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L*~ |TTf,5 Va 1 $ a VOL XXI MkVlV- &» BOLD HOLD-UP Of the N. P. Pacific Mall Near Fargo by Masked Men. Cut Off Mall Car and Engine The Registered Mali Looted. Forgot''Express Car in Their Haste—Passengers' Valu-f ables Untouched. General Manger Kendrick Offers $500 Reward for Capture of Robbers. Train No. 1, the Nortborn Pacifio Pa rities mail, waa held np by masked men a abort distanoe eaat of Moorbead Satur day night but, fortunately, only a amall amount of booty aeoured. Engineer Hooker and Oonduotor Cotooran were in oharge of the train. When about a mile thia aide of Olyn don, ninae eaat of Moorbead, tbe engi neer notioed a man on tbe platform of tbe mail oar next to tbe engine. He did not think muob about the matter until about two milee out, wbeu be eaw tbe man making hie way over the tender toward the oab. When near the man drew two revolvere and then tbe engi neer firat eaw be waa maaked. Tbe engineer end firemen were ordered to bold up tbeir hande at the point of the (SIM. The maaked man atood over them and after tbe air boae waa out and the train atopped it waa not over tbree minutee till tbree other maaked men mm along with Oonduotor Oorooran and the brakemen. They were all ordered to get on tbe engine and at tbe paint of tbe revolver Engineer Hooker ifj wh ordered to pull out. Tbe man with ts the two revolver* aat on tbe rear of tbe tender with revolvera leveled and urged Mtbe engineer with emphatio oatbato pueh on tbe throttle. Not until tbe engine approaobed Moorbead waa it I known that tbe engina and mail oar had been oat from the other eeotion of the 'train. Dana Todd of thia city waa in oharge Of of tbe poetal ear and be and!Clerk G. R. Chamberlain were ordered out and seated on the bank with tbeir baoke to the oar. Olerk J. A. Rafftery waa •sleep in the oar but waa awakened by the atnppage of the train. He went to the door to see what the trouble waa only to be met by a huge revolver. He waa without eont, vest or ahoee and took hie plaoe in line with the otbera. To re lieve tbe strain on bia muaolea he moved r'||hia head aligbtly while in line and waa told by hia guard that it he moved again he would be a dead man. He obeyed the oommand inatanter. While one mas went through tbe maile, taking aoae of tbe regiatered let ten and going through all of them, two •tood over tbe olerka and train crew be aide the traek while a fourth waa off oeme dietanoe on general guard. Later the fragmeote of the regiatered lettera were gathered up, brought here and to day sent to St. P»®1 for aafe keeping and recovery of oontente if poaaible. The hold-up waa a failure in point of money aeoured. When tbe atop waamade for the euppoaed raid on the expreee oar the leader of the party exolaimed, p,¥ "where in 1 ie tbe expreaa oar?" 1s Theee were tbe only worda spoken by the highwaymen and from tbia it ia pre aumed that they made a grave mistake, fish /A Con. Oorooran lost $25 tbey did not take ICCj^bia gold gold watoh. Engineer Hooker !A had $40 in tbe oab but tbey did not fi/-locate it. They took bia gold watob, but be told them it would cause them 11 trouble and tbey gave it baok. Mr. Todd lost 82.50 in change but several dollars that Clerk Rafftery had in his 'Mf vest were not discovered. 5« The headlight of tbe engine had been ^^extinguished so as not to attraot ntten ffef toon. After the postal oar and men had '3been searched the men were ordered in the oar "for a ride that would make their hair atand on end." Tbe lights were. Sfjordered turned down, and some being ""nearly extinguished wer^ordered turned up. After remaining in terrorized sue pensefor fifteen minutee or more the engineer ventured out and pulled into Moorbead. Wben ihe train firat atop ped' tbe express mesaenger saw trouble ahead and got out of tbe oar euppoeing the.orew were having a tuasle with trampe. He wore a working anit and one of tbe robbers, miataking him for a tramp atealing- a ride, ordered him to make bimaelf soaroe. He made bia way .to tbe rear of the train where be told the Pullmkn porter and then aent word to Glyndon of the hold up/|^ |f§ The robbers may have bad a good knowledge df bold-upe, but tbey made a grnv* miatake in not taking tbe expreaa «.*?••) wm 1 3 'Wr*"" !