davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21
WICKED BLIND PIGS NFEST RAINIER
Hearing Eye-sght Fairly
Swan-"Big Ole" Is Blind Pig King-Casey, the "Black
Demon" High Wave Of Prosperity

RAINIER, Mimi, Sept. 90
Especial to the Rip-saw.)- AL
though grand old Koochiching
county is an arid desert, legally,
when it comes to beer, booze and
light wines, there are numerous
secret springs where those bibu-
lous boys who thirst can wet their
whistles and even take On quite a
cargo Of Dutch courage.
Koochiching county went dry
something like three years ago.
Along with the going dry there
were the graft scandals. It will
be remembered that the board of
county commissioners, the sher-
iff Of the county and the mayor
Of international Falls were re-
moved by the governor. Later,
many of the removed officials
were restored to their positions
among them, T. P. White, the
sheriff.
| Sheriff White is up for re-elec-
| ton and all the blindpiggers, the
! redlight folk and the panderers
| that infest Rainier are strong for
him. The sheriff's eyesight and
hearing have been very bad at
times. Like McKercher, Of Du,
luth, he could not see a redlight
dump nor hear a blind pig grunt,
although he might be right in the
| midst of the herd. =.
Sheriff White certainly is a
prime favorite' with the rough
necks and lawless element. He is
opposed this year by Hughie Nc.
Intosh Of .Loman, a farmer and
rural merchant, who was a saloon.
keeper at one time but repented
of the business. It is believed
here by those who have enough
loyalty to respect the law that he
would, as sheriff, be marked i'm.
! provement over T. P. White. .
Once upon a time, when a com
! pany of soldiers was. stationed
here, Lady Stella, was at Crystal
Beach with a private. One Bosco
beat up Lady Stella s soldier
companion and she reported the
affair to the captain of the com.
pany. When the officer got to the
scene Of the disorder he found
sheriff White drunk, very drunk
and unfit to do his duty as a peace
officer, as well as being frolic-
some with the redight ladies, pan,
derers, blind piggers and thugs,
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21
BOOZE AND POKER AT GARY CANTEEN

to chief engineer Adams, who
promptly discharged the man who
had been unwilling to put the
stars and stripes to bed.
Bergeson was around town for
awhile, wagging his head myster-
iously about what tales he would
tell out of school if not put back
to work. He even threatened to
spill the beans to the Rip-saw. He
evidently knew too much, for he
was re-instated in a short time.
q An Irishman who was both a
good fireman and engineer, was
annoyed by pickering and jeal-
ousies until he quit. He was re-
placed by his own brother, a chap
who wrestled hard with Old John
Barleycorn, following the example
of his royal master when in st.
Paul or at Buhl.
One night the bibulous fireman
never showed up for work. The
day man, assuming that the fell
low would be there, went home
when his day was ended. The
boilers were without attention all
night, contrary to state law. I'm
der certain conditions, they might
have blown up and scattered the
marble lined courthouse over the
adjacent landscape. Andrew Lang
ley was compelled to show up at
6 a. m: instead of 9 a. m. to get
up steam, thereby preventing his
royal master, prime minister
Walker and other occupants of
the noble granite pile from catch
ing the grippe.
OF course the petty grafters
and door mat thieves in the
courthouse dislike the Rip-saw.
Until the Rip-saw came to town,
they had no fear Of exposure.
After a few startling jolts, they
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21

Rainier, started blind pig and
is picking up the dirty coin once
more.
Once upon a time, when ''Big
Ole" was flying high along the
international border, he left town
with $1,000 with which to buy
booze. He got trimmed in Vir:
ginia or Duluth. When he came
back to Rainier he had neither
money, hat nor coat and was un-
loaded from the passenger like
a huge sack Of bran or a dead
moose, so drunk he was and lost
to the world.
On another occasion, when ''Big
Ole" was high card around the
Koochiching hotel, he brought a
couple Of girls up from Duluth or
Superior and kept them there un-
til decent people raised a roar and
the authorities shut down on his
fragrant immoralities.
Another well-known blindpig-
ger, active at times, is one McMa-
mon, alias McBourbon.
Lady Stella has boarding
house here and it is suspected that
she caters to the travelling mems
trade by keeping some charming
young women in her homelike
abode.
Tony Casey is about the most
successful underworld 'inhabitant
in this end of Koochiching county.
Years ago, in Superior, he was
known as the ''Black Demon. u
Many up here cali him a black
handler and he smiles with pride
when charged with being one.
Toney Casey has been here for
eight or ten years and there is a
heavy reward hung up for anyone
who can prove that he has done a
day Of real work in all that time.
He tolls not, neither does he spin,
but the mayor of Ft. Frances, in
all his glory, never wore raiment
like Casey. He not only dresses
up to the highest mark but al
ways has money. He is credited
with being a runner for blind pigs,
a panderer and a follower of ways
that are dark and devious when
it comes to getting the coin.
Signora Casey is an excellent
cook and there are grave suspi-
cions that lovely girls with frail
morals are kept at Signora Casey's
home as supplementary attrac-
ton to her. cooking.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21
OLIVER IS DRY

