The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-14

those who participated in the stirring
scenes of those pioneer days.
In breaking up the gang of bad
men" who substituted force for law,
an incident occurred that helped the
dauntless young editor, before re-
ferred to. in his heroic work. One
warm summers da.. while returning
from Grand Forks on a Great North
ern train with a party of Devils Lake
friends, and while the train was NOV
ing at a good speed, a prairie chicken
flew up from near the track. Quick
as flash the editor pulled his revolt
yer, fired and the chicken dropped
dead. 1t was AZ marvellous shot. The
passengers were dumb-founded, and
the incident was thu topic of CONVEX
sation in Devils Lake for weeks.
Hansbrough's skill as dead sure
shot was firmly established, and this
fact lent additional strength to his
already vigorous editorial utterances.
People had wholesome respect for
the opinions of a man who could shoot
prairie chicken on the wing from
a car window of swiftly moving
train with an ordinary revolver.
Shortly after the Corliss incident,
the leader Of the lawless element sur
rounded by his followers, was across
the street from the hotel, then situated
where the First National bank build
ing now stands. Mr.. Hansbrough was
sitting on the hotel porch in CONVEX
sation with Hon. Dave Morgan, who
is now supreme court judge. The
gang began to hurl vile epithets at
Hansbrough. An lAvitation was ex-
tended to him to come out in the mid
die of the street and get his need
ms" Not needing the warning of his
friend Morgan, the editor walked
boldly out into the middle of the
street, and suggested that the leader
of the gang separate himself from his
followers, meet him in single COM
bat, and they would settle any diffe.
ences that might exist between them
In any manner the seader desired. In
delivering his challenge and def the
editor pulled OF his coat, which ex-
posed to the view of the gang the big
butt end of a revolver sticking out
of his hip pocket. The sight of this
undrawn weapon, coupled with the
reputation the editor had for handling
it deftly, took all the. fight out of the
leader. His followers urged him to
accetp the challenge, but the leader
In ~,Hl N
his downfall. His followers deserted
him on the spot, and many Of them
who valued personal bravery above
everything else, walked out to the
editor, took him W the hand and
swore eternal friends4ip to him.
At that time the city needed strong
man for mayor, and Hansbrough was
easily elected. He had risked his life
in the proper western manner and
everybody was his friend. Shortly
after his election he began to rid the
city Of its tough citizenry and sue
ceeded admirably.
AS the city began to grow and
prosper, the question of water sup
ply became a serious one. Mayor
Hansbrough visited the towns in the
Jim river valley which had artesian
wells. Securing all the data possible
he returned to Devils Lake and began
to advocate in the Inter-Ocea the
bonding of the city for artesian well
purposes. Devils Lake is located 1900
feet above the level of the sea. The
mayor was of the opinion that by
drilling this depth flow of water
sufficiently large to meet the wants
of the city could be secured. 1n>
project met with bitter opposition, bu,
the scheme finally prevailed. There
was no positive assurance of success,
but nevertheless the people took the
chance and the bonds we're voted. A
contractor began the work, but met
with innumerable unforeseen obstacles
and there was great delay. The peo-
pie became discouraged, and the
mayor came in for large share of
abuse for squanderlng the peoples
money in a useless attempt to tap
the sea-" But difficulty after diff
Guilty were overcome, and finally a
good sized hole was made to the
depth of nearly 1900 feet, tabing be-
ing lowered as rapidly as the work
progressed. One morning the citizens
were startled by the report that water
had been struck. The whole town.
turned out to witness the spectacle
Of a tremendous stream of water
flowing far up In the air and threat
ening to inundate the city. At the
end of thirty minutes the flow sud-
denly stopped and not drop OF water
arose to the surface. The contractor
lowered the tools once more and dis
covered that the tubing had filled up
with sand to distance of about 100
feet from the bottom. Weeks were
spent in an effort to remove this sand,
but the pressure of the water from the
bottom was so great that the tubing
flied up with sand as rapidly as it
was removed. After weeks of fruit
less endeavor to remove the obstruc-
ton from the pipe, the work was
abandoned and with it the hope OF
ever securing supply of water from
that we'll. Everybody gave up hope
but the contractor and the mayor. The
contractor evolved the scheme in his
Yankee brain that mere was q pres
sure of water on the outside OF the
tubing above the obstruction, and be-
lieved that If he could make tool
that would. cut Sits in the pipe the
water would force itself through. 1t