Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-21

parts of the state carry out the law IN
various ways, but here in Fargo public
sentiment compels the rigid enforce
ment Of the prohibitory law. while IN
Moorhead. across the Red River of the
North. in the state of Minnesota, they
have high license The result is that
| Moorhead. a town of thirty-five hun
dred inhabitants, has forty-four sa-
looms. each paying the minimum IL
cense fee allowed in the state. which
is $500, and the saloonkeepers run
line of free buses. known as jag
wagons" between the two towns.
These may be seen moving slowly
about the streets of Fargo all day and
evening gathering passengers. ana
when conveyance gets filed, the
horses are driven at a good speed TO
the door of the saloon providing the
accommodation. There is no provision
against dead-head passengers. except
the profanity of the drivers, which Is
liable to break loose upon those habit
ual pilgrims who do not prove profit
able customers ION the other side
For some reason non-bibulous travel
lers between the two towns do not
patronize the bus line by daylight. as
they might perhaps do by tipping
the driver. When people have to go so
far they naturally fill up we'll at their
destination, and hence presence in the
vehicle has come to he regarded by a
mans friends and neighbors as dec
laration of his intention to go ION a
jag" Moorhead is quite a sight. The
saloons are right along in a row, and
hnp s,,
Gerry store. provision market, or some
ordinary place of merchandising. The
mayors saloon is said to be one of the
best in town.
In larger way. prohibition is sat
isfactory to North Dakota, and a meas
ure for its repeal would today secure
small vote. The real reason for this
Is found in a peculiar phase of the
labor problem here observable The
Eastern farmer. with his variety of
crops. finds employment for certain
amount of help throughout the summer
season, with rea sonable steadiness.
Here. with one great crop which must
be attended to at most within the
range of a few weeks. an army of lab
orers have to be temporarily employed.
This demand has created the supply,
and every spring hundreds of harvest
hands start forth from st. Louis and
even points farther South, and gather
the early maturing crops of that lati-
tude. then move northward as the
crops ripen like a flock of birds. and
when the last range of fields have been
harvested, go into the woods about
Lake Superior to get out the lumber.
In the latter part of the winter they
move southwark again. but each year
get around to North Dakota at about
this time. l would not like to malign
these industrious gentlemen. but con-
servative people here speak of them as
the toughest gang of .hobos on the
face of the earth" Now in the old
territorial regime. 7ltl,ep the saloon was
within the reach - The farms. every
rainy day would defnoralize this force
of temporary help. The crop would be
half harvested but to pass away the
idle day the. men would go to the
saloon. and for the next two or three
fair days there would likewise be a
cessation of field . operations. Thou
sands of dollars have been lost by the
farmers in this way, and as the pro-
hibition movement promised to drive
out the local rumshop. it was welcomed,
and today constitutional prohibition
finds among it's strongest supporters
farmers who themselves get drunk
every time they come to town. With
them prohibition is a local issue. as
Hancock said of the tariff.
Unless actually on the ground it is
hard to realize what an extraordinary
movement is this migration of harvest
hands. The twin cities and Duluth
were posted with notices. Offering free
transportation to farm workers. and
the rates of wages that would be allow
ed in addition We're also stated This
is done through an intelligence office
system. by which the laborer chooses
in which to go. and the farmer sends in
an order for fifty good men," or
forty experienced harvesters," or
Whatever help may be wanted. The
railroads advertise special harvest
trains, and the second class and
smoking-cars are at this season of the
year filled with hardy looking men
whose baggage, carried in hand. is
never more than an old black satchel.
Newly arrived Scandinavians contri-
butte to these ranks. and all nations
are. in fact. well represented.
The dimensions of the farming oper-
atoms of this section are Extraordinary.
Some of the larger observation-disclosures
with engine and full equipment. cost
$4,000 each. Steam power is as essen
tial on a wheat farm as in a Massa-
chusetts shoe-factory or cotton-mill.
On the Grandin farm near Fargo,
hat r-sx Il