CHAPTER XXXII

STORIES OF EARLY DAYS

WINSHIP HOTEL-BUDGE'S TAVERN-AN ENTERTAINING STORY OF YE OLDEN TIMES IN NORTH DAKOTA

When Pembina was little, before Grand Forks, Fargo and Moorhead were born, George B. Winship strayed in from the south via Abercrombie, and Billy Budge from Scotland via Hudson's Bay, and meeting at Pembina in 1871, where George was engaged as a clerk in the sutler's store, they concluded to form a partnership and enter into business. They selected a point on the stage line between Grand Forks and Pembina known as Turtle River, where they erected a log cabin and put in a little stock of those things essential to life for man and beast and opened up a hotel. The old-timers all credit them with having kept an excellent stopping place, one of the best on the line, and both were popular and have since prospered in this world's goods. Winship established the Grand Forks Herald, represented the Grand Forks District in the State Senate several terms, and on his retirement went to California where he enjoys a fortune from the proceeds of well used opportunities in North Dakota.

William Budge was a member of the constitutional convention and also represented his district in the State Senate several terms, was the leading spirit in the establishment of the State University, and was one of its regents for several years, and postmaster at Grand Forks, moving later to Medford, Ore., where he became one of the leading business men of Jackson County, and always the true and noble hearted man he was in the early days of North Dakota.

The following, condensed from Clarence Webster's story in the Chicago Inter Ocean in 1886, will be enjoyed by their friends:

"After erecting their cabin, which was the only human habitation in 1871 between Grand Forks and Pembina, unable to agree on the name for their place, as the story runs, they agreed to label it 'Winship's Hotel,' so as to meet the view of those coming from the south and that 'Budge's Tavern' should be the sign displayed for the observation of those coming from the north. They disagreed in many things but united in one, 'We are not here for our helth,' was to be conspicuously printed on a card to be hung on the wall over the fireplace. 'God Bless Our Home,' and others of that nature were not fashionable then. The early settlers were the practical sort of fellows, who believed in informing people just where they were at and what was expected of them.

"Budge was an expert in turning the flapjacks while Winship was equally good as a valet de chambre at both house and barn, Budge assisting however between meals. Both were excellent collectors and usually insisted that there

must be an understanding as to the pay before any of the supplies had been consumed. It is said they each warned the travelers not to pay the other, resulting in occasional loss on the grounds that it was unsafe to pay either. They had a monopoly and like all monopolists were independent and when there were any objections to paying $2 for flapjacks a la Budge and stable accommodations a la Winship the unfortunate objector was invited to read the card over the fireplace and move on. Sometimes Budge suggested that the man who objected to paying $1 for a white man's meal could fill up on marsh hay at half price.

"It sometimes happened that objections were made to the economical spelling of the word health in the sign upon the wall. If the kick was made to Budge he added a half to the bill for extras. If it was commented on before Winship, with great presence of mind he always remarked that the proofreader must have been drunk as usual when they went to press with it.

"Neither proposed to allow the other to get ahead of him. They made a nightly division of the cash and had a definite understanding as to the division of labor. Each in turn was to build the fires, and in order that there might be no mistake they arranged a calendar and pasted it at the foot of the bed. Commencing with B. W. B., alternating with G. B. W., there were thirty sets of initials, representing each day in the month. When Winship had built the fire he rubbed out the last initial and Budge did the same when it came his turn. The crossed letter always settled the question as to who was to get up next time and indicated the day of the month.

"One morning Budge got up and built the fire cancelling the B. It was a roaring fire, made especially for a temperature of 30 below. The frail chimney, built of sticks and mud, surmounted by a barrel, caught fire. Soon the fire spread until Winship's end of the building was burning at a lively rate. Winship poked his elbow in Budge's side, he having fallen asleep, who thinking a mule had kicked him, yelled, 'Whoa.' Another nudge partially awakened him, when Winship said, 'Billy, she is afire again.' Budge protested that he had spoiled the slickest dream he had ever had and that he would have had it all fixed in a minute more if he had been left alone, besides he didn't see why he should be disturbed. He wanted to sleep.

""The fire is spreading,' said Winship. 'Better get up and put it out while you can do it easy. It is your turn to get up.'

"It ain't my time to get up,' said Budge. 'The B. is crossed out.'

"It is your fire,' said Winship, 'you built it, you had better put it out. It's getting too hot.'

"Budge insisted that the fire was Winship's by right of discovery and he must take care of it.

"Higher leaped the flames, closer and closer they came to the Scotchman, who was still insisting upon his rights to sleep undisturbed after building the fire. His own part of the shanty was ablaze. Coals were dropping down on the robes under which they had been sleeping. Winship drew the robe over his head.

"Finally Budge proposed that they both get up. "That is reasonable,' replied Winship. 'Why didn't you think of that before?"

"They both got out. Some of the bacon and other things were saved. "By this time Grand Forks had begun to grow. Both went to the Forks and entering on separate lines succeeded in business.

"Winship sometimes undertakes to tell the story and Budge tries to correct the proof, but giving up in despair, simply writes on the margin, 'there are other liars in the valley besides yourself.""

THE OLD-TIME POSTOFFICE AT PEMBINA

(By Charles Cavileer)

"I came here (Pembina) in 1851, in company with N. W. Kittson and others. After being here a few days Mr. Kittson asked me to act as assistant postmaster, he having been appointed postmaster some time in 1849. Joseph R. Brown was contractor to carry the mail from Pembina, Wisconsin Territory, to Crow Wing in the same territory, via Thieving River, at its mouth at Red Lake River, thence by land and canoe to Red Lake Village, making short portages, thence making short portages between small lakes to Cass Lake and then by the same order of travel to Leach Lake and so on to Crow Lake and to the end of the route at Crow Wing Village, which was the headquarters of the North-West Fur Company for all that section of the country claimed by the Chippewas from Crow Wing to Pembina northwest and northeast to Sandy Lake, and Fond du Lac.

The contract was a go-as-you-please, on foot, horse back, cart or canoe, anyway-to-get-there affair. The contract price for carrying it was $1,100 a year. Kittson, being postmaster, could not act as sub-agent. He appointed me as assistant postmaster, and I ran the machine until some time in 1853 or '54. I did all the business of the office, made the quarterly returns and deposit of funds due the department, attending to every detail of the office, which at that time was no child's play as every letter and package had to be tied up in wrappers, waybilled and addressed to its destination. St. Paul packages contained nearly all of Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit and east and west exchange.

Letter rates of postage ran 64, 122, 184, to 25 cents, according to distance, from 64 for short distances to 25 for 500 miles and over. Every letter and package had to be wrapped and addressed. Even single letters had to be wrapped and addressed to their proper offices. All wrappers had to be saved and used as long as they would hold together and an address could be put on without showing another.

But when it came to making out the quarterly reports the dance had just commenced. Every letter received and dispatched must be returned from the records kept on bills for that purpose, and it made a package about the size of a family Bible, and the footing up of columns with the amounts running from 64, 122, 1834 to 25, was a corker. And right here let me tell you, with a feeling of pride, that I never had a quarterly return come back to me for correction.

Let me give you a sketch of the business at that early day, and the hardships. and tricks of some of our carriers.

The Hudson's Bay Company, before the establishing of the Crow Wing Route, always sent special messengers or carriers every spring and fall to St. Paul with the mail from their outposts in the North and Northwest, consisting of a thousand or more letters and packages, all mailed at the postoffice in St. Paul for their establishments in Canada and England.