davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Adair County news., 1910-09-21
WE'D. SEPT. p, 1910,
THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY.
Caleb Powers Easily Defeats D. c.
Edwards, Carrying Every County
in the District But Three.
HIS MAJORITY TEN THOUSAND OR MORE

Lie TGSult VI Nepupllcdu pTl-
mary in the Eleventh district,
last Thursday, was a great sur
prise to Mr.. Edwards and also to
Mr.. Powers. the former that he
was defeated, the latter that his
majority was so large.
Edwards supporters i n this
end of the district knew that Mr..
Powers was largely the favorite
in Adair, Casey, Russell, Clinton,
Cumberland, Monroe, Wayne,
but they reasoned that Mr.. Ed
wards vote in the upper end of
the district would overreach Mr..
Powers vote in this end, and
Edwards friends entered the
primary very hopeful Thursday
morning.
After the polls were closed and
the returns commenced to arrive
it was plain to every body that
Powers was an easy winner.
At this writing his exact ma
jority can not be told, but it is
in the neighborhood of ten or
twelve thousand.
The following is the vote of
counties sent in the night after
the primary:
London, KY. Sept. 16 Ed
wards carried his home county
by eighteen votes. From the
beginning his followers have
been loyal and Interchangeable.
The influence of Senator Bradley,
though not active. had been fig
ured a strong factor in Powers
behalf.
Williamsburg, KY, Sept. 10
Twenty-eigbt out Of twenty-nine
precincts in Whitley county gave
Powers about i, 200 majority over
Edwards. The other precinct
will increase Powers majority
about so.
Whitesburg, KY, Sept. 16-
With one precinct out, Letcher
county gave Caleb Powers $50
majority over D. C. Edwards.
The precinct to hear from is con-
coded to Powers, which will
swell his majority to $50.
Somerset, KY. Sept. 16-Pu-
laski county gives Edwards a
majority Of 500, all precincts
heard from. The election here
u
was the quietest held in the
county. No disturbances were
reported in the county.
London, KY, Sept. lows
ley county complete, except Up
per Buffalo, gives Powers 615
majority. The missing precinct
will increase his majority to $50.
Liberty, KY, Sept. l6-Eleven
precincts in Casey county give
Powers 1896, Edwards 265. One
precinct to hear from will in
crease Powers majority 35.
Burkesville, KY, Sept. 16-
Complete returns from to-day
primary in Cumberland county
give Powers 80 Edwards 298.
Middlesboro, KY, Sept. 49,
With twenty-one out Of twenty
The Adair County news., 1910-09-21
KnifIey.


of the county is causing Irish
potatoes and beans to rot and
corn to sprout in the shuck. The
high waters caused a lot Of dam
age to corn as it reacheg the ear
in the low lands.
Mr.. ]. j. HUMPHREYS sold his
farm last week to a Mr.. Lovett
for $1,000.
Mrs. Art Lanehart arrived last
week from Fancy Prairia Ill
She is stopping at Mrs. Phillip
Knifey's.
On account of some misunder-
standing the spoke mill was
closed for a few days last week.
If'the actions of Gov. Wilson
and Pres. w. H. Taft does not
convince the most conservative
Republicans that they are on the
wrong side or have made a great
mistake there is no hope for
them.
While in conversation with Mr..
Gabe Webb of Casey Creek a
few days ago he said that a con-
siderable amount of corn in his
section was drowned out and
that tobacco was badly damaged.
Mr.. D. J. Bowen is doing a
good business with his wheat
mill. He grinds wheat 2 and 3
days in a week, Friday being his
grind day for wheat.
The high waters the past week
washed ]. R. Boards well away
again.
Mr.. and Mrs. E. V. Humphreys
visited Mr.. Delaney Robertson
one day last week.
Two of A. Hovious' children
were quite sick few days last
week.
Sorghum making is the order
of the day in this section.
Mr.. A. Hovious was in the
Louisville market several days
last week.
Mr.. Gus Dunbar spent several
days at the State fair last week.
Mr.. John Jeffries of Ozark
visited several days in this Sec
ton last week.
Mr.. Luther Dunbar who has
been sick so long is improving
slowly.
1t seems like the pike from
here to Wilson's Creek is on a
stand. Gentlemen winter will
be here soon when it will take 2
dollars to take the place of one
now while the weather is good.
One good thing about a safety
Razor, woman can't trim her
corns with it.
Mr.. Virgil Knifey, wife and
children, visited the Iatter's
father ]. D. Absher, a few days
of last week.
Mrs. Henrietta Hancock visit
led her daughter, Mrs. ]. j.
HUMPHREYS several days Of last
week.
Rev. w. S. Dudgeon breaches
the FIRST Sunday In each month
at Plum Point church.
Miss Fannie Hancock spent
last week at her sisters Mrs.
Howard teaches.
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10
P. N. Kulseth Gives Vivid Description
of Seas of Flame Which Broke
With Startling Suddenness.
RAN FOR LIFE DESPISTE RlDlCULE
Got Into Rainy River Just in Time t.
Hear Bells Clang Out Towns
Death Knell.