*»\$*i?f '", 14 ear. They evidently intended the old time game of buatling the trainmen to tbe engine and then outting off tbe ex press oar and riding aome milee trom the paaeengere and then go through the ex press ear. Tbey would probably have ordered the expreaeman at the point of tbe revolver to open tbe safee, and in event he wonld or oould not tbey were equipped with 20 atioke of dynamite and fuse to do the job: Conductor Coooran oould give but a sligtb description of tbe men. Tbe men who did tbe bold up were large, but from tbe tenor of tbeir voices it is thought tbat tbey were young. Tbe third man was young, be staid in tbe background all the time on watob and did not say a word. Tbe man who crawled over the ten der to tbe cab is described by Engineer Hooker as large, very bony, dressed in rather common clothes with black slouch hat. The second man wbo figured oon apiououaly waa better dressed than the first, had on a white' shirt, and wore a white aloucb bat. f, Sheriff Bodkin of Olay oounty was notified and in a abort time a posse of men wee secured at went in pursuit. Wben tbe air boae waa out the trbin atopped eo suddenly tbat paaeengere were rawed from their seats. George Foley of Pkul ruahed out to see what waa tbe matter only to be told by a man with a big aix-ehooter to get baok or be would blow hie br&ina out. Mr. Foley got baok. He bad oonaiderable money which he thus aaved. One old man on hia way to the ooaat put 96,000 in bia boota for aafe keeping. Mrs. W.J. Hawk of Buffalo waa on tbe train and beoame very muob agitated. 8be had aeveral very valuable diamonda aud oonaiderable money. Tbe train oonsisted of two exprees oara a tourist, tbree ooaohes ard tbree sleepers unusually well loaded. The train atood on tbe track about an hour before a relief engine from Moorbead reached it. The steel oage oontaining tbe through regiatered mail matter waa not molested. A sledge would have gained ejtrance easily to probably valuable packages, money, eto. Clues to tbe Robbers. Postoffioe Inspector Clement is in Fargo at work on tbe train robbery case. Tbe authoritiea have a slight clue, but nothing that promisee to lead to the sr rest of tie robbere. Sheriff Wilson has in charge a hobo who was stealing a ride on the blind baggage of the train, and it ia understood he baa furnished a good deeoription of the men wanted. His name ia withheld by the authorities. A section hand at Glyndon also claims to have seen four atrangera mount tbe train at tbat plaee. Tbe government baa a a tending re ward of 91,000 for tbe oapture of eaoh offender in oaaee of thia kind, tbe North ern Pacific baa offered ao additional re ward of tS00 and Gov. Clough of Min neeota baa offered 9500. A boy told the Fargo authoritiea he waa atealing a ride on the blind baggage and waa made to get off by the outfit. After tbey ohaaed him off the front end of the oar he tried to ride on the rear and waa made to get off again. He saw tbree men but baa no aoourate deeorip tion of them. A Wild Part of the State. Two Biemarok eurveying parties, abeent sinoe July 6th, 150 miles south week of tbe oapitol in Stark and Billinga counties, have returned. Tbe land sur veyed measuree 48 miles east and weat and 12 miles north and south. Tbe country in wbioh tbey have been work ing is almost wholly uninhabited exoept. by wild animals. Game is very plentiful and members of tbe party report the antelope would oirole around tbeir oamp and cocne within twenty or thirty yards of4he tents. The country surveyed is entirely a stock country and a good one. The western part of the Btrip runs into the edge of tbe Bad Lands skirting the Lit tie Missouri river and is principally given np to sagebrush, cactus and rattle snakes. A prairie fire raged over tbat seotion recently and as a result 20,000 to 30.000 head of cattle that would have been shipped to market via Dickinson and tbe Northern Pacific, will have to be driven south to tbe Burlington road. A large number of rattle snakee were killed. Metre Firms Give Bonde Commission firms beside those pre viously mentioned, who have complied with the law about bonds to indemnify shippere are: Crumpton A Orampton Woodward & Co., Northern Storage Co G. 8. Barnee & Co. W. P. Deveraux ft Co. Nioholla ft Taylor Kenkel, Todd ft Bettingen Wheeler, Carter ft Co. Turle ft Co. and Wm. Budge. Thia ikee 25 firmethat have so complied withthelnw.il Montgomery eella coal and wood. ®v 