‘Everyone’s friend Ralph’ celebrated his 80th birthday with a few dozen friends and relatives gathered at the community center in Sheldon today. I snapped a few pictures. The one group was set up by a lady not many seemed to know, but it turned out she was in the Lions Club serving as some kind of ambassador and asked me to take a picture of the local Lions who were present. Today’s party should suffice until his 90th birthday.
We attended an event at the Fargo Public Library today that featured William Kent Krueger as speaker. People kept on a’comin’ into that room and probably numbering close to 200. Krueger is an author of mysteries, mostly set on a Minnesota reservation, and we’ve just started reading his work, now owning the last two of them. Many of them center around his recurring character Cork O’Connor, a mixed-blood Irish and Ojibwe retired sheriff.
Krueger has written about 20 novels. We laughed when he talked about one of them and the wrangling it took to get it published that finally earned him, in his words, “a shitload” of money. Several of them have been on a New York Times bestseller and won prestigious awards from them. Check out his website for pictures and information. The Zandbroz store in Fargo sponsored his appearance and sold lots of his books at the rear of the room prior to Krueger talking.
PITCHFORK FONDUE - We drove to Medora for our almost-annual visit to the musical and the pitchfork fondue. The open air terrace where the steaks are prepared and eaten with gusto provides a great experience. I watched two men spear several steaks onto each pitchfork and asked one how many will you do. He answered “470 tonight” which didn’t seem to be enough to cover this crowd. However the option of choosing a hot dog at half the price instead of a steak answered the question the discrepancy. Mary and I optioned for one steak and one hot dog we cut each in half to share. Just right!
Mary thought we needed a selfie at the overlook east of town, so here is my first attempt ever at that art form.
Occasionally I open the SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY by Edgar Lee Masters and read his poems where the dead speak to us from their small midwestern cemetery. With nothing to lose now that they’re buried, they reveal juicy secrets kept hidden during their lifetimes, secrets which would’ve caused quite a stir if known while they still walked about.
It’s not a stretch to believe similar stories exist in our hometown cemetery. Take for example one man whose marker stone can be found in a lonely spot where it was placed over a hundred years ago. As the story was told to me, they set his grave apart from the sanctified areas because his character didn’t mesh with the judgment of some of the “finer citizens.”
Chauncey Durgin arrived early in the town’s history and became a prominent businessman. We can go right to the end of his life and find it summarized positively in the obituary printed in The Sheldon Enterprise on February 22, 1917. It doesn’t indicate any reason for isolating him. In fact, it stated his funeral service, officiated by a Presbyterian minister, was one of the largest funerals ever held in Sheldon. Hmm…
The writer of his obituary wrote: “Few men will be missed by the public along Main Street more than Chauncey Durgin. He seemed almost like a permanent fixture, as his little confectionary store was open at all hours and every one was welcomed. Many of the younger generation, and farmers as well, dropped into his place to warm up and chat.”
This paragraph tells us a lot about the frontier town: “At times Chauncey grew reminiscent and told of the good old days when Sheldon was a wild and woolly town, when men fought at the drop of a hat, but they gave him little trouble around his place, for he was a physical giant in his younger days and they were sure to land in the street if they started anything.”
Prominent enough in city affairs to catch the eye of the editor of the local newspaper, several mentions of him occur in its pages throughout the years.
✓ May 12, 1885 - Chauncey Durgin was in town yesterday, and, we are informed, made arrangements to commence work of the roller rink at once.
✓ June 2, 1885 - Young man, when you go into the river bathing, be careful and not get in the wake of passing pleasure boats laden with ladies and gentlemen. Ask C. . . . . . y if this isn’t good advice.
✓Sept 22, 1885 - It is said that the Durgin, or White Elephant Saloon at this place, presided over by G.F. Baley, is the handsomest establishment of its kind in North Dakota.
✓ Oct 27, 1885 - Chauncy Durgin says remember the Thanksgiving Ball at Durgin’s Hall.
✓ Dec 1, 1885 - The largest and best dance ever had in Sheldon occurred last Thursday evening.
✓ The Sheldonites are going to have a daisy time at Durgin’s Roller Rink on New Years Eve - dance, supper, funk music and what not. Those Sheldon people don’t seem to care what the price of wheat is.
✓ May 27, 1886 - Chauncey Durgin is putting in an ice box in the White Elephant Saloon.
✓ Aug 2, 1901 - Chauncey Durgin went to Fargo Tuesday evening and brought back a big stock of canned goods, fresh fruits, confectionaries, and a pretty girl to sell them for him.
✓ 1905 - Say Chauncey, wht the bloody ‘ell’s the matter with the preacher? is a question that many years ago was put to Chauncey Durgin in his White Elephant Saloon in the days when Sheldon was a frontier town. The answer was obvious then and too painful for elucidation now.