P. N. Ku!seth, of Beltrami, repre-.
senting a Minneapolis heating plant
concern, arrived in Bemidji tonight
direct from Baudeette and confirms
the report of the destruction of prop
e1ty and human life and tells a dra.
matte story of his experience with
the fire and gives vivid description
of the destruction of Baudette, of
which he was an eye witness. When
he left Rainy River, Friday night,
half that town had been burned and
the flames were making Roadway at
the rate of from ten to twelve miles
an hour. Mr.. Kulseth said:
Watched Town Melt From Map.
The newspaper reports of the fire
at Baudette have not been exagger-
ated and know what I am talking
about for l watched that village
melt from the map.
Il was in Baudette calling on
the trade. 1 had been apprehensive
all day as the town was dense with
smoke. About p. m. became so
alarmed at the fire which was being
driven against the town with a great
cracking and intermittent detona-
tons from forest explosions, and l
hurried to the hotel and told
the clerk that 1 was going to check
out. He laughed at me and said
that there was no real danger.
Bells Clang; Whistles Blow.
Il insisted that there was grave
danger and got my grips and pro-
ceeded on foot to hasten across the
bridge to Rainy River.
Here I re-reglstered and began
making business calls but had not
been in Rainy River longer than
three.quarters of an hour before we
heard the Baudette bells Changing
and the fire whistles screening.
Like Blast From Hades.
"Baudette had become aroused
too late-the town was doomed.
Nothing on earth could have
stopped that mighty monster from
the forest driven as a blast
from the internal regions by a wind
with the power of hurricane.
The Town Goes Wild.
1.-The town went wild. The
streets filled with frantic persons
who rushed in disorder toward the
Rainy River bridge or to train
of box cars which had been hur.
riedly collected"
"As many as could Chamber on
board, while still others succeeded
in making the Canadian side of
the river foot. To presume that
that all escaped would be rldicul-
Gus.
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10
CLEARWATER COUNTY SAFE
High School Boys Organize to Fight
on Moments Notice.

Bagley, MINI. Oct. 1O-There is
no danger of forest fires close to
Bagley as all the fires are we'll in
hand, but big fires are reported in
the fine timber in township 1887
So. There are also bad fires in the
vicinity of Gonvick where they cal
led for aid Saturday.
Clearbrook reports fires in the
timber north and east of that place
from three to five miles and have
sent men out to fight the flames.
The Bagley high school boys, as
we'll as all available men, have been
formed into companies and are
ready on instant call to 90 to any
dangerous spot in the county.
Up to the hour that this is written
no lives have been endangered and
no buildings or stock lost so, far as
can be learned. The entire country
is aroused and will. without question,
hold the fire in check. /;
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10
May Need More Aid.

The following message from c.
B. Kinney, chairman, and G.
Emerson, secretary Of the Inter
national Falls relief committee.
was received in Bemidji at noon
today.
international Falls citizens have
opened their homes to refugees and
all are cared for a. to money, food,
shelter and clothes. They number
225. No state help needed here but
if fire destroys Rainy River. Inter.
national Falls will be the only re.
fuge for inhabitants and there are
5000 refugees now there so be . in
readiness to send help on demand.
First Sergeant Cell in command OF
Bemidji Militia now at Baudette
will wire International Falls mayor
today exact conditions as to .likeli'
hood of spread of flames and the
need of provisions. High wind,
continue"
The militia companies of Eveleth
and Thief River Falls have beer
ordered out.
Capt. Otto of the Bemidji com
pany left for the fire district on a
freight, this morning. Second Lieut.
Kenneth Kelley, commanding office,
of the members Of the militia still il
Bemidji, will assemble the men OF
quick notice if the men are needed
The relief train was delayed at Fl
Francis until the regular Canadian
Northern passenger arrived thi.
morning and the three cars wer,
attached and taken on toware
Baudette and no word has since bee,
received from it. The train also
took relief coaches of provisions ant
other necessities sent from Duluth
and Crookston.
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10
.D|ETz FACES CHARGE
FIRST DECREE MURDER

