Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-23
Geo. B. Winship Recalls Incidents
OF EARLY History of Grand Forks
Herald and Various Other Papers

liberal spender was second to no 9TH
er. He broke and backset nearly s.
900 acres that season. besides erect
ing a cluster Of buildings on the farm,
and surveying and selling a good part
of the townsite. ]. n. Mathews. Thos.
8. Edison. Thos. EastEate. L. p. Good
hue. w. M: Scott. H. F. Arnold. VIM.
Clone. and many others joined in the
work of boosting. and before the
close of the year Larimore was on
the map in conspicuous capital let
tiers.
Railroad service from st. Paul was
very good. At least we thought so.
ing. arrived at Fargo at 8 the next
morning. and Grand Forks at 4 o.. m.
Returning. the train left Grand Forks
at 4 D. m. n arrived at St. Paul at
1880 a. III. the following day. James
Walker was the local agent. and q
very obliging and popular official he
was. 4:
Activity In Townsitcs.
Comstock 4 White. railway right
of-way and townsite agents. were ex-
traordinarily active all the season To-
the Manitoba railway. No SOONER
would the plating of q town be com
pleted than the lots would be solo at
fancy prices. 1t IL a question wheth.
er many that were sold at from $500
to $500 each arc today worth SO per
cent OF their original price. I know
that 1 exchanged advertising space in
The Herald for several corner lots in
each. Of the boom towns. and after
paying taxes for a few years. aban-
doned them to their fate. In many
instances these lots. are now %incorpor-
ated in some thrifty wheat field and
worth 500 an acre. more or less. For
instances. J. J. Cavanagh sold two lots
in Ojata in the fall OF 81 for 500,
"Oiata is destined to be the most
healthy interior town in the North
west"
Grand Forks first city hall was
built during the fall. and its dedica-
ton by the city officials was a promi-
nent event Of the 1t was adj
vertised far and wide as d modern
edifice Of splendid proportions-the
same. I'M fact. of architectural skill.
D. S. Dodds was the contractor. \
Liquor license Agitation. i
Grand Forks in 'S2 was in the now
er of it's wide-openness. East Grand
Forks in it's palmiest days was left
seven leagues in. the rear. The sa-
ioons-more than forty-completely
dominated the community. They raj
toAAeASo oAU S'"S SoUAo
be made to contribute to their inter-
est. Liquor license was $500 per year
for the city and county. and privi-
lege was given to dealers to purchase
a fractional license. BY that accom-
m0datine way of doing business. the
saloon man could start his joint very
cheaply. $125 for license. and a hun
dred or two dollars worth OF the de
mon' would establish him as a legiti-
mate business man,
Notwithstanding all these privi-
leges. the saloon men were not satis-
fed; they demanded lower license
and longer hours. To close al II
o'clock at night was a hardship to
many. and especially unjust to the be-
lated wayfarer. The saloon organi-
zation made a demand upon the
county commissioners for a reduction
to 5000 per year. The high license
advocates protested. and finally in
nuenced the commissioners to stand
pat"
Every up-to-date. well-regulated
booze joint had q gambling room. and
the might business was active as
well as lucrative. Across the alley
from The Herald office on Kittson av-
enue were not less than three Third
street saloons with rear gambling at
tachments. and these came in close
juxtaposition to The Herald compos-
ing room. The rafting of poker
chips. the swirl Of the roulette disc,
and the shout Of the keno winner.
with the accompanying expressions Of