The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Violin thief in N.D.
On March 9 in 1911, the Fargo newspaper reported on an interesting crime.
Professor Hendrickson, the main player and victim, lived a relatively quiet life. He worked at the Dakota Conservatory of Music in Fargo where he taught the art of music. The Conservatory existed among other offices in the upper floors of a newly-built, yellow brick three-story building. Surely, sweet melodies could be heard by passersby on the street.
The professors at the conservatory were also performers, and one night, as he practiced alone, Professor Hendrickson grew hungry, and in need of supper left his violin in his room.
It was a night like any other, except for one thing-when he came back, his violin was gone!
Professor Hendrickson panicked. His violin was worth $20-no mere trifle for a professor in 1911. Immediately, he contacted the police. The police worked quickly and within a half hour got back to him with good news. They had found the missing violin in a pawn shop.
The thief had pawned the instrument for a mere $5.00. Professor Hendrickson was relieved! Had the thief known the true value, he could have taken the violin directly to a large city and made a handsome profit.
In the end, though, the professor who lived a relatively quiet life-except when his students hit the occasional sour note-enjoyed a happy ending to the story. He paid the $5 to the pawn broker himself, and took the $200 violin, still safely nestled in its $25 case, home. In the meantime, the police obtained a description of the thief, and stayed confident that they would catch him.
And if the thief read the papers on March 9, he received a little music lesson, too.
This Dakota Datebook written by Sarah Walker.
Pembina in N.D.
There was a time when a portion of what are now North and South Dakota, including Pembina, was governed by Minnesota Territory, which organized in 1849. Postmaster Norman Kittson, a rather somber-looking man, served as Pembina County Senator, and fur trader Jolly Joe Rolette – also a somber-looking man – served as Representative.
Charles Cavileer recorded the day the two men left town.
"Joe had a fancy carryall. His dogs were of the best, flaunting gaudy ribbons, red cloth housing and pretty tinkling bells, while Kittson's team was rigged in his own style, neat but not gaudy."
While the Pembina representatives had fairly uneventful terms, Jolly Joe gained considerable attention when he "mislaid" the bill that would have moved the capital to St. Peter; it's Rolette who's credited with making sure St. Paul remained the capital of Minnesota.
This Dakota Datebook written by Merry Helm.
Charles Cavileer
March 6 is the birthday of Charles Cavileer, who was born in 1818. He was a saddler by trade, and while living in St. Paul, he was also a druggist, a postal worker and the Territorial Librarian. Cavileer was also adventurous, and in 1851, he brought to Pembina the first permanent group of agricultural settlers to what is now North Dakota. Two years later, he became a U.S. Customs inspector and was then appointed postmaster by President Abraham Lincoln.
His written accounts of wildlife and fur trading have since become invaluable records of the rich native heritage that soon disappeared forever.
Despite the Homestead Act of 1862, there were only about 2500 permanent white settlers 1870. The Civil War and resistance from Native Americans discouraged settlement. The town of Cavalier and Cavalier County were both named after Charles Cavileer-but his name is spelled CAVILEER, and at some point, both the town and county ended up with a different spelling.
This Dakota Datebook written by Merry Helm.
