The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1939-11-02


had stride that rivaled in length I'm any that
legendary mercures made with seven league boots
ssss
It's from these two young fellows that your
correspondent received letter this week from way
out in Hoquiam Washington. They've been the
coast for some two and a half years, are both
happily employed in sulphite pulp plant. They
report Business is booming out here. All the
lumber mills in Hoquiam and Aberdeen work
ing-WPA is almost at standsti" AS every
ex-Minnesotan, who is torn between the love of his
home state and allegiance to the west coast, they
talk of climate. No more variation in temperatures
than Is degrees they say. But 191 inches of rain
last winter prompted their statement, "a bit damp
WAR quite close to us-ships coming
into the harbor here have large flags painted the
sides. Ships from warning nations slip in without
notice and usually move out very secretly. Fisher
men reported subs off the Harbor but reports were
unfounded That big British ship the "Lockavon'
was a harbor caller in August-none of the harbor
cargo aboard here though when she sunk .
They're still roofing for the U of M football
team. They took the when Nebraska took Min
nesota, but when Pitt walked all over the Washing
ton Huskes, the boys had the last laugh :. +. So
cheerio to you, Doug and Ed thanks for the pleas
antries. You lonely Minnesotans.
Crack of the week-Talk of double Thanksgiving
Days and Frank Pangburn in the group. :. Piped
Frank, 80 long they don't change st. Patricks
Day, it'll be all right"
There things about small communities that
have gone color, a romance, a hurly burly
pace of building, and growth that gave to each
a community color all its own. Because it took
adventurous souls with all the courage of pirates to
make out of otherwise wilderness decent place
for civilization to spread another Of it's tenacles
community gained color of it's own. Color from
its individuals They days of spending, fast
spending, big gains, and big losses When after
the turn of the century isolation for community,
snugly fitted into its agricultural lands, began to
reach extinction-that same color faded. . Fol-
lowing World War I, in the twenties with a sharp
advance of science into the smaller areas the small
town in a sweeping rush, lost its identity. Today one
is nearly like another in communal character. .
Only the fact that individuals people it, yesterday
saves it from all extinction of local character
But in that change not all of it died. For with
the stablizng of the town, with the necessary work
of providing shelter and businesses for the inhabi-
tants DONE those of more than ordinary vision could
look to future see its community gaining pro-
portions they never thought of, possibilities to
beauty. When thoughts to improvement march
into the minds of men in community, the first
stages of building have ended From there it's
rebuilding, revamping. Community pride takes a
tremendous boost.
1t took some vision in Sank Centres early hand
fu who promoted the City Park on its present site.
Along the river bed sandy, swampy wastes,
where weeds grew head high, sand spewed up the
Main Street when the wind blew off the lake. An
old brewery, haf-burned stood unplesantly in sur
roundingss akin to its own dsheveled countenance.
But there were those who in it reclamation.
How the city park here became a reality is a page
snatched out of colorful history is poignany illus
trative of the life this community knew in it's early
years. 1t doesn't point negatively to reticence of
some to see the possibilities; it halls the positive
quality of those who could.
The site owned by a from Merose
named Kracher, to whom group from here went
to purchase The deal closed, the price set
Everything was done except handing Mr. Kracher the
check. Here's where the rub came and out of
it grew one of the big political fights of this citys
history It's one of those story book tales with a
fairy prince ending. Came time for the order to
be paid, and the mayor wouldn't sign it. So it was
awaited until he went out of town. and the presi-
dent of the Council signed it. But trouble
ahead, the city treasurer wouldn't issue the pay
ment Stymied, the group thought the project lost
until Pendergast, early merchant, brought forth
this proposition. He would buy the site and hold it.
Park favorers were to put up candidates for mayor
and treasurer and pending the election Pendergast
would turn the site to the city; hold it for
his own. Willis Howe selected candidate for
mayor. fine, progressive businessman, Howe, run
ming with the Park the issue, swept the admin
istration out Of office. The rest was easy. The
administration voted to buy the site. Pendergast
relinqushed the property to them. And the years
that followed have found the Park infesting more
and more this community's life. But you can
see to what ends things had to go to get for you
and you what you do have.
In Minneapolis bank where teacher Nellie Rob-
ertson stopped short time ago to her brother
in-law, she saw strange sight. A lady came to
one of the cages, dog on leash She getting
a bag full of change Completed, she motioned to
the dog With bound he was off the floor, to the
counter. He grabbed the bag, jumped to the floor
and marched triumphantly away with his burden.
Last Friday Bob Marksons birthday annver-
sary At 10, he's the sports staff Of the ST. Cloud
Times, conducts his own column, "Lstenin' and
Is generally making the home town right proud.
When Publishers M. J. Fleming and Ed Rattle
were hosts to the Stearns County publishers last
Sattidy this happened. The group was in official
setting here in the Herald office; they decided to
write an official letter. They found alarmingly
that they not only did not have etterhead for the
organization, they had never had one. So they
adjourned for short time while the boys set up
cut stock and printed it, proving themselves that
they are not just staid publishers but still pretty
printers And the meeting-and the letter-con-
fs,,,al