The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-28

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.
No Suffering.
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 were
reported. Early in the winter before
the snow came a 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-cap,
coat, over-shoes and mittens were
missing from the body, and the conclu-
sion arrived at was that the young
man while demented had left his
claim shanty and wandered off in the
night. The other case was that of
young lady. While driving across the
country in company with two other
girls and young man, an accident
happened 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 9TH
err had become frightened and started
off alone in an endeavor to reach
home. Her body was not found until
the following morning. The delegates
| from those counties were frank in
their statements as to the facts, and
| believing that such occurrences hap
| pen in all our states, had no hesita-
ton whatever in giving them.
| Owing to the great deposits of coal
and heavy growth of timber along the
Missouri river, fuel shortage re-
| ported in some sections did not af-
feet them.
One Missed.
| 1t is reported that from Williston
fifteen rural mail routes radiate in all
directions sixty miles crossing the
Missouri river into Mckenzie county
The reports sent to Washington show
that but one delivery on one route
only had been missed during the win
ter. The reports from the United
States government reclamation SER
vice. and which, under the direction
of the National government is at pres
ent installing several irrigation pro-
! jects in the vicinity of Williston show
that an active corps of engineers has
been maintained during the winter,
and that daily service of canals, ditch
es, etc., were made, which made it
| necessary for the engineers to drive
twenty to thirty miles and put in the
entire day serving in the field. Not
being as yet so we'll cut up as the
older counties with lines of railroad,
the farmers of Mckenzie and will
liams counties were necessary COM
PEELED to haul food supplies long
distance, but at no time was there any
shortage at the supply points.
At Williston, it was stated NUM-
cipal water works and electric light
plant as we'll as telephone exchange
was installed after Nov. "a, and work.
men digging bitches and stringing
wires all through the winter.
From the stock growing districts
of Mckenzie county it was reported
that thousands of head Of horses and
cattle were wintering in the brakes
and on the prairies along the river
streams and that the loss from cold
or exposure would be no greater, if
as great, as in past years.
The Extreme Suffering.
The delegates from the Northwest
ern portion of Ward and the western
portion of Bottineau counties report
ed that there was practically no suf-
fering in those sections as result of
the extreme cold, but owing to the fact
that those localities are well covered
with railroads, the inhabitants had de-
pended in large measure upon the
railroads to bring in fuel and to rein
force food supplies, that the winter
weather had commenced much earlier
than usual taking them unaware and
as result there were times during
the months of December and January
when it was necessary to drive a dis
lance of from eighteen to twenty miles
to the coal mines and to other points
on main railroad lines for food COM
modities; that the past winter was
most unusual one, there being quite
heavy snow fall and most remark.
able absence of wind, which, in pre-
vious winters has predominated, hence
causing the snow to drift instead of
being general as it has. The dele
gates were unanimous in stating that
the inconvenience suffered as a re-
suit of the temporary tie-up in traf-
iic were not great; that there were
times when kerosene could not be
had in large quantities, but that oil
tanks made frequent trips into the
towns; that granulated sugar was, for
time, scarce, but loaf sugar was at
all times plentiful. The reports Civ
en- showed that during January there
was shortage of coal, and that dur
ing that month there was fear that,
should the mercur drop and the sled
roads get in bad shape, there might
be suffering. and that, with this fear
confronting the inhabitants, several
urgent appeals were made to the con-
gressional representatives and state
officials in hopes that immediate ac-
ton would be taken. Lengthy re-
ports were made putting forth the