The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1922-10-05
Old Time North Dakota Newspaper.
man Now in Ohio
New Carlisle, O., Sept. %.

Old Time North Dakota Newspaper
man Now in Ohio
New Carlisle, O., Sept. %.
Messrs. Colcord & Truax, .@.E.
Minot, N. D. .,@.#
Gentlemen: VI.
/ am enclosing 25c in stamps for
which send me two or three copies of
that great fair edition you put out.
I noticed in Publishers Auxiliary
that you had put out big edition.
You may wonder why I am interested
in Ward county, but when l tell you
lived in that section Of the state al
most ten years you can realize how
much it is like home to me. I went
to Bowbells in 1904 and was in that
section until 1914. / was for a time
publisher of the Bowbells Bulletin
and later out on the Flaxton-Ambrose
branch. established the Imperial
News in 1906 and moved same to
Kermit and continued as the Kermit
News in 1907. sold it in 1910 and
it was later discontinued. l estab
lished the Larson Leader in 1908 and
continued the publication until 1910
when l discontinued same. held
government homestead over IL miles
east of Flaxton during the time l was
out in Williams county, SO my legal
residence was in Ward--afterwards
of the state. 1 was through all the
Steele-Bickford gang and the Goose
words. "Those were the Days of
Real Sport"
was married at Bowbells in 1905
and four of our five children are
"Flickertails" In fact it is the ex-
cellent school and church advantages
for the children that keeps US here. 1t
is my old home and we came here in
1914 on visit, sickness preventing
our return when we intended to. |
went back and sold out and came back
here to live. My own personal de-
sires are to get back on the prairies
as soon as possible, but of course
schooling five children make a fellow
shelve some of his personal desires.
/ have been in your city quite often
and knew both you fellows quite well.
Just the other day l was talking to
fellow who lived at Surrey several
years and he asked if I knew Colcord
& Truax. He said he remembered
one as big fat fellow and the other
as small fellow and said | guessed
he had your number. ! certainly Of
ten think of the old days up there
and wonder if the passing of the
frontier is not bad thing for the
country. Many were the failures and
disappointments attending the settle
ment of that great country, but the
few years Of buoyant hope and high
spirits of the new home seeker served
to keep down dissatisfaction for
time at least. | try to keep in touch
as much as possible with doings up
there, but the longer | am away the
more the avenues of communication
dwindle. My wife has brothers and
sisters up around Flaxton and Bow
bells and across in Canada from Am
brose, but letters come with less fire.
quency each year and shorter of real
news when they do come. The Pub
fishers Auxiliary always has a good
bunch Of news notes from the state
and it is this source on which l de-
pend for news from the newspaper
boys.
1t was not my intention to write a
letter when | started, but get en-
Unused when ! get to thinking North
Dakota, 50 that will do for an apollo
gy. | am ordering the extra paper or
two, one to give to my neighbor, who
formerly lived at Surrey. am still
following the game. l have worked
for wages most all Of the time since
l came to Ohio, but since the first Of
last May l have operated this paper
under lease. The owner was ap-
pointed postmaster and made an ar
rangement whereby operate the pa
per just as though it were my own.
Business has been very good since /
took over the business. We are in a
rich farming country midway between
the cities of Springfield and Dayton,
with paved highway to both.
Send the papers along and rest as
sured they will fall into eager hands.
If you find time to drop me a line
some time will be glad to hear from
you. l am not tied down here but a
year at time, so that if you should
learn of good newspaper opening
up that way within the next six
months might arrange to take it up
at the expiration of the first years
lease here.
Thanking you in advance for the
attention you will give this request,
l am,
Fraternally yours,
" r. SNYDER.