Captain George Hunt and the members of the losing side of the Firemen's Rabbit Hunt that was staged early in December, were hosts to Captain William Boettcher, his winners and their ladies at an oyster supper at Arthur at 6:30 o'clock on Tuesday evening, Dec. 30. The guests, 75 in number, were seated at a long table prettily decorated with red taper candles and Christmas greenery. Captain Wm. Boettcher occupied the honored chair which was designated with an arch trimmed with the Christmas colors. The menu for the supper was oyster cocktail and stew, mashed potatoes, gravy, fried chicken, cranberries, perfection salad, buns and rye bread, pickles, apple pie and coffee. Following the supper progressive whist was played and at the conclusion of the games head prizes were awarded to Mrs. August Tonn and August Iwen. Low prizes went to Miss Ella Boettcher and Ed. Wilhelm. The remainder of the evening was given over to old time dancing with music by Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hansen, Gust Willert and Mrs. A. T. See.
Gust Iwen who has been poorly for the past few weeks, was taken quite ill on Friday of last week and is now under the care of a registered nurse at his home.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Abentroth and family of Cummings autoed to Arthur on Thursday of last week and were guests at the home of Mr. Abentroth's sister, Mrs. Mary Schur.
The following young people of Arthur returned to their duties after spending the Christmas vacation at their respective homes: Emma Sommerfeld, Mayville State Teachers College; Adeline Iwen, Augsburg Business College, Fargo; Eunice Iwen and Foster Burgum, N. D. University; Fred J. Williams, Minnesota State University; Lewis Ross, Notre Dame University; Edna Sommerfeld, Fargo; Frances Ross, Williston; Anne Kuehn, Hettinger; Alice Farnham, Grafton; Dorothy Bettschen, Hunter; Margaret Bettschen, Fargo; Edna Viestenz, Hickson; Lillie Burgum, Alice; Mamie Tonn, Niagara; Henrietta Tonn, Arvilla; Bertha Kuehn, Davenport; Vera Ruffcorn, Ayr; Grace Williams, Litchville.
W. E. Ruffcorn returned on Friday evening from Harlan, Ia., where he spent the holidays at the home of his father, P. H. Ruffcorn.
Mr. and Mrs. I. S. Roberts and family were guests over New Year's Day at the home of their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Schwarz at Davenport. Walter Roberts, who is employed in the Gamble store at Montevideo, Minn., was a guest for a week at his home here, returning to his duties on Thursday, Jan. 1.
Victor Campbell, accompanied by H. A. Probasco, autoed to Arlington, Iowa, last week on business and was expected to return this week but they were detained because Mr. Probasco is ill with pleurisy at the home of relatives in Arlington.
Clara Anderson, who is engaged in nursing at the Swift County Hosp. at Benson, Minn., returned to her work on Thursday after a short visit at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Anderson.
Arthur Ball Club Play
The Arthur Baseball club will present a three act comedy ÒThe Road Back Home,Ó at the Arthur hall tonight, May 1, under the direction of Miss Frances Schur. The cast of characters includes Molly Hunt, Bernice Bettschen, Martha See, George Hunt, Ollie Burgum, A. T. See, John McKinnon, Will Boettcher, A. T. Farnham, Frances Schur. Music specialties by L. S. Burgum and his orchestra will be given between acts.
Dorothy Bettschen
Among the trees, on the wide lawn of her home, funeral services were held Monday for Miss Dorothy Bettschen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Bettschen of Arthur.
Born Sept. 17, 1908, in Arthur, she grew to young womanhood there. She received her grade and high school education at that place and completed a two-year course at the Moorhead State Teachers college. She then taught in the Chaffee school two years and began the 1930-31 term at Hunter. April 9 Dorothy was taken to a Fargo hospital where she underwent a major operation from which she failed to rally. Last Sunday she was removed to her home, where she passed away Saturday, June 27. Besides her parents, she is survived by a sister, Margaret, and two brothers, Robert and Donald. She was laid to rest in the Arthur cemetery. Pallbearers were Alton Burgum, Foster Burgum, Lloyd Williams, Freddie Williams, Paul Boettcher, and Louis Ross.
It was fitting that those last services be conducted at the home which she so well loved. Here, on the spacious lawn abounding with floral offerings, gathered the throng of friends who came to pay their last tribute of affection to Dorothy, sweet, kind, and loved by all, especially the children among whom she chose to work. Rev. Leslie Burgum of Larimore conducted the services, and chose the text from John 14-3 ÒI go to prepare a place for youÓ upon which he based his sermon. He was assisted by the pastor, Rev. W. S. J. Bleakley, who in a brief tribute spoke of her passing not as a funeral occasion, but as a coronation when the crown of life is given. The combined Arthur-Hunter choirs sang first the hymn which was Dorothy's favorite, ÒOh Jesus I Have Promised.Ó The closing hymn at the services was ÒAbide With Me.Ó ÒNearer My God to TheeÓ was sung at the cemetery. Rev. Burgum rendered the solo ÒA Beautiful Land on High.Ó
Prominent in every good work, Dorothy contributed conspicuous service in the choir, where her solo in the Easter Cantata, less than a week before she was taken ill, will be long remembered by those who heard and caught its inspiration.
20th Wedding Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Thompson celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary last Sunday. They were surprised by a gathering of friends at the J. C. Richardson home, and all enjoyed a picnic dinner. Those present were the R. E. Thompson, J. C. Richardson, A. M. Peterson, Clyde Fisk, E. E. Taves and Tommy Myers families, Mrs. Wm. Fisk and family and Miss Bertha McMullen.