✓ 1906 - Last Sat the authorities raided a red light district that had sprung up in the weeds east of town…
✓ May 7, 1909 - Come with us to Alberta, the land of prosperity and plenty. Landseekers’ excursion every week from Enderlin, commencing Thursday, May 20. Special round trip rates to Crossfield and return only $25. 150,000 acres of the richest land in the famous Rosebud winter wheat district. Now is the time to see these lands. For any further information: address P.J. Hoff Sheldon agent for the Calgary Colonization Company.
✓ June 4, 1909 - Chauncey Durgin departed for sunny southern Alberta on Wednesday to look after the breaking of his real estate there.
✓ 1909 - Beer and liquor smuggled in during 1909. Moorhead dealers shipped in a thousand cars full of beer. “Sugar barrels figure prominently in the beer shipments. Each barrel of sugar contains seventy-two bottles of beer.”
✓ (no date) WPA file of Gilbert E. Nordhagen,— I have seen a mother, with several small children hanging on to her dress, go into the big Durgin’s Saloon in Sheldon with tears running down her face to try to get her man home…
✓ Feb 13, 1913 - Twenty Years Ago - Chauncey Durgin’s skating rink was a popular place in the early days and large crowds attended every Saturday evening.
✓ Feb 1, 1917 - Blue Sunday Law went on with a bang in Ransom County…Attorney General Langer took hold of the reins…and immediately discovered the the observance of the Sabbath was being grossly violated. He immediately notified all the state attorneys to see that these violations were stopped forthwith… Sheldon got her order…Denizens are now preparing to strictly observe the law and are laying in a supply so their usual Sunday enjoyments will not be impaired.
✓ Feb 15, 1917 - Chauncey Durgin was taken last evening with a severe heart attack of heart trouble and is in a very precarious condition today.
✓ Feb 22, 1917 - Chauncey Durgin obituary headlines: Chauncey Durgin, Oldest Citizen and Business Man, Succumbs to Heart Failure
…
The foregoing information outlines only a bit of Durgin’s life. One can read between lines and imagine a scenario whereby some might not have thought he had sterling character. However it’s a story that can’t be completely told of this early businessman in Sheldon. Maybe he can talk to us in the style of Edgar Lee Masters with some of the other characters buried in our cemetery.
Even though only a few buildings stand along main street, a strong sense of community still exists in Sheldon. The community center sponsored a barbecued pork, corn, and bean feed which drew us to lend support. It was a popular event with quite a few people attending. I’m guessing many of the farmers would’ve come later. My old classmate Ralph’s mugshot hung on the wall advertising a birthday get-together for him. I took a few snapshots and include them here.
There’d been a big hatch of dragonflies that aimed at us and plastered the windshield as we drove through their swarms. It sounded like hailstones hitting the car.
Mary wasn't ready to call it a day on her birthday, so she contacted some of the local family to have supper with us. Brandon wasn't feeling well, so he and Ari didn't come, but Harrison did. We made it Sammy's Pizza in downtown Fargo. As we walked in a familiar greeting came, "Hello, Mr. Bueling." Teresa Spiekermeier , the longtime owner of the business, called my name. We had a nice little visit along with the pizza. After finishing Harrison pronounced it as his "new favorite pizza."
Our grandson took a part in another play production in the cities which, of course, we wanted to see. The rather unappealing title of “Urinetown: The Musical” nevertheless proved very entertaining, and throughout the show the actors took opportunities to make fun of it. Tongue-in-cheek prevailed throughout. Take for instance the name of our grandson’s character - Sergeant Lockstock and his patrolman partner Officer Barrel. Their characters were tasked with protecting the laws which were established by the dominating company, UGC, otherwise known as Urine Good Company.
The show was written as a satirical comedy musical which is meant to satirize the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, and municipal politics. (I didn’t write that previous sentence but stole it to use here and say better than I could.) The author of this work was “inspired” when he traveled in Europe and encountered pay-per-use toilets. The play hinges on that concept: you have to pay to pee.
It took a large cast and they all did well. Our grandson acted and sang a major role. His policeman figure narrated the show, and he really surprised us with the quality of his deep baritone voice. I took credit for his singing ability; however it could be the Knutson influence seeping in. He is earning a long list of performances under his belt, having acted previously in Shrek, Elf, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I still have a song from Joseph… “Any Dream Will Do” running through my mind and still like to listen to Donny Osmond singing it on Youtube.
As a professional production, it has won several awards from its peers. The production company does a great job. Urinetown’s cast was all done with high school age kids. Others we’ve attended featured a wide range of ages. Next up is “Little Shop of Horrors,” for which Lucas has earned a part.
As we prepared to pack up to come home, I couldn’t help but notice a book The Great Gatsby on his desk that he is reading for upcoming classes. I asked if he’d read it and gotten to the last sentence in that book. He hadn’t, but will probably appreciate it someday when he has experienced the many trials of life: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Bill Dunnell lived in the area all his life. Awhile back someone told me they had some pictures of him and I replied I'd like to see them. Four of them came and they are posted below. I saw Bonita Bohnsack a few days ago, and when I showed the pictures on my phone to her she reminisced that he worked for her mother on the ranch and might want to include them on a newer and bigger book about the Bohnsack Ranch.
