The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-11
In Lighter Vein

MinneAnta,a Frontier.

! Of which he has read, is doomed to bitter
| disappointment. The frontier of the books,
| of the hunter, the picturesque savage, the
reckless cowboy, has gone. There is more
| civilization on the ranches of Montana than
the villages of New England. The Dakota
farmer, barring some newness in his habta-
! ton, is firmly established and as far re-
moved from the wild west as the farmer OF
New York. But in the great forests of north
ern Minnesota, where there are still whoa
lcounties larger than some New England
states, there is an attractive novelty, lrreg-
ularity, freshness of life, looseness of au-
thority and certain lawless recklessness that
make very good substitute for the from
tier. 1t is not the frontier of the shooting
ruf11an and life and property are, generally
speaking, as safe in the depths Of the forests
as IN Minneapolis. But it is new country:
railroads are just penetrating it and, for the
first time, its streams and its trails know
the presence OF men others than trappers,
traders and loggers. 1t is about the best
substitute for frontier that can now be
found in the Crited States east of the Rockies.
1t will not last long. Now is the chance of
the young man who wishes to experience
life in brand new, raw country, to get in
| ION the ground floor and earn the right to
belong to the old settlers club OF ten years
hence. Many good stories drift out of this
young land.
A Yeurntng for Pork.
The largest fresh water lake in the United
States, wholly within the boundaries of one
state, is said to be Red Lake, that great sheet
of water which the map resembles moth
ing much as a distorted figure 8. With
an Indian reservation the most
sible side and protected by swamps and
long distances from railroads on the Others
it has until recently, except for the operations
of lumbermen, remained an inland
untroubled by the comings and goings OF
men as 1t was fifty years ago. Around its
far-reaching shores are some great game pre-
serves. Moose and deer are reported in great
numbers. TO supply the men with fresh meat
IS often a problem at remote numbering
camp. The prOprietors Of the upper
lobe of the lake solved it, as so many others
have, by hiring hunter to supply the men
with moose meat. And the supply album
dant Moose meat in some form other was
offered the men at every meal. But one day
delegation of the men waited on the fore
man. They were evidently very much per-
turbed. In aggrieved tones they informed
him that they would not stand for moose
meat any longer; that they had figured that
they would get white mems grub when they
went into the woods, and that if the foreman
wasn't able to import savory salt pork
within very short time they would start for
the nearest settlement. They knew their
rights and they didn't propose to be fed on
moose meat The foreman's dsquisition on
and stews, his remarks about how much
would be paid for moose steak in Schek's.
Rectors or Delmonicos, were received with
murmurs Of pronounced disapprovai. The
men wanted pork and pork they would have
The foreman had to yield, because though
it was an expensive and arduous task to
bring in supplies, the men must be kept
= even if cheap moose meat had to be forsaken
for the luxury Of pork.
, The GuiIeless Lumber Jack.
The lumber jack is the cowboy of the
woods. He brands logs, drives them down
the streams and rounds them up in booms He
tolls in the cold Of winter and the discom-
y fort of spring; he works in the waters and
. risks droWning-all for the glorious days os
y | riotous living that to follow the end of
= the season The earnings of five months are
: often d1ssipated in a debauch Of few days.
t He is the principal contributor to the circu-
T. latlng medium of the frontier towns. When
: he comes TO town he takes few drinks BUYS
an outfit OF clothing, gets a shave, a hait
: cut and bath and proceeds to enjoy him
+, self. The enjoyment consists principally in 1
u vain attempt to corner the whisky of the SCI
S Element and store it On his person. What OF
3 his money does not go over the bar is likely
5, to be abstracted from his pockets while in q
a drunken stupor. For few, short, drunken
u days he is supremacy happy, according to his
e Ideas. For few days he swaggers and
/ swears and drinks. Then he looks for an
n other job.
e The Chase of One Hundred.
Il At this time of the year, when the Jacks are
- In the camps, the towns are likely to be dull.
. The saloonkeepers, the gamblers and the dives
u are without their patrons. But the other day
:. one of them strayed into northern town
~ with pocketbook containing 800 in bills. He
~ got drunk, was knocked down and robbed.
recovering, a
arrest OF the robber. The 500 was found on
: the person. of the latter. At this point tha
. constable who made the arrest became inter-
; ested. He had a brother, lawyer. He rep
. resented to the jack that he was in a serious
- way and needed the services of a lawyer. Sc
l. the brother was engaged. The first thing tho
q lawyer did was to take possession of the slOC
. found on the prisoner. The county attorney
u heard of this and protested. He forced thu
y ambitious lawyer to turn the money over to
> the sheriff for safe-keepng While the coun-
. ty attorney and the sheriff were away, the
e lawyer hypnotized the sheriff's deputy ant
!, replevined the $500 into his own possession.
= Then the case came up before the justice of
l. the peace, and that functionary refused to
u proceed with the trial till the money was de-
y posted with him. Then he bound the pris-
4. oner over to await the action OF the grand
!" jury. The jack and the town are wonderin,
y how much of the 500 will be left when ths
y formers title to it is finally decided. In the
u meantime the justice of the peace is the cap
II italst of the community.
The Bar Keeps Story.
r 1t is considered by a certain logging town
o barkeeper crime to rife the pockets of 6
: drunken man. At least that is fair infer
# ence from the fact that he tells the following
story himself AS he was closing up the sa-
, loon night about 2 O'Clock in the NOR
n ming, after lively and prosperous night, he
IT found Of his patrons in drunken sleep
~ on the floor. A search OF the mans pockets
l. revealed $50 and a silver watch. Taking
r these the barkeeper considerably rolled the
man into the street and locked up The next
day the man, sobered up. appeared in the
saloon and told the barkeeper that his money
n and his watch were gone. He supposed he
e must have spent the money, for he knew he
Is was delightfully."- drunk. He didn't mind that
" much, but he was concerned over the loss OF
le the watch. He would give good deal to gel
l. it back. The barkeeper was greatly interest
If ed. ''Noy,. describe that watch to me-. said
IN he The description was made. why ex-
re claimed the honest bartender, 'tyou are the
l. man who gave me g. watch and S. to keep for
j. you last night" He went to the safe and
N drew out the watch and three silver dollars.
l. The jack was greatly rejoiced. He went out
" and circulated far and wide the story OF the
Of honest barkeeper.
+ While Patching Sidewalks.
Another homely touch is given to the biog-
raphy of the Shaws of Iowa, which has been
coming out little by little since the husband
- was made secretary of the treasury, by the
- account of how Mr. Shaw impaired his ambi-
- ton to be governor to another deacon of the