The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-07-19
BIRDSEYF VIEW OF N. D. POLITICS
(sy Frank N. EDDY il Minneapolis Tribuns.)

1 @-@--@---e--A---e---N -
North Dakota Chautauaua. Devils
Lake N. d., July 12.-North Dakots
has well been styled "Minnesots
Junior" for Minnesota ideas. Mime
sofa methods and Minnesota men
everywhere take the lead; and Ii Is
impossible to find business enter
prise, an educational institution, a. So
cial function, a political scheme, or, in
fact, anything requiring brains. en-
ergy or capital, but what you will find
the hands OF ex-residents Of the
Gopher state into the affair clear uI
to their elbows.
| North Dakota might also well be
termed "Boosterville." because just as
soon as one crosses the Red river he
is bitten by the exaggeration bug and
his ideas and Imagination begins tc
expand like a North Dakota horizon
which is limitless. 1t has really never
been discovered whether or not North
Dakota men and women can make &C
curate statements about anything
connected with their state for they
never try. Their towns are all ''me-
| tropolises," potato patch is q
ranch a bootblack's stand is a
business enterprise every newspa-
per is a great influential Journal" a
mule, an Indian pony and COW with
calf is a big drove of stock" the
| shaggiest kind of baseball game is
splendid exhibition of the national
pastime," politicians are all states
men," and the preachers are one and
all eminent divines."
Ponce de Leon certainly travelled In
the wrong direction when he was
searching for the tabled fountain OF
youth, for it is sure located in North
Dakota. There are gray haired, gray
bearded men here but no old men; the
women are ali young and growing
younger all the time, the atmosphere
is perpetually surcharged with hope,
promise and expectation. the people
spend every minute of their time liv-
ing and no one ever dies till he stops
breathing.
A Great Country.
North Dakota Is certainly a great
country and great state. It's people
are broad-minded. progressive, liberal
and they do big things In a big way.
Here we have the New England con-
science without the New England mar
rowness, the southland hospitality
without the southern Hospitality with
out the southern caste, the breeziness
of the far west without it's toughness.
The North Dakota chautauqua.
Right here in the "uncouth west" is
Chautauqua in full swing which is
fully up to the standard of any in
the land and then some. OF course 1t
is controlled and managed by ex-
Minnesotans. DR.. George Hindley of
Montana, formerly Of Minnesota, is
platform manager, and there is none
better in the country, and the pro-
gramme fairly bulges with first class,
high priced events, A fine theatrical
troupe gives an entertainment each
afternoon and evening. Margaret j.
Blair, u. of NJ, is giving two weeks
course in domestic art and her lessons
and lectures are so immensely popu-
lar that the women and girls have
crowded her out OF the huge tent into
the auditorium. Captain Tarstenau,
formerly swimming instructor in the
German navy, gives swimming lessons
eacn day to large numbers Of boys
and girls, both old and young. There
are classes in botany, zoology, orni-
thology and physical culture. Round
Table talk and Bible lore is one of
the features. A ten days w. C. T. U.
institute is also in full blast. One can
also be instructed In draw" poker,
but this course is not on the official
programe, it is special and expensive.
DR.. Preston w. Search, John Burke,
John Lind, Mrs. Florence ID. Richards
Of Cleveland, Mrs. Almena Parer Nc
Donald of Chicago, r. o. Hellstrom,
j. H. Worst ]. Wesley McCollom, DR..
r. T. Young, Frank NJ Eddy and a
most of others occupy the lecture plat
form.
Why They Don't Make Money.
Notwithstanding the number and
costliness of the numerous attractions,
so large are the crowds, that the or
ganization would clear a neat. profit
on eacn years session were 1T not
for the fact that the management is
sues family tickets" at an extremely
low rate for the season, and some of
the families that come in from the
wheat ranches would send Roosevelt
into the seventh heaven of ecstacies.
You could form baseball club, lawn
tennis quartet, golf foursome II nave
not the slightest idea what a golf
foursome iss but in these days a man
must be able to talk some golf or
yield up all claims to being public
MANI out OF some Of these families and
the fathers and mothers could not play
either for it takes all their time in
watching to see that the toddlers do
not fall into the lake. No one connect
ed with the Chautauqua seems to
care, however whether it makes a
profit or not 1t is characteristic of
North Dakota that promoters of insti-
tutions of this kind rather make them
go than to make money.
Governor John Burke.
On July Governor Burke was
orator of the day and delivered an
GRAFTON to an audience of 5000 people
North Dakota estimate). AT any
rate when the governor. commanding
in statue, and swart Of countenance,
arose to speak, every Sc. in the large
auditorium was occupied and re-
manned occupied by the same people
during his entire speecn. They say
that the governor looks like Lincoln"
If he does the comparison ends there.
His address was declared by his
friends and the press to be "a mag
nificent effort" But it was not. it was
decidedly commonplace. it did not con-
tain single new though or original
idea. but was full of platitudious
declarations of the obligations rest
ing upon citizens to obey law and
the duty Of public officials to en-
force the law In fact the grafton was
so ordinary that It was really extra