The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-17
ReC0lleCtions of
an Old Timer

"One of my first recollections of
Grand Forks" NJ. w. Spalding, clerk
of the district court in this city, in
answer to an enquiry. well, let me
see. arrived in Carman, Mimi, in
1879, and the following year removed
to Grand Forks, where remained for
two years. Oh yes; now recall very
wildly one of my early experiences In
this country, for during the first few
weeks of my stay in Grand Forks
bought one more pair of pants than
should have been necessity in the nat
ural course of events. 1t happened
this way: The road from Hillsboro to
this city was just being completed
and car after car of gravel and sand
was being dumped from fiat cars for
levelling purposes, as the steel had
just been laid. and the road was more
like the modern worlds fair scenic
railroad than civilized mode of trans
portation. Well, one day boarded
one Of the work trains and seated my
self on beam of wood. The engineer
must have predicted prohibition for
North Dakota, for he acted like one
we'll 'tanked up and ready for any
exploit, as the engineer pulled the
throttle wide open and we went down
pardon me; up and down-the track
in pursuit of jackrabbit which had
ambled between the rails for snooze
AS a result of the shaking up AMI
lighting once in while, two large
eyelets began to peep forth from the
neighborhood of where sit down, and
the first thing l knew pair of $1.75
trousers was ruined"
Mr.. Spalding further added that the
painting engine finally caught the pant
ing rabbit, but it remained for the
Hudson Bay store to get the painting
Nj. W.
: The genial clerk of court during the
two years following this incident was
associated with man named Ghear-
ing in the lumber business under the
firm name CLEARING & Spalding. The
Office was located where the Mime
apolis & Northern elevator now stands
across the tracks from the Great Nor
thern depot. Another landmark of
those days was the old Knudson yellow
hotel near where the present hotel
Northern is now. The land adjoining
this old hostelry to the north was
utilized for farming purposes. At that
time deep gulch or ravine running
from the site of the Winship school
to the n. P depot, subsequently filled
up, gave mountainous aspect to the
locality. The Hudson Bay store was
located where the Union National
bank today transacts its business.
Mr.. Spalding was here when the first
freight train crossed the bridge to this
city bringing with it the era of pros
perity which has followed to this day.
Jack Bunnell was engineer on the
train, and the story is told that as the
engine neared the center of the span
he pulled the whistle cord and the
steam belched forth in imitation of a
cocks crow. Thomas Stahl, now a
conductor on the Winnipeg Flyer,
punched tickets on the famous train.
In 1878 before the advent of the iron
monster all freight was brought into
Grand Forks by boat from Fargo.
During his numbering experience
here Mr.. Spalding got and fulfilled the
contract for all woodwork in the grist
mill erected by the government at
Fort Totten on the Indian reservation.
The lumber was toted to the fort by
forty OK teams with Indian drivers
under the personal direction of Indian
Agent Major Mclaughlin, now at the
Standing Rock Indian agency.
Mr.. Spalding afterwards moved to
Ojata and later to Larimore, where
he resided until his election to the
Office of clerk of court several years
ago.