Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1907-03-07
GIVE TRUTH ABOUT N. DAKOTA
Seal Denial placed on Stories Circulated In the East to Hurt
the State.
the State.

The Northwestern North Dakota
Federation has completed its session
at Minot and the work it has started
will be carried. on by specially ap-
pointed publicity committee. This
committee will thoroughly investigate
all deaths in this section which were
supposed to have been caused by the
inclemency Of the weather, will ascer-
tain the facts regarding the causes and
will make their results public.
The publicity committee has ap.
pointed subcommittee which will
have charge of the finances and other
work which will arise. Before ad-
journing the committee prepared the
following letter to be circulated as
generally as possible:
The Northwestern North Dakota
Federation, representing the agricul.
tural and business interests of that
portion of North Dakota, was formed
at Minot, N. D., Feb. %, 1907 for the
purpose Of making thorough investi-
cation Of the climatic conditions
throughout that section, including the
counties Of Ward, Bottineau, Mclean,
Williams, McHenry and Mckenzie.
and reporting their findings to the
press and general public.
On ths Very Frontier.
Delegates from Mckenzie and
Williams counties reported that as
these two counties are probably the
last two in the state to be taken up
by homesteaders, the trials of the
winter weather probably fell more
heavily upon their settlers than upon
those of any other county in the state.
Many Of them came to this section last
fall from the Eastern and Southern
states with less than 500 in their
pockets. Through lack Of funds they
were unable to buy sufficient lumber
with which to build more than single
board shacks with tar paper coverings.
They were unable to buy. sufficient
clothing to protect their own bodies
and even went hungry to bed for lack
of food many times. They suffered, of
course, as they would have suffered in
any other state in the Union.
Among the older class of settlers, or
those who had raised one crop or
more, no suffering Of any kind occur
red. Two deaths from freezing we're
reported. Early in the winter. before
the snow came, young man living
near the Canadian boundary line was
found five feet away from the door of
a neighbor, who lived some eight
miles from the young mans claim. His
cap, coat, overshoes and mittens were
missing from the young mans body
and the conclusion arrived at was that
he had become demented, and while in
that condition had wandered of in the
uight. =
The other case was that of a young
lady. While driving across the coun-
try in company with two other girls
and a young man, an accident happen
ed which frightened the horses and
caused them to run away, tipping the
entire party out. Leaving the girls.
the young man went for the team.
When he returned two Of the girls only
were to be found. The other had be.
come frightened and started of alone
in an endeavor to reach home. Her
body was not found until the following
morning.
Owing to the great deposits Of coal
and heavy growth Of timber along the
Missouri river. the fuel shortage re-
ported in some sections did not affect
them.
Rural Routes Not Bothered.
It is reported that from Williston
fifteen rural routes radiate in all d.
rections sixty miles, crossing the Mis-.
souri, river into Mckenzie county. The
reports sent to Washington show that
but one delivery on one route only
had been missed during the winter.
The delegates were unanimous in
stating that the inconvenience suffer-
ed as a result of temporary tie.up in
traffic were not great; that there were
times when kerosene could not be
bad in large quantities. but the oil
tanks made frequent trips into the
towns; that granulated sugar was for
time scarce, but that loaf sugar was
at all times plentiful.
The reports given showed that dur
ing January there was shortage OF
coal and that during that month there
was a fear that should the mercury
drop and the sled roads get In bad
shape, there might be suffering and
that with this fear confronting the in
habitants, several urgent appeals were
made to the congressional representa-
tives and state officials in hope that
Immediate action would be taken.
No Suffering in Ward and MeHenry.
The delegates from the western part
of Ward county and from McHenry
county were unanimous in the state.
ment that there had been practically