yszE ~ + 8 : Z
Winter, Wis, Oct. -(Daily
Pioneer Special Wire Service. The
coroner's jury ia the case Of Jobp
.Dietz,. his wife and two children,
who we're captured Saturday after
Die,z had been wounded and a
deputy sheriff killed, this afternoon
returned verdict that tie deputy
was killed by a shot fired by some
member Of tie Dietz family and
charging murder in the first degree.
Several carcasses Of deer were also
found At the Dietz cabin and Dietz
will also be prosecuted on the charge
Of game Law violation.
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10

Spooner before the flames reached
there. Bridges and culverts have
been burned out, wires are down and
traffic is impeded. Among the list
of dead are:
Julius Bratten, wife and five chill.
dren, homesteaders;
Ed Ruin, wife and seven children.
George Weaver, homesteader:
James Barbeau, wife and and six
children.
Charles Baker, homesteader.
Mrs. Pearl Browns, infant child;
mother was badly burned in escap-
ing; child was smothered.
Julius Bord, wife and children.
Carlo Lorenzo. homestea d er,
suffering from typhoid in cabin, in
jured.
Walter Ferguson, burned from
head to feet.
J. c. O'Neil and his whole family.
including his oldest son William and
little baby, seven in all, were smoth-
cred to death.
=, Mrs. P. Brown lost her child. Her
eyes were badly burned.
julius Bord and family, eight in
all, were going : to bed when >the
roof fell in before a gust of wind
and cracking timbers. The house
was consumed.
Carlo Lorenzo, who laid sick of
fever in a lonely hut, was burned to
death while crawling to safety.
Frank Ciffin, wife and five
children.
Tom Barr, homesteader near
Pitt.
McCumber, wife and six chill
dren.
M. Brennan, Rapid River.
Gaffins, wife ane three children.
Alfred Palm, homesteader.
Three unknown dead on Rapid
River.
Nine dead bodies were seen on
the Canadian Northern tracks by
women who mounted horses and fed
down the railroad.
A woman known only by the name
of Kate" homesteader. was burn.
ed to death as was also Mike Beaver
of Baudette.
Seven settlers between Baudette
and Rapid River are known to be
dead.
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10

went to the Berg home and en-
deavored to rescue the housekeeper
but she said she would not come out
of the house and ten. minutes later
the structure was smoldering ruins.
I personally know that out of a
family of six persons by the name of
Swenson, near my own home, three
we're burned to death.
Frank Larson, living. FIVE miles
out of Spooner, buried himself in the
sloppy miskeg soil and stayed there
with just his mouth and nose exposed
while the flames swept by with the
roar and almost the speed of an
express train. He crawled out none
the worse for his experience and ran
to Rainy River, where l heard him
say that he saw no less than twenty
five persons lying in the woods some
l. i
dead and others overcome with
smoke and heat. He believes none
can escape.
One man fourteen miles south of
Baudette by the name of Edward
Ruin, who has seven in his family,
endeavored to persuade his folks to
20 with him to nearby creek, but
they refused and the only one of the
family to escape was Ruin himself,
who buried himself in the creek.
The village Of Pitt was swept as
completely from the map as though
las Kansas cyclone had done the work,
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10
Governor Eberhart Issues Call for Aid
and Relief is Being Rushed in
On Special Trains
WINNIPEG SAYS 1000 ARE DEAD
Wind Still Strong and Danger of Further Destruction Not
Yet Passed.Thrilling Stories Told of
Betrami's Horror

