San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-29
A FAMOUS DAKOTAN.
DENNIS HANNlFIN, FRONTIER GAM
BIER AND FATHER OF BISMARCK.

Recouections of the Early Days on the
Upper Missouri-A Man Who Wore His
Boots at His Own Funeral-Character-
istic Pioneer Generosity.
In Bismarck there still remains one Of the
old rip roaring gamblers and adventures
who invaded the virgin prairie Every one
knows Dennis Hanniiin. He is north Dakota
institution A visitor to Bismarck might as
well miss seeing the Missouri as fail to meet
Hannltin In him is incarnated the spirit OF
the pioneer and Indian days, and he grum-
bleS and fretS in his new surroundings as a
wild deer pines in a walled park. And yet
he hangs around the spot where his partner
lies in his grave-a good square man who
died with his boots on.
Hannin is a tall, bony man, with an angu-
Lar face, keen dark eyes and long fingers,
highly suggestive of quick dealing He has
a black chin whisker that hangs down peace
ably when he is calm, but bristles out at
right angles in a startling way when he
grows excited His dress is very plain, and.
a black SLOUGH hat worn in the regulation
Dakota style marks him as a plainsman.
Hannitin IS a mysterious combination OF can
dor and craft, good and bad, civilization and
savagery. His epigrams are sometimes clas-
steal At midnight he may be at a gambling
table and at monday honestly trying to aid
a struggling church out Of a slough.
Away back in March, 1873, Hannifin was
located on the Red river, where the town of
Moorehead is now. 1t was known that the
Northern Pacific Railroad company would
soon locate city on the Missouri river. All
the restless hotspurs and sports were on the
lookout for news of the site. Suddenly the
exact location of the future city of Bismarck
was learned by Hannifn and a 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 to stake claims
on the spot They knew that it was on the
east bank of the Missouri, close to the mouth
OF Apple creek. At the same time the rail-
way engineers were sent out to survey and
lay out Bismarck. 1t was a race, and the
Adventures were determined to beat the en-
gneers. There was snow on the ground and
travelling was difficult. The Red river
party had the hghtest ponies and reached the
Missouri first. They all planted stakes, and
rolling themselves in their blankets lay down
to sleep in order to establish their right to
ZIG Bull NJ SquhLItTS.
Soon settlement grew up, mixture Of
log cabins and 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 and
lawleSs band who gambled or traded with
the Indians Those were the times when faro,
draw poker and roulette were in their glory;
when u resident who hated to kill 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 CT Men did not
live on the resources of the soil, but on govern
ment disbursements for Indian wars.
Many famous adventures gathered in this
rough camp and games were in full blast
night and day California Joe made it his
headquarters. Among the most noted gam
blers IN the place were Dave Mullin and Jack
O'Neil Mullin was Hannifin's side partner,
and when he was killed by soldier from
Fort Lincoln in dance house Hannifn had
him buried on the prairie slope close to where
The capitol now stands.
HE was a square duck and knew his
rights, said Hannif'', las square duck as /
10 - CostEus,lI