The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-27
A FAMOUS DAK0TAN.
DENNIS HANNiFip, FRONTIER GAM
ElER AND FATHER OF BISMARCK.
EecoIlections Of the Early Days ON the
Upper DIissouri-A Man Who Wore His
Boots at Ills Own Funeral-Character-
ietic Pioneer Generosity.


. Upper SIissouri-A Man Who Wore HI
q Boots at His Own Funeral-Character
istic Pioneer Generosity.
u In Bismarck there still remains one Of th
= old rip rearing gamblers and adventurer
7 who Invaded the virgin pruirie Every on
y knows Dennis Hannidn He Is a north Dakot;
Is institution. A visitor 10 Bismarck might a
n well miss seeing the Missouri as fail 10 NEE
: Hannifin. In him is incarnated the spirit o
the pioneer and Indian days, and be grum
c b.es and frets in his new surroundings AS
c wild deer pines in walled park. And ye
{ be hangs around the spot where his partnel
lies in his grave good square man wh'
] died with his boots on.
j. Hanniin is a tall, tOny man, with an angu
. lar face, keen dark eyes and long fingers
s highly suggestive Of quick dealing. lie has
G a black chin whisker that hangs down peace
e ably when he is calm, but bristles out a.
: right angles In startling way when hc
: grows excited. His dress is very plain, and
Q IA black SLOUGH hat worn IN the regulation
Dakota style marks hun as plainsman.
Hanuiiin Is n mysterious combination of can
, dor aud craft, good and bad, civilization and
I savGgery. His epigrams are sometimes elias
steal. At midnight he may be at a gambling
table and at MONDAY honestly trying to aid
a struggling church out Of slough.
Away back in March, 1873, Hannifn was
located on the Red river, where the town OF
Moorehead is now. /. was known that the
Northern Pacific Railroad company would
soon locate a city on the Missouri river. All
the restless hotspurs and sports were Oh the
. no tt.If .lr- no
exact location Of the future city Of Bismarck
was learned 10y Hannifn and few other
gamblers and adventures. How they got
the news no one knows, but it is the belief
that they tapped the telegraph wires further
east.
Anyhow party started out 10 stake claims
on the spot. They knew that it was on the
east baul; Of the Missouri, close TO the mouth
IT Apple creek AT the same time the rail
aycngiueers were sent out to survey and
lay out Bismarck. 1t was a race, and the
Adventures were determined to beat the en-
gineers. There was snow on the ground and
travelling was difficult The Red river
party had the lightest ponies and reached the
Missouri first They all planted stakes, and
rolling themselves in their blankets lay down
to sleep IL order to establish their right to
the soil as squatters.
Soon settlement grew up mixture Of
/ log cabins ana tents. 1t was right in the
heart Of the hostile Sioux country. and
painted war parties roamed the prairies In
all directions. Standing Rock, the sacred
/ ground, was only sixty miles distant Sit
+ ting Bull, the prophet and medicine man
and Gall the warrior and general, were
names that carried terror everywhere The
men who founded Bismarck were a rude aud
lawlcss band who gambled or traded with
the Indians Those were the times when faro
draw poker aud roulette were in their glory
when "A resident who hated 10 Kill a white
man had occasionally to kill an Indian to
keep himself healthy. All men wore pistols
and knives in their belts. There was no such
thing as farming thought q. Men did not
live on the resources Of the soil, but on govern
mept disbursements for Indian wars.
Many famous adventures gathered in this
rough camp and games were IN full blast
night aud day. California Joe made il his /
headquarters. Among the most noted gam
blers in the place were Dave Muliin and Jack /
O'Neil Mullin was Hanndn's side partner, I
and when he was killed by a soldier from /
Fort Lincoln In dance house Ianniln had I
him buried on the prairie slope close TO where /
the capitol now stands.
"Iie was a square duck and knew his /
rights" said Hannifin, ''as square a duel; As /
ever knew. lie was broad gauge and never
gave up. Dave was a man YOU don't SCI
nowadays and lie wore boots at his own fu.
neral. When I'm lonely 60 to his grave 10
think"
IL la oil sxa STR ha ]
OF the widest spirits fed from the approach
Of civilization as from plague. a few took
up Clusters trail to the newly discovered gold
mines in the Black Hills, but the majority
rctreated into Montana and Wyoming. Still
Bismarck remained a roaring frontier town
and was subject TO bowie knife justice
There were 10 legal hangings and no lynch
lngs. When man was seriously wronged
he killed his enemy. II it was a fair death
and the victim had chance to draw, that
ended It, II not, some friend OF the dead
man killed his slayer. IL was speedy, Wig
orous and beautifully simple system.
Soon the railway brought a second crop OF
settlers and the soil began 10 be plowed.
The Sioux retreated and so did the gambler.
and buckskin swashbucklers Neither could
stand the presence Of an agricultural race
Then came the shopkeepers, the school teach
ers and the newspapers.
When Hanniin ran faro game in a tent
the Rev. Mr.. Bull came TO the settlement TO
preach The old gambler insisted on having
the services IN his tent and the preacher &C
ccpted the. offer. 1t was an odd and pictur-
eSque audience lac addressed, but no one in
terfered for Ilannidn's dark eyes were look
ing on and his six shooter cleaned at a ready
angle. AT the end Of the sermon Dennis took
bis hat and passed it around The sports
filed it almost with poker chips These Han
nifin grayely dumped out before the
preacher.
What are thesef gasped Mr.. Bull.
why, chips, Of course, said Dennis
"But what good are they to mef
what goodi You can play them or cash
them. We run a straight game"
The preacher cashed them for $50, and this
money was the foundation OF the present
Methodist church in Bismarck.
Hannidn went out to the jail to hear two
female eyangelists preach 10 the prisoners
lie seemed to be profoundly moved BIZ the
services, and gazed at one OF tho fair mission
lries in an earnest and wistful way. When
he stopped speaking Dennis arose, and IN a
Toice that betrayed his agitation addressed
Ter.
IL want to ask you one question, Miss IL
aid.
what is it, dear brother, that troubles
our L
The gambler hesitated and seemed unable u
o utter the words that stirred within him. cl
Wont you conhde in mep said the swee.
title preacher. e.
well, what | want to as, you is this. Do
on consider the Louisiana lottery a square "
amer
For a moment the evangelist was tempted
o laugh, but when she saw a pair OF honest
yes regarding her with an intense interest =
be knew the gambler was sincere
NO don't" she sail =,
"A-a-ahl That's iti said he as he heayed
sigh Of relief and sat down ut has beat
&c every time" II
There Is scarcely young lady in Bismarck
no has not at some time got Hannln 10 III
clip her IN some church fair or charitable
ork. His humanity knows no bounds
lpIirrr Itr his frt.fslo