Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-11-22

Mr.. John Doyle built a livery and
feed barn, Mr.. David Gullacher who
was the carpenter. built a small
dwelling house and Mrs. Hawkes. had
a house built, in which she served
meals during the summer.
l will here pull the curtain aside
for a moment and give you a glimpse
of life at Langdon at that time.
MIR. Doyle had the contract for carry
ing the mail from Langdon to Young
post office and had a pretty team. of
black horses. Mrs. McHugh was a
lover of horses and a capable driver,
and Mr.. Doyle had invited her to take
the black team whenever she wished
to go for a sdrive. Some miles to the
eastward lived a man named Conrad
Pfaff. Pfaff operated a threshing
machine and was pretty we'll known,
but the neighbors Sc emed to have quite
a difficulty in %pronouncing the mans
name, and it came about that he got
to be quite generally called "Coon
Puff" One fine evening Mrs. McHugh
took the black team and went for 4
drive out toward the setting sun and
at about the same time Mr.. Pfaf
came to the store to do some trading.
Then Mr.. McHugh and Mr.. Mooney.
in a spirit of mischief get Mr.. Pfaff
to go over and offer Mr.. Doyle ten
dollars for the use of the team to 20
to st. Joe, Mr. Doyle said that the
team was out for a little exercise but
would be ready in a short time. Reply-
ing to this Mr.. Pfaff stated that he
was in a hurry and would like to get
started at once. This made Mr.. Dovle
walk about in an anxious and impatient
manner, peering westward and wish.
ing for a sight of the horses, but the
upshot of the matter was that Mr..
Conrad Pfaff managed to be out of
town about the time that Mrs. McHugh
returned from her evening drive. 1t
was not long, however, before Mr..
Doyle discovered the joke and a few
days afterwards | was out with him
for a drive and asked him how he
was getting along in the business and
he said that he was doing we'll and
would do much better if there were
not quite so many Coon Puffs'
around.
Before going further l should tell
yNu that while l was away in the
winter my friend Mr.. Hawkes., the
sheriff met with a serious misfortune.
He went out to seize some mortgaged
grain that belonged to a Mr.. Stevens.
who lived in the neighborhood of Mona
and on the road met Mr.. Stevens going
to market with a load of the grain.
Mr.. Hawkes. demanded possession of
the load in the name of the law, to
which Stevens objected. Then, as |
understand the story, Stevens came
around from the side of his horses with
his whip in his hand and with the
heavy end of it presented as a weapon.
At the same time Mr.. Hawkes. went
in front of his horses with a revolver
in his hand. In the dispute that
followed the. revolver was discharged,
with the result that Mr.. Stevens was
mortally wounded. Mr.. Hawkes. took
him in his cutter to DR.. Reilly at
Olga, but he lived for only a short
time after being shot. The sheriff
had his trial at Grafton and was SEN
to the territorial prison. l do not
remember for what length of time,
but he was released at the end of
about a year and went back to his old
home in Ontario. The vacancy thus
caused in the office of sheriff was filled
by the election of M. D. O'Brien.
am giving you only a brief &C.
count of the summer of 1886, as you
will realize that l did not have the
place all to myself in these days
as had been the case during the year
and a half that had preceded this pc
Rod. l believe that Mr.. Crawford
was the first postmaster and had the
post office in his store, but do not
remember just when he was appointed.
Late in the summer Mr.. Brown and
Mr.. Padden built a saloon, and we
then had a store, blacksmith shop,
saloon and livery stable. For car.
penters we had Mr.. Burkitt and Mr..
Whetley.
1 lived on the farm and taught in
the school until late in the summer
when l went over to Olga and start
ed a term of school there. At Olga |
lived with Mr.. and Mrs. Antoine
Marcelin and found myself to be
quite at home with this excellent
family. Mr.. Marcelin operated q
farm and had the contract for carry
ing the mail between Langdon and
Neche and his was quite a busy place.
1 Mr. Coorro Poroo1o 49,, .1o I