As the county became more settled and churches organized, the editor of the Valley City Times had the following suggestion for enlarging the treasuries of any church in need of money:
"Hugging societies should be introduced in churches and the following schedule of prices is advocated; 16 to 20 years of age, 500; from 20 to 25 years, 750; school teachers, 40(t; widows according to looks, from 10$ to $2.00; old maids, 30 or two for 5(D and no limit of time. Ministers are not charged. Editors to pay with advertisements but hot allowed to participate until everyone else is through."
It is not known if any church took the suggestion seriously but a lot of old maids had a hopeful look on their faces for several weeks.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 316