St. Paul, Mimi, Oct. 10 DAILY
Pioneer Special Wire Service. j.
According to reports received
today from all points in the fire
zone, more than 500 charred
corpses are strewn among the
ashes which are the sole relic of
millions upon millions of dollars
worth of property.
From Winnipeg comes the re.
port that, according to information
from railroad officials, the death
list must approximate at least
1000 human beings.
From Crookston comes message
claimed to be backed by reliable in
formation that already 1875 dead
bodies have been recovered.
The destruction of $3,OO0,OOO
worth of lumber, mill property and
vast acres of timber bearing trees
has been confirmed.
Governor Eberhart yesterday after.
noon assembled the board of man.
ayers of the recent Conservation
Congress for a conference at the
state capitol. It was decided that
immediate steps toward furnishing
relief should be taken and this morn:
ing the governor issued a7proclama-
ton calling for aid and as presi-
dent Of the Minnesota branch of the
National Red Cross association, an
nounced that contributions in be.
half of the fire sufferers would be
received in St. Paul, Minneapolis,
Duluth and Moorhead. 81
The destruction at Spooner and
Baudette appears to have been CON-
plete and with the exception of the
Shevlin- Matthew saw mill, not a
structure remains standing in Spoon.
er and all of new Baudette, which in.
cludes the entire BUSINESS section
and most of the residences, was de.
molished.
Rainy River was saved after the
Rat Portage Mill & Lumber Co.
plant had been burned. ~ =
At International Falls 81 bodies
have been recovered. Refugees are
swarming into that village and free
trains have taken many hundreds to
Bemidji, Virginia, Duluth, the Twin
Cities and other points.
Thirty-five typhoid patients were
carried on improvised litters from
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10
SSa5as...
IN GRAVE :. =. :.
DANGER OF DISASTER

Kelliher missed destruction by
forest fires last night by less than
40 rods.
For three days $50 men had
fought the fires and at least once
the town had before been in grave
danger.
Yesterday, strong wind blew the
flames toward the village and directly
in their path lay the Ross & Ross
cedar yards, the largest in the world
containing 100000 cedar poles and
posts.
The flames crept up so close that
the fire fighters were unable to use
the fire hose.
The flames came from the south
and southwest and raced through
much valuable timber and as a re-
suit much logging will have to be
done this winter.
lust as the flames were creeping
up to the buildings, the wind
changed and by desperate efforts
the fire was checked about mid.
night.
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10

alton; G. E. Carson Of the Bemidji
Pioneer; Ray Murphy. undertaken;
and Rev. S. E. P. White Of the Pres.
byterian church.
Five physicians and Coroner M. E..
.Ibertson, equipped with medicines
and surgeons supplies, were aboard
the train. The physicians are:
Doctors Ward, Smith, Sanborn,
Marcum and Henderson.
Many private donations are also
loaded on the car including tents
and clothing.
The special train arrive at Inter.
national Falls about g p. m. but
was delayed until II p. M, then
proceeded on the Canadian North
ern tracks.
A bulletin flashed back from
Blackjack says: 'sTrain ran
through bad stretch of flames here
and the extensive cedar yards of
the Charles Carter Co. at Spur
No. III between Hines and Black
duck are on fire. There are 28
on board aside from militia and
sheriff Hazen has sworn them all
in as deputies" G-.~.
After he had superintendent the
starting of the relief train Mayor
Parker dispatched a squad of men
to Popusky and Nebish, rs miles
north of Bemjdji where it isreported
bad fires are raging. There has been
a brisk wind blowing all day and
the possibility of further damage
throughout this entire northern
country is imminent.
There are no fires in the immediate
vicinity of Bemidji and there is NO
need of alarm on the part of any one
having property, relatives or friends
in this city.
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10

It was the fire at Pitt that first
aroused the inhabitants of Beaudette
and they began to pack up, but the
flames came tearing on at the rate
of from ten to twelve miles an hour
and bore down on the village with
unexpected suddenress.
The fire seemed to leap as an
ocean of flames from the treetops onto
the buildings of the village and almost
in the twinkling both Spooner and
Baudette found themselves mass
of flames and it was the height of
folly to attempt to fight the fire.
Those persons who had attempted
to save their goods by packing them
found when they attempted to carry
anything to the depot that it was
impossible as the streets were crowd
ed and frantic and desperate men,
women and children, who rushed in
a disorderly mob to the depot and
would not permit any one to take
packages on board the train of box
cars which were filled to the limit.
How many persons failed to get
on board that train l do not know.
but those who did fail to board it or
to make the bridge before it burned
gave their bodies to the fire god and
their ashes now mingle with those of
the destroyed villages.
Hundreds of heads Of horses and
Continued on Pare At
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10
Lurid Effert Produced.

