Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-06-08
Well now open this meetin' with pra'r.
Brother Mercer, will you lead in pra'r?

Well now open this meetin' with pra'r,
Brother Mercer, will you lead in pra'r?
The people arose while Mayor Mercer
asked the Lord to bless the gathering.
The audience was typical of the dwell
lers on the second mountain" (Which
was not mountain at all, but only the
second elevation from the level OF the
river, eighty miles away. They were
uncouth people in appearance and
unique in composition. Their long dog
skin overcoats, their high coon-skin
caps, their uncombed hair and shaggy
boards, all told OF their hardy, toilsome
pioneer life. Fifteen years ago that
rapidly growing and rich section OF Da-
kota lay deserted by all save the roaring
billiards., the wolves, and the deer-]ay
all unconcious OF the majestic power in
it's womb to yield No. ] hard wheat,
which at Liverpool grades above all
other wheat in the world. Those -who
first dared to try its worth were Man:
itobans, and after they had uncovered
its great secret, floods OF Canadians,
chiefly from Ontario, followed them.
until it became new Ontario in Dakota
Despite their Scotch conservatism, they
were keenly alive to all new sensations
and the freshness and oddity OF this
prairie life seemed to them an attribute
OF the United States rather than condi'
tons pertaining to all pioneer sections III
| the wheat belt.
The presence OF these people III that
hall OF the proud and new courthouse
at Lansing was to hear Daniel Minds
give out his scheme OF railroad-buildng
At the end OF the prayer, the man who
had called for it rose from hls knees Che
was a Methodist) and began to talk III
an embarrassed, hating manner There
was something peculiarly attractive in
his way of speaking. Ii you had passed
him as he was often seen in December
walking beside his wheat wagon to keeE
warm on his way to market at Lansing
You would have seen little that was in
viting about him. But there glistened III
his eve as he stood before the people
a winsomeness, a courage, and hope
which the dullest felt. He was tall, will
a small head and eyes; his hair was red
dish brown, and his slight mustache
which clustered around his mouth, was
OF the same color. His dress was plain
and rough, but clean and well brushed
Awllwardly. apologetically, and with &
strange smile he said:
Il s'pose yuh want tub know what
| I've got tub say about this new plan tC
build a railroad. Well. it seems kinder
funny fer me to stand up here and try
tub talk tuh yuh. Amany OF yuh,
reckon. think my place is cIeanln' out
Moody's stable, z | use to do seven anC
eight years ago. Law me, course can't
make a speech; but can tell yuh IN &
plain way what is the Lords will re
gardin' this road, fer l b'lieve that the
| Lord hez called me to this work, anc
| that's why asked Frank Mercer tut
open the neetin' with pra'r.
"Yuh know, guess, that we've heC
purity hard times the last few years. 0
course we amt ez bad off ez the corr
States, and u long ez this land will raise
OF it. we'll git along. But we amt dom
z well as we useto when wheat was sc
high; Now, don't look fer any more
dollar wheat, Study. | don't kno"
why. Some say it's silver, and some say
it S teriff, but 1T seems tub me that witt
all this wild land bein' plowed up anc
sowed in wheat, and with folks in the
cities agitatin' colonization OF the pool
inter the country, we can't expect any
thing but more wheat and lower price
And the only thing we can do is to keel
down expenses, and lower what it costs
to produce the wheat.
! Now one big reason why you and mi
hev SO little left after the crop is sold j:
the big slice the railroad takes OF it
The Great Mogul charges US Jest pz much
fer hallln' our stuff tub Dulnth z he die
ten years ago. when wheat was wortl
a dollar a bushel Ten cents a bushe
freight on wheat that brings only sixty
cents bushels at Duluth for the best
and heap sight less for what's go
caught by irest, is too high, and yuf
all know it is.
And this high charge works two
ways. Yuh know we complain goot
deal at the way the stores stick it onto
us in the way OF prices: sometimes they
twict what they are in Ontario. Well
Brother Mercer showed me freight bill
the other day on some hardware, and il
was awful. 1t explained tub me why h
had tuh charge sub much fer his goods.
Nov, you fellers know all this, and
tell yuh the only way fer tub get relief il
fer us tub build road ourselves up tut
| DuIath. 'Twon't help US at all to git il
another road here OF the same kind ;:
this one. They've got both roads a
Gardner, and they amt any better off
They pnrtend tub fight lot, but it's al
a humbug. and blieve the Great Mogu
OWNS 'eln both.
Il got our school-tcacher at Hannins
tub draw a map fer me- and here it is
Ynh see. both these Dakoa roads swa,
way down to the south hundred ant
more miles out OF their way to Duluth
Why don t they run straight? Here Nv
drawed line acrost from this town o
Lansing straight tub Duluth, over lane
where grade would cost most nuthin
and a hundred miles could be saved
This road Soin' tub be built some day
The only question is, whether we're goin
tub build it fer our own benefit or lie
some Eastern fellers build it fer theirs
I say we can build that road, and I'll tel
yuh how"
Daniel Minds had always been odd. II
his youth he was converted, and became
q camp meeting exhorter and revivalis1
in his ignorant, hearty, and peculiar way
but suddenly "the power" left him, ane
he returned uncomplainingl to his farm
drndpery hOldinr fast all the while tt