After a short life and q merry
one, the liquor business in Oliver
is dead. Old John BarleycOrn,
the most prominent citizen Of
Oliver, has packed up his glasses,
demijohns, kegs and barrels and
removed to Iron River, where he
hopes to hold high carnival, night
and day, seven days a week, dur
ing the cold and dreary winter.
Through the agitation of Dry
Duluth and Dry Superior, congress
made Oliver a national issue. A
bill was passed, enabling president
Wilson to create a dry zone around
plants engaged in war work. The
president promptly throttled bib
ulous little Oliver. Local repre-.
sentatives of the government did
not even allow time for wake.
Oliver was holding an election
to vote on raising the liquor Ii
cense fee from $500 to $500 a
year. Because of the election, the
seven saloons closed for the day,
with a policeman stationed at
each front door.
"Since you are closed, you may
stay closed" said the Federal
representatives, and it was done
as they said.
Oliver was a great picnic ground
for those who thirsted. But the
moist little oasis contained some
mighty good fellows and the viii
lage at no time ever was as rough,
drunken and lawless as the old
Bowery under Silberstein, before
Duluth went dry. The weather
signs of the times say dry, there
fore the drOuth has hit Oliver.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21
Den, Morrison has no money &C
the Rip-saw will not last long"

Den, "Morrison has no money I'D
the Rip-saw will not last long,
It is almost sure dismissal for
any employe of the auditors Of
flee to be seen talking to the Rip
saw man. Any official or employe
in any other office in the court
house can quickly get in bad with
King Odin by talking in public
with the Rip-saw man.
Knowing that he was citizen
of st. Louis county and being un.
der a delusion that the marble
lined courthouse belonged to the
people, and that all employees
therein are public servants, the
Rip-saw man, meaning no harm
gave himself the pleasure of dis.
cussing Burns poems with a
clever Scot who runs an elevator.
Chief engineer Adams was told
about these occasional conversa-
tions by some courthouse spy. Go.
ing to the innocent, unoffending
gilley who shot the elevator from
floor to floor all the day long, he
warned him most seriously not to
talk to the Rip-saw man. "You
better be mighty careful as to
what you tell Morrison,' said
Konge Odin's most faithful fun
key and most capable adviser. A
listener overheard and told about
the call-down.
And this is supposed to be free
country and our armies are fight
ing in France to make it safe for
democracy. Perhaps the marble
lined courthouse can be made more
safe for democracy by banishing
Konge Odin, who has spent "a
years in trying to establish mon
archial methods under which he
was sreared and for which he
caught Goldfish when a common
peasant lad.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21

wondered what could be done to
get rid Of the unwelcome medium
of exposure for graft and lawless-
ness.
''Be patient,'' advised special
county attorney Adams, as the
bunch deliberated in the Spider s
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21

