The Rooster Crows-February 1, 2008

On February 1, 2008March 10, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Both the weather and the stock market were on a roller coaster last week, starting out in a nose dive, then reversing to head upward like a skyrocket. The second January thaw of 2008 saw the mercury hit 40 in Rutland on Saturday, January 26, and hit the 45 mark on both Sunday and Monday before the bottom dropped out, again, sending the temperature plunging 57 degrees, to 12 below by Tuesday morning. A 30 mph wind, gusting to 40 mph, assured a bountiful supply of brisk, fresh air and wind chills to 50 below. By Wednesday morning, the mercury stood at 20 below zero, with the good news being that the wind had let up. A heat wave of 20-degrees above is predicted for Ground Hog’s Day, February 2, this weekend, and all, including the Ground Hog, will be glad to see it.

News was received here on Saturday, January 26, that Brad Brummond, husband of Rutland native Susan (Kulzer) Brummond, had passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly, at the couple’s home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was 60 years old at the time of his death. Relatives from this community plan to depart Rutland on Friday to attend the funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday, February 2, in Colorado Springs. The Rutland community extends its sympathy to the Brummond and Kulzer families.

Another individual who was once a familiar figure on the streets of Rutland, Alice Barbknecht, departed this life on Thursday, January 24, at the Four Seasons Healthcare Center in Forman. She was 91 years old at the time of her death. Alice made her home in the Rutland and Havana communities for most of her life. She and her husband, George, resided on their farm in Weber Township, where they raised two daughters, Janice & Gail. George died in a traffic accident on Highway #32 back in the mid-1960’s. Alice will be remembered as a plain speaking, sometimes outspoken, observer of the human condition who was not bashful about sharing her sometimes colorful opinions with anyone within earshot. Throughout her life she was a good person who tried to help those who needed help, a truly unique character and source of local historical information whose presence will be missed. The funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, January 31, at the Price Funeral Chapel in Forman. The Rutland community extends its condolences to the Barbknecht family.

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The Rooster Crows – January 25, 2008

On January 25, 2008March 8, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

The stock market was about all that was dropping faster than the temperature this past week. The mercury bottomed out at 20 below on the mornings of Saturday and Sunday, January 19 & 20, but the stock market is still in free-fall with no bottom in sight. When it finally does hit bottom, the impact is likely to send shock waves around the world. The only thing colder than the weather this past week was the reception given to the President’s so-called economic stimulus program, seen as too little, too late and off target, unless you happen to be a major corporation or one of the super-rich, in which case it’s only seen as too little and too late.

Janice Christensen timed it just right this year, as she departed Rutland on Thursday, January 17, bound for Honolulu and a cruise in the Hawaiian Islands just in time to miss the coldest weather of the Winter, so far. Janice was accompanied on the trip by her niece, Janelle Brakke of Fargo. They are scheduled to return to reality on Sunday, January 27. Brad Christensen has been running the shop at the Lariat Bar during Janice’s vacation holiday.

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The Rooster Crows – January 19, 2008

On January 19, 2008March 8, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

The weather and the stock market have both been bouncing around like a yo-yo on a string for the past week, but now it appears that both the weatherman and the stock brokers have made up their minds, sending both into the tank. The mercury hit 15 below zero in Rutland on Monday morning, then topped out at 22 above by Tuesday afternoon before starting a slide into the cellar that is not predicted to stop until it hits bottom at 25 to 30 below sometime this weekend. Well, the weather forecasts aren’t always right, but why is it that they usually miss when they’re predicting sunny and 70, but are rarely wrong when predicting ferocious, frigid and frozen? Ask your stock broker, he’s as likely to have the answer as the weatherman.