1 ,""V vwt i1''*1 *•, j. RED RIVER WHEAT CROP Nearly All Threshed Out— Yield Less This Year Than Usual. What the Exclusive Wheat Farmers are Talking About —Heavy Dockage. Threshing As It is Now Con ducted—Prohibition—Land Values Steady. The big farms in tbe Red River valley are not yielding over ten bushels gener ally to tbe acre. There are many aorea also which usually give 15 to 22 buebela that this year are doing no better than eight to ten and some lese than eight. Tbe farmers naturally think tbey are in bard lnok as tbia ia tbe year in wbioh tbe prioe would make np for some of tbe paetloaseein wheat growing. The Hod River valley ia now one big wheat manufacturing plant. Abont all the real work of tbe year oentere around tbat one orop. Tbe other orope |aie merely aide lssuea. Little attention ia paid to atook or amall produota aa a businese. But tbe plowing, harrowing, aeeding, harvesting, threahing and mar keting of grain are done expeditionaly, systematically and ebeaply. It is a ques tion whether tbe valley wiJlsver beoome thiekly eettled with email farmers—one man oan handle eo muob ground tbat with good wheat prioea there would be nothing in diversifying. Tbe marketing of grain ia just now a problem, whether to aell, store, or exchange real for "option" wheat—of whioh a great deal ie being done. Several of the larg eet farmere are aelling aetual grain and buying futuree. Tbey believe the prioe ie high. It ia also tbe prevailing belief among most of the large farmere de pending on tbeir own resources to make operations profitable tbat with ailver coined again tbe wheat raising foreigner would not have tbe advantage over us in competition. As one of them etated "If we bad tree coinage wheat would be worth 92 a bushel." This was tbe view of a man wbo has a large oapital invested and has yearly raised from 15 to 20 thousand bushels of wheat. The Great Northern road penetrates the best portion of tbe Red river valley this side the Red, and ia now using tbe Mayville-Lanmore branch for its through stock trains and heavy freights. Tbe track that was formerly a streak of rust and lane of weeda ia now in good ehape for faat time. Tbe through pas eenger traina go by way of tbe towne of Fargo and Grand Forka. The Lari more] branch ia said to be 40 milee eborter than by the main line. Some depreaaingelleot on the growth of tbe towne and country ieeeen along tbe Great Northern. The abippere oomplain that the trioka used in preventing them getting oan are of tbe seme old kind. Tbe elevator trioks complained of, are openly discussed in tbe wheat shipping towns on tbe road. Tbe wheat is dirtier this year than last and tbe opportunity to dock it heavily for foul seeds is better. As high as 20 pounds to tbe bushel is reported and from 3 to 10 pounds is tbe usual shrinkage. Tbe sieve through which the test is made has meshes large enough to let a good many grains of wheat go through, also. Elevators, however, will sometimes have a special bin for a kicker and get his two cents for handling if he ships to a commission man for abetter grade and-for less dock age. Where a sixth is taken right off a man's orop ior pigeon grass and buck wheat tbat the thresher has not blown out, it makes kickers plenty. Some companies are said to offer a prize to the agent for the'bouse tbat "holds out the beat." At present there is a great rush of wheat. The advice to market slowly, given by Mr. Hill, is no doubt good for both road and shipper, but tbe impoesi bility and expense of storing and hand ling wheat twice where it is raised in auoh large quantities prevents farmere following tbe advice. A few latge firms have tbeir own elevator*. Tbe majority of tbe farmers have not atorage bina and are oompelled to market aa aoon as tbreehed. Staoking and atoring in private bina arealwaye followed by more or leas loss from rata and abrinkage of other kinds. Threehers bfcve hard work to get over '"Vuis. A I A One of the sample threebing outfit* tbat puts in from 30 to 45 days threshing and in which everything is done on a strictly business plan is tbat of Thoe. Harrison of Blanobard. Daylight sees the men ID A A man oan get a oar promptly for barlsy or flax, but it the elevator ia in need of a oar for wheat the private ahipper waite. Tbe loading platforma, or many of them are alao mere embankmente with no fao