excitement find it at full-grown
crap table, presided over by big
Boy" an importation directly
from old Alabama.
Across from the crap room is
the music room where "Uncle
Hans" pounds out ragtime for
those who delight in the mazy
dance. When not presiding at the
piano, Uncle Hans tends bar and
bears to the upper floor such stim-
ulating drinks as the guests Of the
Gary Canteen may desire, pro-
vided they have the price.
Sergeant Kelley is not running
the canteen for his health. 1t takes
coin to shake your foot, roll the
bones or draw a royal flush.
The Rip-saw's colored inspector
is somewhat vague as to how and
why Sergeant Kelley can conduct
a place contrary to law up there
in the shadow of the dear old steel
plant. Now and again the gallant.
war hero has been seen in deep and
serious conversation with a police
officer. It is not impossible that
the Gary Canteen has a permit to
sell booze and beer and to play
craps and poker, somewhat on the
same basis as the Rumanian soci-
ETY. had a permit to sell beer when
celebrating the Greek Christmas.
These critical citizens around
Duluth wonder why and how it is
that booze and beer get across the
interstate bridges by the truck
load. 1t is alleged that much Of
the blockade booze that goes to IN
dian territory and the Mesaba
range, comes across the New Du-
luth bridge, or even the Interstate
bridge.
Many of these critical citizens
wonder if there is any truth in the
allegation that Eli Ratkovich is
the king Of the blockade runners.
Eli, you know, formerly conducted
booze emporium in Duluth and,
at present, among other assets, lie
owns the Belknap hotel in Supe-
rior. Eli is here-and there. Ale
cations are that, when Eli holds
up three fingers, the first three au-
tomobiles to cross the bridge are
sent unmolested and without ex-
animation on their noisy ,7ay. If
Eli holds up five fingers, so wise
folks allege, then the first five
automobiles 60 across free and unr
hindered.
Critical citizens wonder and
wonder if any of these reports ever
have reached the ears of chief Me
Kercher. .....
An Austrian inspector declares
that there are at least two blind
pigs on First St. between Sixth
and Seventh avenuesW. The one
nearest the incline is supplied by
the good man Of the place, so the
| allegations run, and the good wife
Of the house vends the fiery rakija
at the rate of 25 cents for q small
snort. e..
Critical citizens suggest that
Onke1 Bernard get a bunch Of
those search warrants with which
| he once went blind pig hunting
along Superior St. about year
ago, with such fruitless results.
Search warrants are considered
imperative, since: stool pigeons are
not au fait, as City attorney Sam
uelson might say, for the reason
that commissioner Silberstein
promised his supporters that, if
elected commissioner, he would
not use stool pigeons to catch vio-
lators of the liquor ordinances.
That was before Billy Sunday con-
verted Onkel Bernard to the grand
cause of prohibition.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21
KELLEY'S COLORED CLUB
CRACKS MINNESOTA LAWS
SILBERSTEIN PERMITS IMPROPER PRIVI-
LEGES FOR STEEL PLANT RESORT.

Former Army Hero Conducts "Gary Canteen" at
Crestline Park-Hard and Fairly Soft Drinks
on Ground Floor-Upstairs Door Leads to
Poker Room-second Upstairs Door Shelters
Crap Game-Literature Sits Oh Back Seat
When Not Busy at Tending Bar, Ragtime
Uncle Pounds Piano for Delectation Of Club
Members.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21

Kong Odin and his retainers in
the marble-lined courthouse seem
to believe that the noble granite
pile really and truly belongs to
his autocratic majesty by right of
adverse possession, if not by out
right gift of the taxpayers.
Almost every day, some well au-
thenticated story comes to the
Rip-saw's intelligence department
of petty graft-door mat thievery
for the benefit of Kong Odin or
some member of his cabinet.
The Rip-saw previously has told
how janitors, watehmen and even
the capable courthouse carpenter
have been sent to auditor Halden s
private residence to do work on
county time and at public ex-
pense.
One carpenter was required to-
take off and put on storm win
dows. He received no pay from
Halden and no. reduction in his
monthly pay for lost time. Halden
gained and the county lost.
The Rip-saw has told how this
carpenter put down hardwood
floors in three rooms of prime
minister Walkers private home;
also how he shingled the Walker
kitchen and plumbed up the lop-
sided Walker porch. 1t was
planned for him to put new siding
on the house, but the capable fell
low was fired by Halden before
that was accomplished.
When that carpenter was work
ing at the Walker residence, at
the expense of St. Louis county
taxpayers, any inquirers for "old
chips" were told that he was
working at the county courthouse
in Virginia. The next week, when
the carpenter came back to the
courthouse for his orders, deputy
auditor Walker said:
"Now remember-you were
working at Virginia last week, if
anyone inquiries.
A former courthouse janitor de-
poses and says that he has moved
the Halden lawn many times on
county time. He has shaken the
costly Oriental rugs. He even
cleaned the furnace. No payment
for such services were made by
Halden and no deduction made
from the janitor's monthly pay
check.
When Kong Oden built his new
royal residence, that janitor
worked fifteen days at cleaning
up after the carpenters, painters
and plasterers. He even scraped
down the royal hardwood floors
with steel wool. At that time, he
was drawing $65 a month from
the county.
"When / finished that service
of fifteen days at Halden's
house." declares that former SER
vitor, "he handed me check for
$40. No deduction was made in
my courthouse check for that
month";
The work done by that very
competent man reasonably was
worth So a day or $45 for the Is
days. It cost auditor Halden only
7 $40 in his own money. The kindly
old county stood the remainder.
Later on, Kong Odin built a
royal conservatory on the royal
premises. When it came to equip
ping it with steam coils, pipe ends
from the supply in the courthouse
store-room were used. This handy
janitor and Chris Carlston were
approached by chief engineer
Adams with this command, viz:
"Go out to the sOld Man s.
house and: put in those steam
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21
QUESTIONABLE COURSES
PURSUED BY KONG 0Dll
ST. LOUIS COUNTY TREASURY DEPLETED
BY PETTY STEALING AND GRAFT.

