Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-11-22

Champ Perry, the kind and ample
bosomed pioneer woman who gave
historic dignity to the modern ma
irons of the T~hanatopsis4 She poured
GU her plans. Mrs. Perry nodded
and stroked Carols hand, but at the
end she sighed:
Il wish l could agree with you,
dearie. I'm sure you're one Of the
Lords anointed (even If we don't see
you at the Baptist church as often as
we'd like to-! But I'm afraid you're
too ,tender-hearted. When Champ
and 1 came here We teamed-it with an
ox-cart from Sank Center to Gopher
Prairie, and there was nothing here
then but a stockade and q few sol
diers and some log cabins. When we
wanted salt pork and gUnpowder, we
sent out a man on horseback, and
probably he was shot dead by the In
juns before he, got back. We ladies
of course VIC were all farmers at
first-we didn't expect any rest
I room in those days. My, we'd have
simply elegant! My house was rooted
with hay and it leaked something ter
rible when it rainei-only dry place
was under a shelf.
"And when the town grew up we
thought the new city hall was real
fine. And I don't see any need for
d~ance-halls. Dancing isn't what it
was, anyway. We used to dance mod
est, and We had just as much fun as
all these young folks do now with
their terrible Turkey Trots and hug
cling and all: But If they must neg
lect the Lords injunction that young
: girls ought to be modest, then l guess
they manage pretty well at the K. p.
Hall and the Odd Fellows, ever it
some of the lodges dent always well
come a lot of these foreigners and
hired help to- all their dances. And
l certainly don't see any need of a
farn-bureau or this domestic science
demonstration you talk about. In my
day the boys learned to farm by hon
est sweating, and every gal could
cook, or her ma learned her how
across her knee! Besides, amt there
a county agent at Wakamin? He
comes here once a. fortnight, maybe.
That's enough monkeying with this
scientific farming - Champ says
there's nothing to it anyway.
And as for a lecture hall-hayen't
we got the churches? Good deal bet
ter to listen to a good old fashioned
sermon thai a lot OF geography and
books n things that nobody needs
to know-mOre n enough heather
learning right here in the Thanatop-
sis. And as for trying to make a.
whole town in this Colonial archfec-
ture o talk about I do love nice
things; to this day Z run ribbons into
my p~etticoats, even If Champ Perry
9 laugh at me, the old villain! But
just the same I don't. believe n Of
us ald-timers would like to see the
town that we worked 50 hard to build
being torn down to make a place that
wouldn't look like nothing but some
Dutch st0ry-book and not a bit like
n place we loved. And don't Won
think It's sweet now? All the trees
and lawns? And such comfy houses
ana hot-water heat and electric lights
n telephones and cement walks ana
everything? Why, I thought every
BODY from the Twin Cities always
said II was such a beautiful town.!
Carol forswore herself; declare,i
tina Gopher Prairie had the color If
Algiers n the gaiety of Mardi Gras.
l. Yet the next afternoon she wa
bouncing on Mrs. Lyman Cass. the
hook-nosed consort of the owner ~
the flour-mill.
Mrs. Cass's parlors belonged to the
crarnmed-V Victorian school, as Mrs
Luke Dawson's belonged TO the bare
Victorian. It ma furnished on two
principles: Firit. everything must W..
semble something else. A rocker had
a back x u Tyre, a n~ear-leather sea-
Initiating Htufted cloth, and arms IiEe
Scotch Presbyterian lions; with knoha
scrolls. shields, and spear-potnts IN
unexpected portions OF the chair. Tha
second principle OF the cranmea Vtc.
tortan school was that every inch ~
h interior must be filled with use
less objects.
The walls OF Mrs. Cass's parlor u,ara
piastered with "hand-paintad" nics
lures. buckeye" pictures, Of birch
trees newsboys. puppies, and church
steeples on Christmas Eve: with =
psaque Lepicting the Exposition Build-
ing In Minneapolis. burnt-wUod nor
traits Of Indian chiefs of no tribe a
particular. a pansy-decked poetic mot.
Ito, q Yard OF Roses and the ann
OF the educational institutions ttends
ed BY the Casses' two sons-Chiconse
Falls BUSINESS College and nicotine
cuddy University. One small sn,,srs
table contained q eard-recedyer ~
painted china with a rim OF wrourht
and gilded lead, a Family Hihis
Grants Memoirs. the latest n6vei T.,
Mrs. Gene sStratton Porter. a wooden
model OF a Swiss chalet which Vas III
40 q bank for dimes, q poiisheI ahsi.
one sheiiSholding mi blackrheaded ~
and n empty spool, a velvet M.
lcushion In, silded metal slipper WITH
- y" Atlh