Drown with Dick & Jane

Boy Has Narrow Escape

Clarence, son of Christ Chrisopher, our popular commissioner, was nearly drowned Tuesday while playing upon the logs in Virginia lake. He was pulled out of the water by his elder brother, Marcom, and aside from a good wetting and a good fright he was none the worse from his sudden and unexpected plunge in the water.
Virginian—Friday, June 14, 1907
 

Little Boy Drowned
Meets Death While Playing Upon Logs in Virginia Lake

George, the 15 years old son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Shirkinson of 112 Oak street, was drowned in Virginia Lake last Saturday at about one o’clock. While Shirkinson and two other companions were running the logs, he slipped from one into the water and before assistance could reach him, sank out of sight and was not seen again until his body was recovered about half an hour later. One of the other boys also fell into the water at the same time but was rescued by his remaining companion. The remains were taken to the undertaking parlors of A. W. Hubbard and prepared for burial, being taken to the family home Sunday afternoon. The funeral was held from the Polish Catholic church Monday afternoon, followed by interment in the Virginia cemetery. George was a general favorite among his acquaintances and his sudden departure from this world is a sad blow to his relatives as well as to his many young playmates.
The Virginian—Friday, May 31, 1907

 

Meets Death in Ely Lake

One of the shocking circumstances of fate culminated in the death by drowning of Martin McNulty, bookkeeper at the Franklin mine near this city, in Ely lake last Sunday afternoon. McNulty, Wiliam McCoy, O. W. Baden and Roy Robinson, all of this city, left here Sunday forenoon to enjoy the day in boating on Ely Lake, situated about two miles from Eveleth.

After their arrival there the party secured two boats, McNulty and McCoy occupying one and Boden and Robinson the other. The party had been rowing about the lake in close proximity to each other and were about to return to the shore when the accident happened in the death of McNulty.

 There being a stiff gale blowing, the lake was very wild and and waves rose to the height of several feet. In turning about the boat dipped water and in trying to keep the craft from overturning one of the oars slipped from the lock and McCoy, who was at the oars, lost control of the boat. McNulty evidently became excited and in trying to the steady the boat leaned too far to one side and the boat capsized, throwing both occupants into the water. In the overturn, McNulty clung to the boat but McCoy went down and out of sight. He soon appeared above water, however, and reached the boat in safety. Both men bling to the boat for a few moments and McNulty being a good swimmer, told McCoy to remain there and he would swim ashore and secure a boat for his companion’s relief. McCoy, who is not a swimmer, in his excitement let go of the boat and made an attempt to swim towards the shore. He did not go far, however, when he realized that the attempt would be futile. How he again reached the boat he is not able to explain, but when he did reach it he was almost exhausted from the effort and was nearly strangled from having swallowed a large amount of water. He recovered sufficiently to see his companion struggling in the water at a distance of about 30 feet from the boat, throwing up his arms and utter a cry for help and sink out of sight. Boden and Robinson, when they saw the predicament of McNulty and McCoy, attempted to turn their boat about and go to the aid of their comrades. In so doing, their boat was also overturned. This happened while McNulty was still clinging to his boat. The boats were at this time about 70 feet from the shore. Boden was the first to start for the shore and being an excellent swimmer made it in safety. When he reached the shore he turned and saw McNulty struggling in the water and made an attempt to go to his rescue, but a number of people on the bank would not allow him to again enter the water.

Boden was almost exhausted from his long swim to the shore and had he been allowed to go to the rescue of McNulty he would undoubtedly met the same fate. A large crowd of people stood upon the bank and watched the efforts of McNulty to reach the shore but did not offer any assistance until it was too late, not realizing the swimmer’s danger. McCoy and Robinson were taken in by a gasoline launch and reached the shore in safety.

The launch also made an effort to reach McNulty before he went down but was too late as he did not appear at the surface again until taken out by a searching party two hours later.

The body was taken in charge by the assistant coroner at Eveleth and on Monday was shipped to Marquette, Mich., the old home of the deceased. Thomas McNulty, a brother, of Duluth, and Frank Kelly of Proctor, a cousin, were notified soon after the accident occurred and came to Eveleth and took charge of the remains. William McCoy and Melvin Thompson of this city also accompanied the funeral party as far as Duluth.

Mr. McNulty had been a resident of this city only a short time during which he made many warm friends. He had but recently recovered from an attack of scarlet fever and as a result had lost control of his speech, being hardly able to articulate above a whisper. This sickness lef t him in a rather weakened condition and this undoubtedly was the cause of his not being able to reach the shore in safety.

The Marquette Mining Journal of Monday has the following to say in regard to Mr. McNulty:

Mr. McNulty was born and reared at Marquette, and prior to his departure for Duluth to relocate, some seven or eight years ago, he had been employed at Gooding & Ormsbee’s and other stores. When John C. Greenway was transferred from Ishpeming to Bovey to open the new mines of the Oliver Iron Mining company at the western edge of the Mesaba range, Mr. McNulty went from Duluth to Coleraine to take a position at the office of the Steel corporation’s subsidiary concern there. He remained on the western Mesaba until a few months ago, when he accepted a position as bookkeeper for the Republic Ion and Steel company at its Franklin mine at Virginia. He was so employed at the time of the tragic event of yesterday.
The Virginian—Friday, June 21, 1907