Janitor Cleaned New Royal Residence at County
Expense-Royal Observatory Completed With
County Material by Courthouse Employees.
Carpenter Makes Porch Seat for Engineer
Adams-Night Waterman BergesOn Fights
Discharge-Drllnken Fireman Neglects Steam
Boilers-Scotch Servitor Warned Against Talk
ing to Rip-saW Editor.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21

Some nights ago the police raid
ed a gambling game at Luther
Dawson's resort which he con-
ducts for the special pleasure of
colored gentlemen with sportive
| inclinations. Half dozen game
sters were arrested and booked.
It cost poor old Dawson $10O to
get out of the clutches of the law
and the patrons Of his Fairgrounds
paid $40 each.
Commissioner Silberstein and
chief McKercher may consider the
raid on Luther Dawson's place as
an answer to those critical citizens
who wonder why the King of Cam
outage and his Big Bruiser do not
clean up the dirty nests in Duluth.
Now that royal sport has been
discouraged in Dawson,s club,
these same critical citizens wonder,
why the police should discriminate
against that popular playground
and entirely overlook the Gary
Canteen.
Sergeant George B. Kelley,
dusky warrior who helped McKin-
ley whip the Spaniards about 20
years ago, conducts the Gary Can
teen at No. 9801 Crestline Park,
out in the Steel Plant region. 1t
is supposed to be a literary and
social club for the special benefit
Of colored people employed in that
section of the city. Literature, it
is alleged, is compelled to sit on
back seat and the leading social
feature is the separation of the
sons Of toll from their coin, there
by making it unnecessary to ram
BILE around Oliver in search of
place to drop it.
Sergeant Kelley at one time
clerked in the postoffice. Not fit
ting in there real we'll, he quit and
became right-hand man for the
Jane Listman shop on East Supe-
rior street. Last winter he left
the Listman service and started
the Gary Canteen.
The laws are broken at the Gary
Canteen by means Of craps, poker
and intoxicating drinks, unless
some of the colored gentlemen
were crazy with the heat when
there and did not know the diff
ference between a crap or poker
table and an African NJ. E. pull
pit.
"Yas, Sab, you-all kin heah tn
bones rattle in Mistah Kelley's
Canteen at Gary" said the Rip
saws colored Inspector when he
reported recently. "You-all suh-
tainly kin drap youah roll on a
| pokah table or a crap table. If
| you-all thirst, youah suhtainly kin
procure a refreshing drink, eithah
very had or fai 'ahly soft"
When the colored seekers for
diversion enter the Gary Canteen
they pass to the left if they seek
the bar, with its very hard or very
soft drinks. Taking the right
hand door, they mount a stairway
to the second floor where another
right-hand door leads to a room
sheltering commodious poker
! table with. a copious supply Of
| chips and an adequate number of
decks of cards. s'Shaky" Schnei-
der presides at the poker table.
His arm sometimes gets too strong,
for, recently, the authorities in
sisted that he get a real job, which
he did, at the steel plant.
Taking the right-hand door out
Of the poker room, the seekers for
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-21

