coutts had friend Of his own kidney e.
H. Thursby, formerly a captain of marines
who lived some miles down the river.
The cow country was not lacking in
picturesqueness, and sometimes there was
bit of color thrown in that was car
NINE indeed Coutts was great, big, hulk
| ing man. with black whisker and a very
bald head, though he was still young One
day he rode into Towner got his mail. went
over to Bob Fox's saloon and opened his let
tiers. Incidentally, he bought the gang nine
drinks. When he had read the first letter
! he made an announcement. The announce
ment astonshed the gang. for though they
| knew something about the magni1cence OF
| Coutts connections they never thought ne
would put any Of his relatives in evidence.
He said:
"Boys, my sister is coming out to see me,
and this town has got to do the right thing.
| Give us drink, Bob"
Who's your sister," asked Fred Fritz.
Shes the Countess Of Aberdeen, and you
| fellows have got to help me entertain her."
| well, they didn't know about that. They
! hadn't seen much of women for some time
| There was old Miss Conlin and Mrs. Frisb:e,
who kept the hotel, and little Mrs Lotus,
edge of females. and they all declared them
! selves out.
"Now look here" said Coutts. Haven't I
always been good fellow, EN-? And can't
you do the right thing in case Of this kind?
| My sisters coming out here to see the Wild
West and the sight has got to be furnished"
! When he put it that way they couldn't kick,
and that night there was much discussion as
| to ways and means.
| Majoribanks had the show place of the
river country at his home ranch. He had
long, low rambling house built of hewn
! logs and portions Of the interior were quite
handsomely kept. There were carpets and
/ Grapes and there was always provender galore
and Coutts was agreed that If he could Dor
row the old lady that kept house for Thurs
by he would bring the visit off all right
The old lady refused flat to be loaned She
knew Mr.. Majoribanks, she said, and he was
putting up job on her. So that after all
the camp cook had to be relied on. Pro-
visions were sent for to st. Paul and there
was a store of everything around Maori
banks ranch The boys up and own the
river polished up the saddlery and their
guns and spent much Of their time at Bob
FoXs discussing the visit. The day of the
arrival OF the countess was a great day in
town. Majoribanks was in town all day
and he had been helping to keep UP the
I; courage of the gang with the assistance of
Mr.. Fox.
The train was due about 5 o'clock in the
evening and as soon as the smoke of the
engine could be seen as she left Rugby, fif-
teen miles down the track, everybody was
got into his saddle. The idea was to range
up alongside the depot platform and when
the lady arrived to give her a salute by
emptying, every man, his gun in the air
There q rd for LADY
to ride in and the push was to act as escort
and be as much like cowboys as possible.
The train pulled in, shunted a special car
it was General Manager Egans private
car-on to g. side track, and went on its
way. Coutts made his way into the car
and presently came out leading his sister
by the hand and waving his hat to the gang
Whereup every man pointed his
gun into the air. fired as many shots as he
had and whooped as he supposed a cowboy
ought to whoop on such an occasion.
Lady Aberdeen was a very Sight woman
in those days, and very nervous Indoe1
she did not need to be nervous to be shocked
at the reception She screamed and ran back
into the Twenty minutes later Cortts
came cut and SAID that his sister didn't like
that part of the programme, that she was
very grateful. but wouldn't they put Their
guns away Anything to oblige a lady they
aruged, and the guns were put away and a
damper was cast on the festivities. L3dy
Aberdeen was gotten into the blackboard and |
started for the ranch AID the escort hav |
tolerably we'll for the frs mile then it ct |
monotonous, and one OF them turned loose |
with his gun, and then another When they |
got to the ranch the countess and her maid /
locked themselves in and would not en- /
the door Of the house. Coutts begged for an |
opportunity to show her some real wild Yves: |
life but she wouldn't Listen and she had |
10 part m the FESTIVITIES that kept her awake !
all night. Early in the morning she and |
the maid and tenderfoot cowboy escaped an1 |
went to town. She got into her CIR and WAS |
hurled East on the first train and the first |
great social event in the history of Towner |
was a rank and unqua flied failure.
startling example of q the trem :ndous |
power Of electricity as compared to the efforts |
of the strongest horses. was given en- Wab- |
asha street, near the new capitol, last evan |
ing. A truck loaded with one Of those m SIS We !
blocks Of Georgia ma! BILE that enter into the |
building of the structure was being |
dragged slowly up the stree by a six-horse |
team. At Tilton street the wheels of the dray |
slipped into the street car track and The |
horses were stalled. They were encouraged |
in every way, taken off and hitched to the |!
rear Of the wagon, and everything else cone |
to get the great stone moved but in vain |
In the meantime jam CT street cars was |
accommodating. At the head of the jam, right |
In front of the team was Como interurban. |
When everything else had failed and 1t |
looked as though the block would have to b, |
sawed up on the spot, somebody had inspira- |
ton. A sham was had 1t was fastened TO |