Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-11-18
STEVENS COUNTY
Photo by G. L. Voss

Photo by c. L. Voss
is knocked down and blood is stream
ing from an ugly cash in his head.
What of it? He is kicked out of
doors; he had no business to get hurt,
and no one cares whether the poor
devil is hurt or not.
Here we pass a ten saloon-all
saloons are crowded, but this one is
literally packed because it has fe=-
some, but listen to her voice, and see
the stamp vice has placed upon her
brow. Other sounds greet the ear,
they proceed from the gambling
houses on California Avenue. A fell
low is working vigorously at banjo
and singing,
Mother May go Out to SWIM"
or, trying to sing it. We go in. The
bar is on the left, the musician on
our right. Here are two rows of green
tables, horse blankets constituting
the green cloth-and at each table
sits rough looking customer. One
runs fara table, another a "red and
way from two cents to ten dollars.
This big fellow, who hass evidently
spoiled a great deal of bad whiskey
in his day, runs the
Mexican Mustang Came
and wants you to try him on, fifty
cents aint much and there is a great
chance to win" In the rear you can
try your luck at the funny game
Keno" which is pronounced the only
fair game in the shanty.
Nightly the dupes are bled, and
the soldiers and teamsters are begin
ming to lose confidence in the CON-
,f1dance. operators and business is
growing perceptibly Stacker of late.
We go outside again. All around
you can be seen smaller gambling
halls, some partially disguised. Vice
in all it's forms abounds, but like all
new and fast growing towns Morris
must pass through preliminary pur-
gatory. However, there are good
people here as well as bad, and yes
terday the "Star Spangled Banner"
flung to the breeze from a staff on
the railroad freight shanty, indicated
that divine services was being held.
A clerical gentleman from st. Paul
was to have been here, but failed to
arrive, and an excellent sermon was
was delivered by Mr.. w. H. Roe, a
resident of the place, to an audience
of about forty persons. A Sunday
school is about to be organized, and
arrangements are being made to have
religious services every sabbath.
More anon. Special
II do not know who penned the
article; he signed it simply as 'spec-
ial. But the author evidently was
not in sympathy with conditions de-
picted. He was undoubtedly a resi-
dent here at that time. Morris had
even in that early day and amid the
surroundings disclosed, large num-
Der of highly respectable men and
| women. There was r. M. Richard
son, Samuel Larson, M. L. Torpey, H.
B. Wolff. John D. Good, o. c. Hanson,
William Whnsch, Col. Dunlap, H. H.
Wells, N. A. Nilsson, Charles Winter
mute, R. ]. Hall, Joseph Walker, Will
! liam Dragoo, John r. Folsom, Henry
Foss, Henry Baldwin, J. T. Avery and
their wives. These and others whose
names do not recall, constituted a
mighty force for good, and to them
and those coming in a year or SO later
the credit is due for finally driving
away the adventurer and lawless
character to other fields.
From 1871 to 1878 when the vii
lage was incorporated Morris had no
municipal government other than
that found in the township organiza-
ton, whose officers sometimes were
elected from those residing in the vii
lage and as often from those residing
in outside territory. In that situa-
/ tion there were no local ordinances or
other municipal regulations control
/ ling the conduct of people, and the
moral law, aided by such authority as
the township constable or the sheriff
ted the sole guide to a law abiding
community. That the town authori-
ties as well as those of the county
performed their duties well, is vouch-
ed for by the fact that our good
friend o. C. Hanson served as con-
stable from 1875 to 1877 and VIM.
Dragoo and Tom Lovett, both good
men, filled the Office of sheriff, Dragoo
from 1871 to 1872, and Lovett from
1872 to 1876, when John Landberg
came in. Each welded the baton of
authority, particularly Constable
Hanson, with discriminating force
and effect. Each left good record p