Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-06-27
The Tribune's Correspondent Takes
in a Few Farms Just South
of the City.
The Experience Of Col. McClung and
Mellen Bros. on a Couple Of
Railroad Sections.
The Fred Strauss Land and Robt. Mac
nider's Old Soldier Homestead
Interesting "reminiscences.
A Pointer.

NcoLN, June 15.-[Special. ion leav
ing the comfortable home and kindly, hap
py family of Adam Mann, l began hum
ming an old time school soIg, committed
to memory during the Mexican war:
MY father was q farmer good, with corn and beat
aplenty.
moved, ! hoed, and held the plow, but longed
for one and twenty,
For ! had auitea marshal turned, and scorned
" the lowing cattle.
/ burned to wear a uniform, hear drums and see
a battle.
My birth day came, my father urged, but etoutly
resisted;
My mother prayed, ny sister cried, but off I went
and enlisted.
All this time my sensible native Dakota
mare had kept her mind on business and
her feet in the right trail. This admon-
ished the writer to do likewise and he
turned into the
MELLEN BROTHERS L FARM-Two FINE
SECTIONS.
East and south of Adam Mann's Ian
and cornerlng on each other are sections
Is and q, railroad sections, as will be no
tlced by the odd numbers. This land was
purchased by Col. VIM. McClung, an old
and honored citizen of Ohio, who came to
Bismarck in 1881 or 1882. He paid $4,000
for the 1880 acres and began substantial
improvements thereon at Onee At the
breaking out of the wal for lots and lands
when the battle was raging 6ercely-a
scout from the "valley OF the Jim" saw a
heap big money" IN a quarter section of
this land, and after making a desperate
fight secured 100 acres on section Is
for the modest sum Of 500
per acre-total, SIG, 000-just the
amount McClung paid for the whole
1880 acres. The writer drove the team that
carried the investor to the and when ne
examined it. and while in the carriage,
with our faces toward Bismarck, only W
miles north, the driver made a few re-
marks about the "future great" The team
was ordered to return at once and through
that lightning land manipulation and cash
counter, Harvey Harris, the scout from the
Jim" got what he thought he wanted at
his own figures. Col. McClung and son,
William jr, stuck to the farm and made
extensive, valuable improvements. In this
work later on they were Joined by Richard
and George Mellen, formerly of Pittsburg,
connected with the location or the soil or
enterprise of all these parties, was not sue
e~essfal. They just quietly quit; II I may
be pardoned for the statement 1 will say
that, like hosts of others, this venture was
started at the top-at too high a figure.
prices, with a cautious, painstaking man
agement, will prove a profitable invest
ment. This land is located two miles d.
rectly south of the capital, as the 100 bought
on speculation has been allowed, after a
very large payment down, to 60 back. The
Ao%1l NV nf lovo1 10 I CQ0 o1rnc
Section 15 is on the first bench, with a
gentle slope on the south half, and has the
following Improvements thereon, all in a
good state of preservation, and with slight
expenditure of labor and material
can be made as good as when built: One
rooms; one small one-story residence with
four rooms; both have neat porches and
brick chimneys. All the buildings have
been heavily painted. A very large frame
barn with stall room for twenty-five head
of horses and a loft for twenty-five tons of
but this barn is near 40x1O0 feet. A gran
airy and other small outbuildings; a we'll
of good water, over which is a large wind.
mill and pump in good order setting up.
Close by the barn, facing south, is the
largest stock corral in the county, the sheds
roof of poles to be covered with straw or
hay when IN use. Connected with this is q
pasture of 100 acres fenced with wire. The
top rails on this fence will need replacing,
also some of the posts.
The view from this farm is as broad, va
ried and beautiful as any on the Missouri
river. Fort Lincoln, the river south and
west skirted with timber, the great iron
bridge that crosses the river, all OF the city
north, also the penitentiary, and the gentle
slopes on the east. The surroundings are
all captivating and the joining settlers all
fhof nni,td hc Hpsirpd Nono fon monuf IN
crowd. Section q is bottom land. rich,
durable, and bears naturally hay. On this
section is 100 acres of timber from which
can be had all the fuel, logs, poles, posts,
and trees for characterization that several
Is%5i'es f Hn the is up 7 1spS d Ts9ie
tle plant for the right parties.
HI STRAUSS FARM.
Fred Strauss, early settler, jeweler, far
mer by proxy, and genial, all-round gen.
tleman, has, through the assistance Of a
practical farmer, Mr.. Faulenstine, seeded
part of his quarter on section 10 to wheat,
about go acres. It is in the joint and will
head out in ten days. This piece of land
has been under cultivation many years and
has not lost its strength. Fred gave twen-
ty acres of his quarter toward the capital
encouragement. He was offered by a SYN
dictate of five capitalists $4,000 for the 140
0SASo uAIAAe IN Ah61A kiAC OOOlus LIZ AlAll v
take it. 1t is as good land to-day as then.
It is in the same location, and Fred can
join in the song "There's a good time COM
ing, boys; wait a little longer" with as
much real earnestness as his many friends
and patrons. he has the consolation of
knowing that at all times, in many ways,
he has most literally contributed to the
upbuilding Of Bismarck and its surround
ings. He is here to stay and stands ready
to back his judgment-that Bismarck will
get to the front.
ROBERT M~ACNIDER's OLD SOLDIER HOME.
sTEAD.
Robert Macnider of Bismarck is so well
and ~favorably known that to enter intot b
history of his service to his country at the
period that tried the metal of men-his
early coming to the then-caIled Missouri
river crossing-his life as leading mer-
chant, shipper and contractor-his expert
ence and experiments, at farming in an ex-
tensive manner, in company with John A.
Mclean, on the Stark farm-his settle
ment on the soldiers homestead n i'm
provements thereon, would require more
space in the paper and more time to the
writer than the history of any Of the early