9/2/2004:
The Bisbee Gazette published a story about an event that took place, on this date in 1911, titled “Finlander on the Warpath.” The article read, “Saturday evening a bunch of Finlanders loaded up on snoose and Hofman drop and then started in to carve each other in the usual way among those fellows. The affray took place in the alley in back of the telephone central office about ten o’clock in the evening and came near ending fatally for one of the participants. One fellow had several gashes cut about his head and neck,” the story read, “(with) one being within a half inch of the jugular vein. Nightwatch Hanlon happened to be near when the affair started and soon had the knife artist under arrest.”
The story went on to say, “Judge Durston communicated with the states attorney and the fellow was to have had his hearing Tuesday, but when Hanlon went to feed his prisoner Monday morning, the cell was empty. A broken lock told the story of the fellow’s getaway. The lock was but a flimsy affair and the fellows who lent their assistance found but little trouble in smashing it and liberating the prisoner.
“It is said,” the article continued, “that the row started over a refusal of the injured man to buy more Hofman drop for his companions. According to his story he had bought 2 bottles during the day and they had made a concoction of the drug, snoose and water and had all gotten beastly drunk or crazy and when he refused to buy again the butting began.”
Finland had gone through a rough time in previous years, suffering famine, persecution and pressure to join the Russian army. During the 1800s, many immigrated to other countries. In America, many found jobs as miners, because Finns were known as hard workers. It wasn’t surprising, then, that Finns were resentful and agitated when they were paid less than American-born workers. As the 19th century blended into the 20th, a number of these miners moved to an area on the North and South Dakota border that includes Ellendale in Dickey County.
Prejudice toward Finns over here carried over from the old country. Other Nordics didn’t understand the Finnish language, and many considered Finns to be Mongolians. Also, the Finnish settlers’ belief in co-ops led many to consider them socialists or communists. North Dakota Swedes and Norwegians said Finns were clannish, drank too much and liked knives. Finns drank no more than other Scandinavians; in fact, they formed their own temperance movements here. Yet, prejudice toward Finns can be seen in the story from Bisbee, which ended with, “On the whole this kind of harvest hand laborers seem to be of the most undesirable kind. They don’t seem to care to work or if they do they’ll work but a day or two then come to town and loaf.”
Getting back to what got the Finnish harvesters in trouble... Hofman drop or Hoffman’s drops. Norwegian Ole Rynning wrote an emigration guide in 1838 titled “True Account of America for the Information and Help of Peasant and Commoner.” In case of sickness during the voyage over, Rynning recommended taking along brandy, vinegar, several bottles of wine, raisins and prunes, sulpher powder, ointment for “the itch” and... Hoffmans drops. Hoffmans drops, along with hard liquor, was a popular contraband often used to sweeten the deal in reindeer trading.
What were the drops made of, you ask? Ether: the anesthesia once used to put people under prior to surgery.
Dakota Datebook written by Merry Helm