ilities for loadingfgrain easily into a oar. Everything ia done to foroe wheat into tbe elevator channels, the farmere aay Tbeee companies are not getting as muob business as they formerly did, but it is said a more liberal poliov prevails in some bouses this year than heretofore. the field, but tbey do not run late. Experience has shown there is too much risk of break downs and loss by working after dark. Half an hour is given at noon. Hot meals are brought to the crew in the field. Tbe cook house is not used. The meals are substantial and appetizing. The outfit has ten teama and teamsters hauling bundles, ten men pitching—r.h» pitnhers aseist in unloading at tbe machine and four men are continually pitching bun dleeintoaself feeder—one man and team tor hanling water, and one trained team of mules for "bucking" atraw, tbree men and three four horse teama hauling grain to elevator, an expert in oharge of separ ator and engine and a good fireman. Mr Harrison ia conatantly in oharge himself and looke ebarply after details—or money would go out faater than earned. One old mole on tbe atraw buekcr hue been kept for tbat work for eleven years. It ia a sample crew of the big thrashing outfits that pound out atraw each fall in the valley. The men do an aatoniabing amount of work in a day—with no grumbling. good many of the pioneers—tbe early settlers wbo bave outlived tbe alkali water, tbe oold, tbeanowsand privationa ofSettlera generally—are now rewarded in tbe advanoe of tbeir land. The Grandina got tbe beet land in tbe valley—tbe soil where the blue joint graaa wavee in olustera and is a deep loam—for 92.50 and 93 an acre and lese. It ia worth 920 to $35 now, and the farmer who oan bold, doesn't sell it fcither. Blue stem wheat haa proved a windfall for those wbo sowed it this spring. Tbe yield is from 5 *o 10 bushels more per acre. It stands all kinds of weather bette^than tbe fife. In the Red River valley tbe better en forcement of tbe prohibitory law in tbe smaller towns is regarded with satisfac tion by the larger farmers. Tbe invoices of jugs and cases still continue to come to the exprees office, but tbe average harvester or thresher is not able to get full as readily as wben saloons were open. It also tends to keep abetter olass of laborers at work throughout tbe season. They spend their money else where than in tbe atate, it ia true, but during the busy weeks of summer pro hibition ia in favor among tbe big farmere. MORE MACHINES NEEDED To Thresh the Grain Before Season Closes, so Threshers Assert. Farmere aie bending every energy to threebing. It ia not progressing aa fast aa deeired although machines are run from 6 a.m. to dark. There ia enough atraw for an average orop of 20 or more bushela per acre and the yield ia running from 10 to 15 bushels. Tbe ooet of threshing is muob increased in conse quence, and tbe pnoe has greatly in creased over previous years, in many in stances nearly double. In LaMoure county the price opened at 5 and 6 cents a bushel for wheat delivered at tbe machine, at 8 and 9 cents here, and now the price hss run up to 10 aDd 11 cents a bushel with 12^ cents bid for immedi ate work. Machines that daily averaged 2,100 bushe.'s last year are able to thresh but from 1,000 to 1,300 bushels thie* year, and that only by crowding maobiDe and men to the utmost. Some outfitB are reported to have pulled out of the field. Last season some farmers were unable to get their wheat crop threshed on ac count of the early heavy snows and in consequence lost heavily. Should rainy weather prevail for any length of time during the equinox, now due, tbe result it is feared, will be disastrous. In tbe immediate vicinity of Jamestown there are reported 3,000 acres of grain awaiting thresbing'and not a machine in aight. With 60 days of fine weather and no in terruptions threshing men sssert, at tbe rate tbey are now progreesibg, they would be unable to complete tbe work and fields would bave to go over to next aeason. Tbia would mean heavy loee to farmers. Tbe matter is serioua to farm ers and an effort haa been made to in duoe more tbreehing outfits to come in to aaaiat in the work. Belting, packing, hose, lace leather, in fact anything yon want in the thresh er supply line, at Eager's. W §^f fr^f ir?