By: Stan Jordan
We are talking about some of Antwerp’s old businesses that are still operating. This week we are talking about what I always called the Antwerp Elevator. In 1886 Bruce Ely purchased an interest in the elevator and together with C.A. Bissell conducted the firm known as Ely & Bissell dealers and Grain and live stock. In 1900 this firm was sold to the Peoples Elevator Co. Two blocks on west of the elevator was a couple corrals and some loading pens to put the cattle in box cars and ship them out. These pens and the docks lasted till about 1940. If you will notice, the original elevator was already in business before 1886. I don’t know much about that. Sometime after 1900 the elevator was sold to a group of area farmers and the name was changed to the Antwerp Equity Exchange Co. The following is their ad published in Mr. Ehrhart’s book 100 Years of Progress 1841 until 1941. Pete Schmunk Jr., was 
manager. “In business here for about 50 years. Dealers in grain, feed, coal, seeds and fertilizer.” That was in 1941. In 1951 business had increased so much they started to build those silos for grain storage. Over the years they added a few more until now there are 11 silos. Shortly after the turn of the century business had increased and more storage room was needed, so they had the first metal storage bin erected. That worked out pretty well and the second metal bin was erected. The elevator has storage room for over a million bushel of grain. In a good season, they need all of that room. Business has been good and the Antwerp Equity Exchange merged with Mercer Landmark, an area conglomerate. It was a good move for both parties. As I understand, this branch of Mercer Landmark does well over twenty million dollars of business each year. But to me, it will always be the West Elevator. See Ya!
When is Easter?
By: Stan Jordan
If you let it throw you, the placing of Easter is a hop-scotch way of arriving at a date. My co-worker, Jarrison, tells me that Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Equinox. Now that might be official, but it is not the way Caleb Martin figures Easter Sunday’s coming. Now Caleb lives high in the hills around Hell For Certain, KY. On March the first he started to make a few gallons of White Lightening. Now without any interference from the revenuers he figures the mash will be ready in 47 days and that will be April 16th. The officials are right, the 16th of April will be Easter. Caleb’s new batch is just like the one just finished. Now the way Caleb figures his Easter date was, he is cooking off 23 gallons of corn mash and that 23 gallons makes 92 quarts of Caleb’s Special, if he and Bessie drink 2 quarts a day, they will be out of squeezings in 46 days or Easter on April 16th. He figures if the kids come home for Easter there will be a lot of joy for everybody. See Ya!
Sam Rivers, Indian Agent Chapter 25: Winter Update
By: Stan Jordan
Well, it has been quite a winter. I haven’t written for months, so I will try to catch you up on the situation around here. All the people left in the first part of last December. Callie and I have been alone here and it is April the 10th 1853. This is a beautiful spring day. We were alone for Christmas. We just strung some red maples around the door. Along in January, Rooster rode in for a welcome visit and to see how things were going. But he also had a note from General Kearney, asking us to come to the Fort in February, to celebrate one year as Indian agent. He had some quarters arranged for us. Well, we hitched up our team to the wagon, and drove down the trail over to the fort on the second day as usual. We had a big dinner in the mess hall with everyone present except those men on guard. General Kearney read aloud all of our accomplishments for the year. He mentioned all of the soldiers, and the four boys who worked for us, the engineer co. plus Lieutenant Morgan. He was very proud of what we did as the idea is to get the natives over to our side and to live like we do if they wish. Well, so far, the Lakota nation enjoy our way and they are learning fast. We give them tools and advice and even help them do things easier, but we never push them on anything. The General even mentioned the foot race between Rooster and Deerfoot, which ended as each boy winning a race. He gave a lot of credit to the four boys who plowed up our garden area, and then prepare for next year’s garden. He then said, “When the springtime comes, those four boys will be sent to the agency again, because they know and understand what’s to be done. But, besides that, White Elk asked for them back.” That right there is a good recommendation. General Kearney even displayed our totem—how good it is and how we got it. After talking about Billy Metzger and his mother and the wagon train, he read a letter he had received from Billy. Billy is a sophomore at the University of Missouri, ROTC as a veterinarian. The General had a lot to do to get Billy into that program, but it has turned out very good. Billy said his grades are good, he has a little trouble with math, but he is doing better than he was. He does a lot of actual work on the animals. The professor in that department actually relies on him. He said a lot about his folks on up in Hood River, Oregon. They are well in health and financially. The apple business is very good and the cider business and all the sidelines. The oldest daughter, Margo, is about to get her degree as a CPA. She has her own business in Hood River. She does her folks book work and helps with selling of products. Mazie lives at home, goes to high school, and is the pusher of the business. All are respected in town and in church. I guess Dad still owns over a hundred acres of good timber trees and a number of buyers are after the lumber. The letter also said he misses everyone and to show this letter to Sam. Well, the party broke up and new guards were sent out and the old guards came in and had supper. The post blacksmith came in and said, “It’s starting to snow.” And if he knew anything about clouds, we might be in for a “big blow”. It snowed and then snowed some more. There was quite a bit of wind also. Well, we stayed in the Fort for about a week. We were called down to post headquarters a couple of times, and talked to the General about how we were doing the job, how we were gaining on the language and trusting the Indian, and them trusting us. He was pleased with our answers and the job we were doing. Well, we are back at the agency now and it is the middle of April, it will soon be gardening time. Next week, we will be very busy. I will write more then. See ya!
By: Stan Jordan
These fine pictures of the Snowy Owl were given to me by my co-worker, Crystal, who got them off of Wikipedia.
This owl is a large white owl of the typical owl family. The male is almost all white except for a few small dark spots. The female, as you can see, has a lot of dark feathers and when she flies the underside of her wings are really dark. Both types have yellow eyes.
Male Owl
Snowy Owls are native to the arctic region in North America and Eurasia. They are heavily feathered all the way down their legs to their claws. Juvenile owls have black feathers until they turn white. This owl is a ground nester that predominately hunts rodents.
Some of the larger prey includes hares, muskrat, marmots squirrel, rabbits, prairie dogs, and moles. They also prey on partridges, ducks, geese and song birds and other game, including other owls. Most of their hunting is the sit and wait style, prey may be caught on the ground or in the air. They can
Female Owl
often catch fish off the top of the water with their claws.
Snowy owls like other carnivore birds, swallow their small prey whole. Their stomach juices digest the flesh while the bones, teeth, fur and feathers are compacted into little round pellets that the bird regurgitates about 24 hours later.
Although Snowy Owls have few predators, the adults are very protective of their young. During the nesting season, the owls regularly defend their nests against Artic foxes, corvids and swift-flying jaegers; as well as dogs and gray wolves.
As a rule the Snowy Owl build their nest on the ground, usually on a knoll where the winds keep the snow blown away and they can see the bare ground.
The male owl can be from 28 – 30 inches in length and the wing span might measure 45 – 48 inches.
The Snowy Owl is a very big bird and I’m always glad to see them.
See ya!
