The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-26
II WAS An AWFUL.
WINTER THAT
OF u
Recent Billiards. Bring Back
Memories Of Early Day
Experiences.
THAT GOLD DISCOVERY
And How it Hit .'Dave"
Holmes and "Billy" Bulge
-''The Irish Kid"
THAT GOLD DISCOVERY

Every now and then to the old
timer there comes reminiscent NOM
ent when the days Of prairie schoon-
ers and overland trips are recalled TO
memory halls. One of these unopen-
ed storehouses of interesting tales
and anecdotes of early life in North
Dakota, was tapped today in the
presence and hearing of an Evening
Times representative. The billiards.
Of last week can be held responsible
for the following notes.
Eyes this is the worst winter since
the year 1872. How we'll l remember
that long and weary winter-the per-
iod of three, six and nine day billiards.
that would make the present situa-
ton look like hot air in a cyclone.
: I'm those days the Northern Pacific
had line from Fargo to Bismarck,
but this road was in operation only
In the summer. consequently all pro-
visions had to be run in during the
summer months or else packed in
on horses.
"Now that I return to former days
how we'll remember the time that
Dave Holmes, Chilly" Bulge and j.
EshelmAn all later residents of this
city, were frozen in the drifts near
jamestown. It happened in the spring
of '76 when the Northern. Pacific had
opened its line for traffic rather early
on account of the excitement sur
rounding the discovery of gold in the
Black Hills of Western North Dakota
and South Dakota.
"The trio consisting of Holmes, Bud
&c and Eshelman had been struck by
the gold fever and had gotten as far
as jamestown when the worst storm
of the year, by the way that was 81
years ago NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the state.
The fury of the blast retgned supreme
for over twenty days during which
time the gold seekers bunked with
Judge Mclaughlin another citizen of
Grand Forks, who at that time was
an Irish Kid" in short pants "The
Kid" was even then noted for his
wonderful memory and used to re-
cite famous speeches by the hour and
otherwise entertain his hearers.
The three future prominents after
long idleness in jamestown start
ed out on the memorable 10th of Feb
ruary after sending provisions,
bronchos and light rigs ahead. They
loaded themselves and the light pro-
visions, representing their entire out
lay of cash, onto a Northern Pacific
caboose and away they went but only
for three miles. There the train bor-
ed into snow drift that would make
the Rock mountains look like a grass
hopper besides akangeroo, and it stuck.
During the subsequent several days
the train crew consumed or rather
did its share toward consuming the
entire stock of provisions and when
the weather finally did relent the gen.
tlemen above mentioned were forced
to return broken in pocket and in
spirit. The kid" performed heroic
service at this time also by "toting"
tobacco and novels to the imprisoned
adventures.
ID. M. Holmes all this time suf-
fered tortures from snow blindness
while the other two shovelled snow
into the boiler of the engine (this
sounds mythicaD to keep the engines
alive.
Eyes, it was terrible winter much
more so than the present season."
''Mr. Holmes this afternoon verified
the above tale of his younger life and
furthermore added that he used to sit
on the cross beams of the telephone
poles to rest, so deep was the snow.