Range Farming Possibilities

Mining and the Cutting of Lumber In This Section Good For Many Years to Come

• NO ROOM FOR THE RODENTS •

IT has been said that when the mines of this county cease to produce and the hum of the busy saws are no longer heard there will be little for the day laborer in this section to do and the towns that have grown to large proportions in the past decade will crumble away and become haunts for rodents. But as there is several hundred million tons of ore yet to be mined on the range the present generation need not worry about the future for there is not only much ore yet to be found and many million feet of timber to cut but agricultural possibilities of this section is attracting favorable attention from many hardy tillers of the soil. In Sunday’s News Tribune the following article appears which gives an excellent account of the development now being made in the farming regions of this county:

“The northern half of St. Louis county a wond erf ul and p otent develop ment. The brush covered lowlands and the pine clad hillocks are giving birth to an agricultural region. Where once were swamps and stagnant pools of water there are the drains dug by indomitable farmers. The thickets and pine-studded lands that flank the new Rainy Lake railroad are yielding to the clearings of tillers on the soil. These men are in many instances progressive foreigners or restless natives from the southland, who, like their forebears, have plunged into undeveloped regions to widen the blazed trail so that it will be lost in the agricultural expanse that will result from the efforts of them who will follow.

If there is anyone who has not faith in the agricultural development of St. Louis county, especially that part north of the iron ranges, let him see what energetic farmers are doing in the region which he may condemn. Railroad men will tell you that farmers from all parts of the United States are flocking northward. Most of them go to Canada, but many, realizing the fertility of northern Minnesota land which has not become exhausted and unfruitful from repeated years of crop bearing, are building small homes on farms which they intend to develop. The faith of these men is of a sort that makes the world turn a little faster than a generation ago, especially when mixed with simon pure American energy, whether it be acquired by birth or by adoption.

“I think I deserve more credit than my neighbor,” said a Swede who is preparing to farm near Ashawa.

 “How so?” asked his companion.

“Because,” replied the Swede, “I came here of my own accord while my neighbor was born here. He couldn’t help himself. I have staked everything on my faith in this country.

“And I don’t think it’ll be a gamble either,” he added after a pause, “I believe I’m holding a full house, a house full of joy and prosperity for the future. And what’s against me? Nothing but two deuces— discouragement and discontentment. If I ward off the latter I’ll not succumb to the former.”

A man need not starve in this foreign empire. The forests abound with wild game and the lakes and streams are stocked with fish. The cold winter is not felt severely owing to the dry air. There is no disagreeable alternate freezing and thawing. The snowfall is not as great as in the New England states. There is sunshine in plenty and the bracing air, laded with the invigorating perfume of the stately pines, is a tonic to stir men of wavering hearts and doubtful intention to greater activity and renewed resolves.

With a strong arm and a trusty axe, a man need not suffer from cold. He can erect a comfortable home for his family and warm sheds for his stock. The winter nights are conducive to sociability and the stranger from the south, or east, or west feels less each day the pain of regret, until his friends of former days conjure but pleasant memories to linger over.

The man from Nebraska sheds his fear of tornadoes, the planter from Louisiana forgets his battles with floods and leaking dikes, the man from Wyoming is glad he has left the western blizzard behind him, the tired farmer from the Panhandle or the unirrigated foothills of New Mexico rejoices in the ample rainfall; for there are no tornadoes, no floods, no blizzards, no drouths in this favored land of the Mesabe.

Certain pessimists, who have not discovered the joy of living, have long deplored the unfavorable (alleged) agricultural conditions of St. Louis county. Some writers at the state capital who are under the eyes, perhaps the thumbs of the great railroad and timber barons who live in St. Paul, have deplored the destruction of the pine forests of St. Louis county that make way for farms and dairies. They have harped upon the published fact that a St. Paul lumber baron will preserve certain California forests, cutting only the large trees and permitting the smaller to grow. This is well and good where the diameter of the tree is measured in feet and not in inches. This is not objectionable where agriculture cannot be fostered. There is no need to clear away the forests to make place for agriculture when, if one wanted to plant potatoes, he would have to slice them and slip them edgeways between the rocks.

The same arguments cannot be applied to northern Minnesota land which is so fertile that a pound of grass contains as much nutriment as a pound of oats. Let the lumber barons seek farther to the north in order that the countless thousands may earn their right to exist, in the future dairy center of the state.

When there is a market for an article, it generally follows that the law of supply and demand will meet the exigencies of the market. On the iron ranges are nearly a dozen flourishing towns of half a thousand population or over, and four cities of from 5,000 to 10,000 people. South of the range is the great open door for the channels of commerce to the north and northwest,

the Zenith City. Practically all dairy products consumed in these municipalities are imported. It follows, therefore, that the demand will create great dairying interests in the country north of the range. As long as it is more profitableto sell the products of the cow than to dispose of the animal for beef it does not take much argument to prove to any disinterested person that the future agricultural development of the region beyond the range will be limited only by the capability and capacity for work possessed by the settlers of the new country which is being tapped by the Rainy Lake railroad. The market is there. The raw land is there. The result is obvious. The Virginian—Friday, June 7, 1907

Deaths

Cenci Luizi, an employee at the Lincoln mine, died Monday morning of pneumonia at the Commodore location boarding house. He was born in Italy and was about 28 years old. He leaves a wife and one little daughter. He came to this country about four years ago and since has been employed in the mines in this locality. The remains were taken to the undertaking parlors of H. S. Gillespie and there prepared for burial, the funeral taking place Tuesday afternoon. The services were held at the Polish Catholic church, followed by interment in the Virginia cemetery. The remains were followed to their last resting place by a large number of friends of the deceased, headed by the brass band playing the “Soldier’s Dead March.” Delmonica, aged one year, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eon Fereoni, died of pneumonia last Saturday. The funeral services were held at the Lady of Our Lourdes church Sunday afternoon and the little one’s remains were laid at rest in the Virginia cemetery. The Virginian—Friday, June 7, 1907