The burning of Baudette was
spectacular in the extreme. A cur
tain of smoke had darkened the sky
and when the flames reached the
buildings of the village lurid and
altogether weird effect was the result.
Building after building yielded to
the fury of the fire demon until the
work of the flames was complete, the
depot in a favored location, alone
marking the site of what twenty
four hour hours before had been a
thriving, prosperous and happy town.
Many Explosions Heard.
Previous to the burning of the
village, many explosions were heard
and these were caused by the form
ing of gas in the swampy vegetation.
Why so. many persons refused to
heed the warnings of the noisy
flames is a mystery to me. When
the place was past salvation the fire
department assembled but was
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10

aroused the inhabitants and thus
many were enabled to escape.
The Story of Horror Not Yet Told.
But the story of the blackened
ruins has not been told and CHASTITY
tales lie buried in the smoulderine
ruins for many a human form adds
its contribution to the ash heaps.
How many lost their lives can only
be conjectured until the region
travelled by the fire has been thorough.
ly explored and all missing persons
accounted for.
One of First to Escape.
when l saw that Baudette was
fated and that the flames might leap
the river, as they later did, I hustled
down to the railroad yard where I
found a Canadian Northern pas
senger train headed for International
Falls. In the yards I picked up two
children, girl and boy each about
three years old. The boy, l after.
ward learned. was the son of the
yard.master. l took them on board
the traiE and it is good thing
did for they certainly would have
been burned to death.
I'VE made our way to the train
through shower of cinders. The
air was oppressive and the heat was
so intense that the rear coach of the
train, which, because of the near
approach of the flames, had been I'm.
able to stop at the depot, was bills.
tered. The engineer opened the
throttle and we ran out of Rainy
River at a lively clip and the trip to
International Falls was made with
out accident. This was the first
train out after the fire and there
were but four persons on board from
Baudette and Rainy River"
The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-10
ASHES MARK FORMER
SITE OF Two TOWNS
Not a Building Left Standing in Spooner
and only Few in Cd Part
Of Baudette .s.
BERG'S H0USEKEEPER CREMATED
Effort. Of Resident. to Escape Des.
cribed By Refugee. Who are
Now in Bemidji.

A train of refugees arrived in
Bemidji at 10 o'clock this morn
ing and they confirm the e arlier
reports of the destruction of pro-
perty and declare that the loss of
life has been most appalling and
that it is reasonable to suppose
that most of the four hundred
missing persons were cremated in
lonely settlers homes, struggling
settlements and prosperous
villages.
Five miles southwest of Baudette,
John Strand, a settler with a wife
and eight children succeeded in
crawling half mile to the adjoining
claim of Peter Svedlund, who had a
small root celler. When the Strand
family reached the Svedlund home,
he found the celler door blocked and
the celler jammed to the point OF
suffocation with other settlers who
had rushed there as the last hope of
refuge. Strand beat down the door
and the smoke from the forest which
filed the place, suffocated several Of
those on the inside but Strand man.
aged to crowd his family inside and
only three deaths resulted.
Charles G.. Mosen, head mill.
wright of the Standardization mill
at Spooner, gives the following clear
account of the destruction done and
the deplorable incidents in connec.
ton with the confagration at
Spooner and Baudette:
my wife had been i'll with typhoid
fever and is just recovering. At
O'Clock Friday night I was waiting
upon her when a man yelling at the
top of his voice came to our house
and said the forest fire was eating
up the village. =
I had already retired but !
jumped out of bed and started to
dress when the flames roared 60 Close
to our house that I decided we had
to make a quick dash for it or we
would all be lost.
I called to the three older chill.
dren, grabbed up the baby and pull.
led my sick wife from the bed anc
we left the house, the children practi
cally naked, and I was not much
better off myself. +
We were three-quarters of a mil.
from the depot and I hurried m,
folks along the best I could, carry
ing the baby under one arm ane
dragging my wife with the other,
Sat the depot we found several
hundred persons waiting for :
train, snd we clambered aboard :
train of box cars and were pulled
out of danger.
"There is not a single house lef
standing in the village of Spooner
The Shevl1n-- Matthew mill which
stands out quite distance from
the village, escaped the flames
The three churches in Spoone
were consumed, as was also the
school house.
"The new part of the village Q
Baudette was wiped out to til,
last stick. Some of the building!
in the old part of Baudette still
stand, including hotel and twt
saloons.
The bridge across the Raine.
river was burned.
The housekeeper for Albert Berg
former secretary Of state and recen
candidate for state senate against A
+. Hanson, was burned to death
She was quite an aked woman ant
became panic stricken with the az
proach Of the flames, which com
pletely destroyed the BERG. residences
The village marshal and 4 deput