Cameron Gulleson, Mark Wyum and Rob Wyum drove down to Texas during the first week of January to discuss contracts for spraying crops in that area with Texas farmers. Cameron and Rob, along with Lance Gulleson and Cody Gulleson, own and operate an agricultural chemical application business, and the boys are looking for a way to keep the equipment rolling year-round. Reports are that the number of acres planted to winter wheat in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas is way down this year due to increases in the acreage going into the production of corn, soybeans and milo. King Cotton in Texas has suffered the same fate as King Wheat in North Dakota. They have both been deposed in favor of a new regime. As a result, there is now a shortage of wheat and the price has soared to stratospheric levels for winter wheat, spring wheat and durum. The price could just as well be $100.00 per bushel, though, because no one has any to sell right now. There is one thing, though, that the American farmer can do better than produce, and that’s overproduce, so just give him a few years with some timely rains and it won’t be long until crop prices are back in the tank with the weather and the stock market, too.

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The Rooster Crows – December 28, 2007

On December 28, 2007March 8, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Life In General, Rooster Crows, Rutland HistoryLeave a comment

The Rutland community received the ultimate Christmas decoration, a snow white blanket, in two layers, a little more than an inch of new snow on the evening of Saturday, December 22, and a light powdering on Christmas Eve, making this a “white Christmas” to match the song. Seeing the temperature rise to the 32 degree mark on Christmas Day didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings, either.

Chuck Sundlie drove up to Rutland on Saturday, but deteriorating weather conditions in the Twin Cities area delayed the arrival of Kim and Aden until Christmas Day. Chuck did some pheasant hunting on Saturday and Sunday, and reports that the birds are quite wild, although one rooster held so tight in the cattails that one of his dogs, unable to flush the bird, finally just picked it up and presented his master with an early Christmas gift, a live ring-neck rooster bagged without firing a shot. Chuck, Kim & Aden expect to remain in Rutland until New Year’s Eve.

Cameron Gulleson, Andrew Hanson, Matt Bosse, Luke Anderson and John Stenvold returned from their Lake of the Woods fishing expedition on Tuesday, December 17. Cameron reports that they caught about 40 walleyes and saugers while fishing through the ice, but the fish did not have much size. He also states that the ice was about 12 inches thick where they were fishing, but there are still large areas of open water on the lake. The boys headquartered out of the Sportsman’s Inn near Baudette MN, and report that their accommodations were excellent.

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The Rooster Crows – December 20, 1999 Addendum

On December 27, 1999March 8, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster Crows, Rutland HistoryLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Here’s a Christmas reminiscence I wrote back in 1999 that appeared in The Sargent County Teller as an addendum to the December 20, 1999 edition of The Rooster Crows.

WAITING FOR THE TRAIN
When we were kids, growing up in a small town in southeastern North Dakota, the rhythm of our lives was governed, to a large extent, by the schedule of the Great Northern Railway Company. Our father, Earl Anderson, was the station agent/telegrapher for the Great Northern in our hometown of Rutland, North Dakota. His schedule was set by the Great Northern and our schedule was set by him. Back then railroad trains ran on schedules, with arrival and departure times calculated down to the minute. Tough conductors like Shag Lehmann and Herb Cochrane would cuss a blue streak if their train arrived in the station as little as a minute or two ahead or behind the scheduled time. Forty-five years ago, you could tell what time it was by the freight train steam whistle or the passenger train air horn as it came into town or departed with a load of freight, passengers, cream cans and U.S. mail. It’s not that way any more. Now, a person can’t even determine the time of the year by the arrival or departure of trains on the Rutland branch line. As Ahrlin Hoffman commented some years ago, “I used to set my watch by the old Great Northern, then, one day, I came into town and discovered I was two months late.”

Back in the 1940’s and 1950’s the trains ran on schedule every day, holidays being no exception, and the men who worked for the railroad were on duty whenever the company said they were needed. As the railroad’s agent and telegrapher, Dad had to be at the depot when trains were scheduled to arrive. Everybody knew the train schedule and, a lot of times, folks would go down to the depot in the evening to “meet the passenger train” just to see who got on and who got off. The arrival of the eastbound evening passenger train from Aberdeen was always looked forward to with anticipation. Everything from freight to passengers to postcards moved by rail in those days and folks were always looking forward to either sending or receiving something.

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