The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1920-01-10
TALES OF LONG AGO
The Ep-saw Historian Dig. Into Dongs in the Dim, Dis
tant Past and Unearths Interesting Incidents
Of Days That Are No More.
PIONEER IDEA OF SPORT.

PIONEER IDEA OF SPORT.
About thirty years ago, Grand Rap
ids was great logging center, there
fore it was great resort for lumber
jacks and things calculated to entertain
them. Saloons, variety shows, gamb.
ling, redlight dumps and even gunplays
added to the excitement Of daily life
in the burg that then was the end of
the Duluth & Winnipeg Railway as
we'll as the numbering outpost for that
section of Minnesota.
It came to pass about generation
ago that word was brought to Grand
Rapids to the effect that lumberjack
had been frozen to death at some point
rather remote from Itasca's capital.
Two men were sent with team and sled
to get the body. They found it, frozen
as hard, stiff and straight as a shank
bone. It . was an all-day job to make
the trip and it was well into the eve.
ming when they got back to Grand
Rapids.
The two men drove up to pioneer
Kearney's saloon down on the bank
of the Mississippi river. The front of
that primitive Irrigation parlor had a
porch or "stoop" in front. The men
stood up the frozen body on that porch
and leaned it against one of the porch
posts. They then put away their team
and, after that, entered the saloon at
the rear, instead Of the front.
Everybody come and have some
thing with us" the two men exclaimed
as they leaned up against the bar and
began to pull the ice out Of theil
whiskers.
Several strolled up bat several Jagged
behind.
"Come up, everyone!" again the
men called out.
Through the window, in the dim
light from the lamps, the shadowy form
of a man leaning up against porch
post could be seen.
"Tell that Teller standing outside to
come in and have Something" said the
two men who were Setting 'em up.
He looks cold out there"
"Come in, me bhoy, an have q
touch,'' called out Kearney in his
brogue.
The man on the porch never moved
"What's the matter with that fel
ler9" queried one Of the men who were
buying for the crowd "Guess hi
did not hear you"
eco call him in" Kearney request
ed of one of the bunch.
One of the company went outside
and asked the man to come in for {
drink. Still he made no reply. TIT
bearer Of the invitation then took hole
Of his arm to jog him and attract hi!
attention. The silent man proved tt
be as rigid and unresponsive as mar
BILE statue.
"Good God!" yelled the Good Sam
aritan. "He's dead!'
There was great excitement for &
moment and then the perpetrators Of
he joke broke into loud laughter ant
pointed their fingers at the bunch.
"Sold!" they all admitted and, Of
course, the drinks were on them. What
promised to be dull, quiet evening
was turned into loud, roaring, bibu
CtCAG, dS ~ 1CSuAG VI
sense of humor of the two men wht
had brought in the frozen lumberjack
In those days Grand Rapids also had
become the head of navigation on the
Mississippi, instead Of Aitkin. Boats
piled between the two places, carrying
passengers and lumbermen's supplies
When the boat left Grand Rapids fol-
Aitkin one morning, nearly a genera
tion ago, it was crowded with a motley
assortment Of humanity. Among the
many were two girls who had been
singing in one Of the several variety
theaters and plying their redlight trade
as side line. There also was a dead
man, in a coffin, lying on the deck.
After the boat got under way, as a
means Of diversion for the passengers
and crew, the two girls danced jigs and
breakdowns on the coffin that laid on
the deck and contained the body of q
woodsman who had shuffled off or been
bumped off.