It’s been said that facts can be stranger than fiction. The following stories published in the past seem to authenticate that premise. These accounts were found in the newspaper archives in the Pioneer Museum, some accounts are from Martin County and others are from other parts of the country. Sources include the Fairmont Daily Sentinel, the San Bernardino County Sun in California and a book entitled “Interlaken Park” by T. J.Arneson. These accounts seem to support the assertion that facts can, in fact, be stranger than fiction. Some of these stories, however, may beg the question, “Does this really need to be reported?” Maybe, or maybe not, but they might lighten and brighten the day for those reading the newspapers.

Lenny Burton, noted colorful character from Martin County’s past in Fairmont, once raised corn-fed bears to compete with turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners. Burton, who obtained his bears from Canada, said bear meat tastes somewhat like pork, only better. He would ship a 300-pound bear cub, hide and all, for $0.30 per pound.

The following account, reprinted from the November 27, 1935, edition of the San Bernardino County Sun in California stated the following about Burton’s proposal:

“Corn-Fed Bears Offer Competition To Turkeys for Thanksgiving Feast”

“(By United Press) FAIRMONT, Minn., Nov. 26. Young, corn-fed bears tonight offered competition to the turkey’s ancient and royal reign over Thanksgiving Day feasts. The bears are raised by Lenny Archer-Burton of Fairmont. He feeds them acorns and corn so that they will be fat, juicy steaks and roasts. He hopes that eventually they will become popular for holiday dinners. For a quarter of a century Archer-Burton, whose letter-heads announce he comes from “-a castle on the Rhine to a log cabin in Minnesota,” raised bears. This year he has shipped them from coast to coast for holiday trade. “Good roast bear Is a succulent meat,” he explained. “It tastes something like pork, only better.”

According to an August 16, 1916 story and the book, “The Story of Interlaken Park,” by T. J. Arneson, in the summer of 1916 two ostriches arrived at the Interlaken Zoo that Burton had purchased for $125 each. Although not full grown, they stood over six feet tall and weighed 300 pounds each. Burton also described them as having, “voracious appetites.” It seems that they had a particular affinity for dandelions and therefore kept the Park’s lawns free of the pesky yellow flowers. However, a problem soon developed. One day, as they were being transferred to another area of the park, they made an escape and waded out into Amber Lake. Burton, obviously concerned about their safety, came up with an ingenious plan to capture the Ostriches. He waded out to them with a pair of empty sacks. When each bird peered into one of the sacks out of curiosity, Burton tied the sacks onto their heads and led the blindfolded birds back to shore. They were safe at last to continue to quell their appetites by “munching” on dandelions.

ABOVE: Interlaken Ostrich, courtesy of T. J. Arneson, The Story of Interlaken Park

An October 27, 1923, story was entitled “Divorced From Bathless Wife.” The story told of an advertisement salesman who had been trying in vain for eleven years to induce his wife into taking a bath. He finally gave up and went to court over the matter. He told the judge, “Nellie and I were married Christmas day, 1898,” said Arnold, “and we lived together until 1909.” “. . . . . she never took a bath in her life.”

“That’s enough,” said the judge. “You get a divorce.”

An August 28, 1922, story was entitled “Jobs Scarce in City; Young Couple Spend Honeymoon in Box Car.” The story described a newlywed couple, ages 21 and 18, from outstate Minnesota arriving at the Minneapolis Employment Bureau. Their secretive marriage was not well accepted by the bride’s parents. Consequently, the young couple decided to make their way to Minneapolis via a train boxcar with only $0.40 cents to their name to begin their married life in search of employment. As the old adage states, love conquers all.

A story entitled “Price of Subscription? In 1874 – 5 Skunk Skins.” Early subscribers at that time to the Sentinel often paid in commodities. Examples of payment then included wood, hay, fish, honey, cabbage and more. The following are what would be equal to $1.50, the first-year cost of a Sentinel subscription: 15 dozen eggs; 15 pounds of butter; 35 pounds of mutton; 10 choice or 15 good muskrat skins; and five choice skunk skins. Hopefully, the news acquired from their subscriptions was worthy of their commodity paid.

In October of 1923 Sheriff Carver and a squad of deputies with guns drawn interrupted an illegal game of “Poker-Craps” in Fairmont. Described as a “complete clean up,” since the element of surprise caught the gamblers “red handed!” The thirteen guilty individuals paid fines of $10, except for an underage “kid” who the judge further questioned. Excuses were quite wide and varied. A farmer pled guilty, but claimed that he only stopped to deliver three dressed chickens to the owner of the establishment. A truck driver claimed that he was just looking on but “might as well plead guilty with the rest.” A laborer claimed that he had simply gone up to the rooms to see a fellow that owed him money. The previously mentioned youth, a boy of eighteen from Armstrong, Iowa, with a “thoroughly rotten reputation” was the last man called to night court. The judge stated that it appeared he didn’t even wear “men’s clothing” and would like to take him over his knee and give him the “glad hand across his backside.” Other excuses followed, but to no avail. As it has been said many times, crime does not pay.

A November of 1947 story was entitled, “Bandits Make Sweet Haul.” It told of a trucker hauling sugar who was flagged down by a bystander informing him that his truck was leaking sugar. The driver quickly jumped out of his truck to see what was wrong. To the driver’s surprise, he was immediately met by the bystander accompanied by two accomplices with guns drawn. They then proceeded to hijack the load of 8,500 pounds of sugar leaving the truck driver stranded alongside the road. Not exactly a “sweet” deal for the trucker, and what would thieves possibly do with a truck load of sugar.

A November 12, 1953, article entitled “Oh! Those Big Burly Thumbs Cause Trouble” reported about Fairmont Township’s four-time recount of the prior evening’s election. The pollsters for Fairmont Township were all male with that “certain type of big burly thumbs that forced the boys to recount their votes four times before coming up with the official answer. One of the pollsters said, “Ballots were thinner this year and maybe the women can count them faster but with those big thumbs we have to make sure.” At least they didn’t “thumb their nose at the results of the election!”

For more information on this topic, or to become a member, visit the Pioneer Museum in Fairmont or its website at www.fairmontmuseum.com.

ABOVE:: Lenny Burton.