« rf^i«w p» ^r :?i- v* 1 v^v 4 JAMESTOWN, NORTH DAKOTA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 1897 NO 10 12100 or 1400 bushels for a day'a run in the Red River oountry. Threahing is done for 7 and 8 cento, and leea, reported, delivered from tbe epout. There are ao many complete riga that thrashing is well over in the big valley. Many large farmers own their own outfite and go at the work early and then thresh for others. v»% !'v ATTEMPTED JAIL DELIVERY. Prisoners Saw Through Steel Bars and Nearly Secure Freedom. Breakage of Their Saw Alone Suspended Operations. Quick Work. More Boiler Explosion Acci dents and Deaths in the State. The three men imprisoned in the county jail awaiting trial for tbe robbery of A. Langseth's tailor shop some time ago, made a determined and nearly suc cessful attempt to escape Tuesday night. The breaking of tbeir hack saw pre TC&tA^ thn a/inomp|Sokmarit of thejr pnr pose, but the aooident did not occur before tbey bad suwed off eight outside bars and .aeoured release from tbe steel oage in which they are oonfined at nigbt. Tbe first day of tbe fair a man ap peared at Cbenery ft Anderaon'eand purchased a aaw for aawing steel. Thia waa conveyed to tbe prisoners and slowly and quietly tbey went to work. They worked on tbe ateel'oage io the day time and made four cute through a bar two and a quw«t ilu** eighths inohee in tbiokneae. Tbe aaw oota were concealed by filling tbem with soap and briok dust The bars were nearly cut off and then they went to work in a cell in tbe oorridor, tbe eteel barred window of wbioh opened on tbe north side of the oourt boose. One quarter of the window was marked out and eight of tbe aixteen bars that lay between tbem and liberty out in two. They did not think that tbe lower ends of the bare were faetened as securely and firmly as at tbe top and aidee of the window or tbey would bave taken more time for the work. Cutting two sidee of tbe hole they need a pry and sprung tbe bars slightly but enongb to show tbat they oould not make their escape. They bad secreted a ease knife and with tbis they attempted to out a bole through tbe briok wall leading from tbe corridor to tbe cell from the west. The work was only started. Tbe knife was notobed on one side with saw teeth and the back filed down to a outting edge. Both tbe baok saw and knife were die covered .in a bole in tbe floor. Tbat something was going on in the cells was discovered by Jailor Potter wben be went to attend to the wanta of the men Tuesday. Both Thomas Hart aud Thomas Harris had tbeir ooata and hata on. Mr. Pottsr opened the door and oommanded the men to bring their paile to him, leave them at the door and re turn. Later wben tbe men were looked up for tbe nigbt tbey bad their ooata off and appeared aa usual. David McDonald, the third prisoner, waa plaoed in a private pell and tbe otbera in the big oage last night. They easily out, the remaining portion of tbe u( their oage and worked all night i.n the outaide ban of theoell. When the attempt waa fully dieoovered Wedneeday the prisoners laughed and said the aheriff oould congratulate him self that he waa not tbree men »l*ort. Tbey justified tbeir aot by saying tbat "any fool would try to g«t out of jail it he bad a chance." DEADLY THRESHER BOILER. Engineer's Aud Head Blown luj Seriously Injured. Oft* Another fatal explosion was added to tbe already large list that have ooourred in North Dakota this fall. This was on Arthur Shngsby's farmjnear Argusville, Caes county. Mr. Slingsby was aoting as his pwn engineer, though he had little experience. Some one notioed that tbe flues were leaking and called his atten tion toj it, but he die1 not regard the matteif seriously and did nothing. In a few minutes the boiler exploded with terrible force, scattering pieces for fif teen ^r twenty rods in every direction, ilingsby was standing in tbe rear of gme and was instantly killed. A of tbe boiler blew off tbe top of bis and he was otherwise mangled. Six men were injured, but only one by piecfe of the boiler. Tbe fireman was seriously injured and may I die. He waa terribly eoalded from tbe tlop of his head to his kneee. He was /a praotioal engineer, but nnab'e to get 4 job accepted the position he bad. His [father is a well to do resident of an east/era state. Arthur Slingsby, jr.,waa badly eoalded the face and received internal in Frank Sliugsby, a brother of the I A) 'K a 4 'I f,. 