| coils. On the way, they stopped
at the supply house Of Crane &
Ordway Co. and secured valves
and fittings. They had no order
| from the county for them,
|"Chief' Adams, presumably,
| telephoning down ahead Of them
proper instructions to the firm.
It would be interesting to see
what the Crane & Ordway Co.
books say about who paid for
those valves and fittings; also to
see to what or to whom the pipe
was charged on the store-room
books at the courthouse.
Chief engineer Adams and Kind
ly old Chris did much work at the
royal conservatory. Chris wired it
and put in the electric lights, The
first globes, at least, came from
the supply in the generous old
courthouse, so a courthouse en-
ploye at that time stands ready
to prove.
It is alleged that chief engineer
Adams is not adverse to benefit
| from bit Of petty graft-door
mat thievery-now and then.
Some time ago, Ed. Erickson was
found at work on porch seat.
"Who's that for?' he was
asked.
"For the Chief,' he repield in
whisper, 'but do not tell any
one."
When finished, that porch seat,
made by a county employe, at
county expense, was taken down
, the back stairs most stealthily and
covered up in a store room with
a large drop cloth used by the
painters. e.. ...
One convenient night, chief en-
gineer Adams slipped the porch
seat out Of the marble Lined build
ing and took it to his home in
his automobile.
That bit Of petty graft cost the
kindly old county only about $5,
but chief Adams saved that
much and, probably, has had
twenty times that value in pleas
ure and comfort from sitting on
the porch seat after a hard day
Of service under Halden.
Capable courthouse carpenter
Erickson is credited with now do
ing all the work at Kong Odin' s
private residence. He takes a va
cation now and then for that pur-
pose. It might be both interesting
and profitable to check up Erick-
sons service at the royal resi-
dence and compare it with his
county service, as shown in the
auditorial pigeon-holes.
There is much pickering, jeal-
ousy and petty courthouse poll
tics among the employees in the
noble granite pile. Just as auditor
Halden has system Of royal spies
in city and county, so does he
have favorite tale-bearer in the
courthouse.
For some time Paul Bias.
XII has had the credit of being Hal
den's leading courthouse spy. He
bears the title Of gardener and has
drawn S. a month more than men
of similar ability. When the others
got raise of SIS, faithful old Paul
got $40 raise.
Some months ago, Nick Berg
eson, night Waterman, was fired,
He refused to take in the dear
old flag one night, declaring that
it was another man, work. After
a dispute in the matter with chief
Adams, Bergeson went to Hal
den with his troubles. Fred Fred
erickson, a window washer, over
heard Bergeson's plant to King
] Odin and tattled the information
Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1918-05-17
COMPULSORY LABOR MAY
BE ENFORCED IN OREGON

Corvallis, Or, May 16.-Con-
certed action for forcing all
idlsrs to work would either put
them to work or drive them
from the State, says J. w. Brew
er, Federal and o. A. c.. farm
help specialist. Portland con-
templates enacting an ordin-
ance to force idlers into pro-
ductiva labor, and the smaller
towns are asking. similar ac-
ton.
The passage of such an act by
Portland, says Mr.. Brewer.
would tend to drive the idfer in
to some other town. Already
the larger towns of Eastern Orc
gon have been encouraged by
Mr.. Brewer to move for COM
pulsory labor laws, and many
of them have accomplished it.
Like action is being taken in
Western Oregon.
Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1918-05-17
ELEVEN YEARS AGO

Item of interest taken from
tha files of the Leader of that
date.
On and after May 20, 1917
the rates at the Toledo hotels
will be as follows: Board and
room per week, SIS. Board pei
week $4. Day board from 81 to
81 per day.
Our former townsman, AL
Waugh. writes the Leader that
he is now located-temporarily
at least-in Ashland. He failed
to fall in love with Olympia,
Wash. AL sends regards to To-
ledo friends.
Nels Strand and Christina Le-
dahl were united in marriage
May II at the home of the
brides mother, Mrs. Marks,
near Toledo. Rev. c. r. Ellis
worth performed the ceremony.
Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1918-05-17
TWENTY-ONE YEARS AGO

Item of interest taken from
the files Of the Leader of that
date.
Valentine Thiel Is having the
vault at the court house en-
larged. The base will be built
of Pioneer stone and the vault
proper of brick.
Many arrivals from the east
arrive each day with the view of
locating here as they have
old friends or neighbors who
preceded them and encouraged
their coming.
Hear that laugh? Well that
Is genial, jolly, Dan Hurley who
mas just returned from his seal
ing trip. Dams friends are all
glad to see him back.
Work is progressing nicely
on the new residence of ]. S.
Akin; also that of Geo. Fouts.
Fresh eggs 10c. dozen.
Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1918-05-17
y. J. REDFIELD
PASSES BEYOND

]. J. Redfield passed away at
his home in West Toledo, last
Sunday morning, after an i'll
ness extending over several
months, death coming as a re-
suit of dropsy. The funeral SER
vices were held Tuesday, the
Rev. Father Henry Pelletan, of
Newport performing the last sad
rites.
y Deceased has been a resident
OF Lincoln county for about sew
en- years, living several years on
a ranch at Mill Four, and the
last two at West Toledo. Since
his residence in Toledo he has
been engaged in the real estate
business.
He is survived by the wife,
and three children, who have the
sympathy of the entire COM
munity in their sad bereave-
ment.