Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-10-26
A CAVALIER COUNTY
OLD SETTLERS STORY
CONTINUED from First Page)

over for company, he was so fond of
company himself and I miss him to
make me get out and be more cheer.
full and happy" She then told of his
sickness and the terrible accident
which almost cost him his life when
they were only a year in the country.
He went to work for a neighbor and
not knowing that one of the horses he
was ploughing with was vicious,
stopped to put the traces on the
plough, and the animal kicked him in
the face breaking his cheek bone, and
mangling and disfignring his face.
He was thrown back on the plough,
and was found there entirely uncon-
scious some time later. He lay in
a semi-unconscious state for three
months during which time he had to
have careful attention. Her good
sistance as her condition was such at
the time that she could not be left
alone with him. He, n day, regain
ed consciousness as suddenly as it left
him three months before, but never
recovered his usual health. He died
of pneumonia after a few days sick
ness in the year 1905. Mr.. Melon
aid, as his neighbors will testify, was
a devoute christian-an elder in the
Presbyterian church on the Island and
also at Hannah until his death. He
was born in Vaughn, Ontario, in the
year 1850. His parents were John
and Janet Clark Mcdonald, both ma
tives of Scotland. He was one OF a
family of seven children four of whom
are still living near the old homestead,
only a short distance from Toronto.
Notwithstanding her great losses,
that of losing her husband, and also
blights of crop, in frosts, drouth, hail,
ETC., Mrs. Mcdonald has always kept
a comfortable home for her family.
She has encouraged and stimulated
them along every good line. Her
seven boys and two girls are all now
educated men and women, several of
them highly educated, especially Neil
and Alex. The latter is a graduate
of the state university and of Rush
medical college, and has a good prac-
tice at Fingal, North Dakota. Neil
better known in this state as N. C.
Macdonald, is state Inspector of rural,
graded and consolidated schools. Much
of his success and his determination to
be of benefit to the children through
out the state is due, we believe, to
the great effort that he himself was
obliged to put forth in securing his
own education. l want to go into de-
tail. The family coming to this new
country as they did when the school
township vas not yet organized, he
was obliged to get out and find a
place to work for his board while yet
in the grades. He found that place
in L%angdon, where he completed such
work in the schools as was given then
and in a creditable manner. Then he
USSdl CCoSllAS ~ cam lllOHSy 1O1 llls
normal and university work. After
graduating from the state university
he was county superintendent of
schools for Cavalier county. Although
but forty years of age he has had ove1
twenty years of experience as teache,
and administrator in every kind OF
public school; and within that time
has taken his Bachelors and Mas.
ter's degrees, and besides he has trav.
eled at home and abroad in the inter.
ests of education. He is now serving
his sixth year in his present position.
e Mr.. Macdonald is the first to hold thi!
: office in the state, and as a leader ant
administrator therein has made a ere
ditable record. During his incum
bency and through his cooperation
with many individuals and agencies
the number of consolidated schools ha
more than trebled, increasing from
g LA to 4O1; the high school enroll
a ment of farm children in these school
h has increased from $50 to 2455 O
from an average increase of 2 pc
cent per year to 80 per cent per year
the eighth grade completion of farr
children has been trebled; and tn
t. state aid for rural schools as repre-
10 L.,