1 X.M3$. ,,.,. V.... jW.Ia... owner of the farm, was also scalded not eo eenouely. Frank White waa injured in the opine. Hie lower limbs were partially peraliied. Joe Connore waa badly scalded on his right arm and may lose and eye. Tbe boiler is a total wreok and the aelf feeder was burned. Sliogsby was a well known resident of Cass oounty and leaves a wife and six children. He waa a member of tbe looal A. O. U. W. lodge. Tbe boiler waa an old Amee. Another thresher boiler explosion, adding anotber victim to the already long list for September, occurred at 1 p. m. Tuesday on the Geo. Tilley farm six miles north of Tower City. A man ty the name of Fitzpatriok was instantly killed and another seriously injured. Fowler Bros, lost a cook shanty and part of a threshing outfit by fire Monday oear Casselton. A farm hand working for Wm. Hane cbel! near Obaffee fell from a loaded. grain tank Saturday and broke bia neOk. He lived until Monday morning. Engineer Obris Brandom waa crashed to death at Oberon while baokings traction engine to a separator. He was about 35 years old. A Minnewaukan dispatch atatee thai Frank Williama' tbreeher boiler exploded Saturday at tbe farm of R. E. Dreealer. Tbe engineer and fireman were killed naimee unknown. Jamea Morris was fatally hurt. MORE COMPROMISES Secured by the Northern Pacific in Settlement of Delin ..•••.A. quent Taxes. Tax Agent Schwartz of the land de partment aeoured a compromiae of the "m company'a delinquent tax in Barnes oounty. Tbe company owns 6,500 aorea of land in tbe county and tbe taxee on thia have been delinquent einoe 1880. By tbe terme of tbe oompromise the oompany will pay 50 per cent of the taxee aeseessd against tbe land for the years 1889 to 1895 inolosive, and 75 per oent of tbe 1896 tax. There ia aaid alao to be an underatanding tbat tbe 1891' tax will be compromised at 75 per oent. of tbe assessment. Mr. Schwartz claima tbe landa are notr worth much, being rough, hilly pieose lying along the river at points distant from market, and tbat the oompany ia anxious to sell tbem for almost any pnoa Tbey would have been sold long ago, but :-s the New York office fixed a prioe upon them far in excess of tbeir value, be said. Tbe delinquent tax controversy in Ransom county is virtually eettled, th» terme agreed upon being as follows: Alt 4 taxee levied prior to 1889, and taxee levied upon lands lying within tbe in demnity limits, are to be cancelled and abated and for all taxee levied upon land and town lots lying within tbe plaee, or 40 mile limits, before the aame were patented, a aum equal to 50 per oent of the face value of auoh taxee, without in terest, penalty or cost, for tbe years 1889 to 1895, both inclusive, is to be paid by the oompany in full settlement and satis fsjtlon thereof. The taxee for 1896 are to be paid in full. The LaMoure oounty commissioners will bold a speoial meeting for tbe pur pose of meeting with a representative of tbe Northern Pacific Railway oompany to adjust and settle delinquent taxee due the oounty from the oompany. Pingree Church Dedication. On Friday evening Oct. 8th a sociable will be given by tbe ladies of Pingree in tbe interest! of the Congregational church building fund. The new Congregational church build ing will be dedicated free of debt on Sunday Oct. 10th. Rev. John Maile D.D. LL.D. of Fargo will preach. Services, 11 a. m., and 3 and 8 p. m. Man and Fourteen Horses Burned. The barn on Major Black's farm, eight miles from Valley Citv, burned Tuesday night. Members of a threshing crew were staying in it, and one unknown man perished in the tlames. Fourteen horses were also bnrned. Maroney-McAalilTe. FARGO, Sept. 23: A quiet wedding oocured last evening in the parlors of Rev. Father Lemeinx's residence when M. C. Maroney a popular youog en gineer on the Northern Pacific waa united in marriage to Miss Eleanor Mo Auliffe, one of Fargo's charming young ladies, who has been employed as book keeper and stenographer for some time with Stone's musio house. The bnde is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Mo Auliffe, some of Fargo'a oldest reaidenta. Mr.and Mrs. Maroney left for the east in the evening and after a abort a*ay there will be Ht home to their frienda at 1324 First avenue aouth. Try Montgomery for your next coal or wood. J. J. Roper's old atand. •4 Wir- bat ill