News Items of Forty-Four Years Ago
Through the courtesy of Mr. J. H. Gale, who handed us a couple of copies of the Hunter Eye, we are able to publish the following Hunter and Arthur items taken from its issue of Jan. 28, 1887:
Our enterprising townsman E. H. Hutchinson spent Sunday with his parents at Georgetown. Must be a girl over there on the Red.
We see by the Wheatland Eagle that C. F. Bayard is going to run for alderman. We know Free would get there.
W. H. Comrie is having his elevator fixed over and driveway enclosed. What a grand thing that will be for teams when we have a dance.
Some of the parties who leave their teams standing for hours without blanketing had better look up the law in regard to cruelty to animals.
Arthur is going to have a baseball nine next summer. Ned. Hutchinson is the captain and the smallest man in the nine, but he is an old timer from the Duluth team.
Interesting Items From Arthur
The Lutheran Ladies aid chicken supper held at the church basement was very well attended and the ladies are to be complimented on their good supper. The proceeds for the supper were $85.00.
Messrs. Geo. Iwen, Will Boettcher and Albert Stewart left on Saturday for the Killdeer Mountains where they went deer hunting.
The American Legion Auxiliary will sponsor a food sale Saturday, Nov. 21, at the American Legion Hall. Lunch will also be served all afternoon. Plans were made for the sale at a meeting held at the home of Mrs. H. J. Wagner last Saturday. After the business session lunch was served to the members by the hostess.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wilhelm left Sunday morning for Brownton, Minn., where they attended funeral services for the former's mother, who passed away at her home there on Sunday. Mrs. Wilhelm has been very poorly the past six weeks and was taken to St. Luke's hospital just a few weeks ago.
The Messrs. and Mmes. William, Louis, John Schur and Mrs. Mary Schur autoed to Cummings on Saturday evening where they attended a silver wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Abentroth, the latter is a brother of Mrs. Mary Schur. About 200 relatives and friends were present for the affair. The hours were spent in dancing after which the self invited guests served lunch. Mr. and Mrs. Abentroth were presented with a purse.
Musical comedy Òthe Gypsy RoverÓ will be presented at eh Arthur Hall by the students of the chorus class of the Arthur High school on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 8 o'clock. The operetta is under the direction of Miss Ellen Bigelow with Doris Helland as accompanist.
Mr. and Mrs. Harley Probasco and children have gone to Arlington, Iowa, to spend Christmas with relatives.
Mrs. Geo. Hunt and Mrs. Louis Bettschen are drawn on the jury for the January term of court.
Christmas program and tree will be held Thursday evening at 7:30 by both the Methodist and Lutheran Sunday schools at their churches.
A concert by the Arthur Band was given at the Good Samaritan Home Monday evening consisting of a number of season selections, vocal duet and sextet of men's voices. It was greatly enjoyed by the patients and workers, especially the selections by the five members of the ÒLittle German Band.Ó
Mrs. J. A. Burgum gave an account of ÒPioneer Christmas in BismarckÓ at the Arthur high school assembly Friday. The Christmas tree at that time was a pair of huge elk horns with apples and oranges stuck on the many prongs and gaily decorated. Buffalo tongue sandwiches were the treat and the stockings were filled with hard candy brought from the post-trader's store at Fort Lincoln. Huge drifts of snow half-covered the tents and log cabins of the little city. River transportation ceased in the fall and even after the railroad was built, trains ceased running through the winter. But the pioneer children enjoyed the holiday in spite of privations for the Yuletide spirit was present among them.
Fred Williams Laid to Rest on Monday P. M.
Funeral services for Fred Williams, a resident of Arthur community for the past forty-six years, were held from the Methodist Episcopal church at Arthur on Monday afternoon of this week with a large concourse of friends in attendance who came to pay their final tribute to another of the pioneers of Cass County.
Mr. Williams was taken ill five weeks ago with kidney trouble and his death came early Saturday morning.
The services were conducted by Rev. A. L. Lindstrom, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Arthur, with Rev. L. R. Burgum of Jamestown assisting. The choir sang two favorite hymns of the deceased, ÒThe Old Rugged CrossÓ and ÒAbide With MeÓ and Rev. Burgum sang ÒNo Night There.Ó
The Masonic service at the grave was conducted by the Casselton Lodge No. 3 A. F. & A. M. with Mr. Walter Martin of Fargo officiating. Interment was made in the Arthur cemetery. The pallbearers were T. O. Burgum, B. A. Helland, John Bettschen, Emil Boettcher, and H. H. Carr of Hunter.
Mr. Williams was born March 16, 1866, in Ausable Forks, N. Y. He spent the early years of his manhood there and in 1886 he came to Hunter, N. Dak., where he was employed by J. H. Gale. Mr. Williams operated a lumber yard at Arthur for Mr. Gale and later became a partner and manager of the Gale and Dallancey Mercantile firm here. In 1900 the corporation of the Arthur Merc. Co. was formed. Mr. Williams built up a prosperous business which he managed until his death.
Mr. Williams took an active interest in the civic affairs of the community. He was instrumental in the organization of the First State Bank of Arthur in 1905 and served as president of this institution since 1917. He was also president of the village board.
He was a member of the Republican party and when their party divided he associated himself with the Independent group and which he was a loyal supporter.
Mr. Williams possessed great faith in the agricultural future of North Dakota which was demonstrated by the fact the he was owner of 6000 acres of land in this immediate vicinity.
Fraternally he was a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Casselton Lodge O. 3 A. F. & A. M. and the El Zagel Shrine in Fargo.
He leaves to mourn his loss one brother, James, and his family at Arthur, a nephew, Russell Wilson and his family, also Arthur, three sisters, Mrs. Mary Willett, Mrs. Kate Forbes, Mrs. Alice Bunnell, all Ausable Forks, N. Y.
Contributed by Steven Pueppke