Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-06-27
\ Pioneer With a Remarkable His
t0ry-Settled in Dakota
in 1866.
The First Settler in Burleigh County
to Turn a Furrow and Mar
ket a Crop.
Some "reminiscences Regarding Henry
Snttle, Bill Mercer, Joe Dietrich,
ss and Others.
"This Country Is All Right"

Nh BISMARCK, June 22.-[Special.l-One of
&3the most interesting old timers-I have met
34NEthus far submitted to an interview of half
Nan hour to-day. If you are driving some
88##time, 60 down on the old Lincoln road,
4 &turn off just before striking the timber and
/ proceed straight south and you will pass
The home of Mike Fellar; and if you like
Eoses and other'lowers, or enjoy a drive in.
{&aarge timber-cottonwoods three and four
Meet in diameter, and ash, elm and oak
U larger than your body-keep OF south and
|hekoull find 'em. It's too wet now to go on
1.-THE old wood roads, but later III the season
a&this trip will more than repay you.
MIKE TELLER.
% Eyes, Pm All old timer. l was born in
n Luxembourg, Germany, in 1888. Am now
81. Came to America in 1854; went direct
to Muscatine, Iowa. No railroad in Iowa
at that time. Went by boat to Saltwater
in 1856. Began %chopping timber during
the winter in the Wisconsin woods, and
rafting in the summer, and continued
at this until the fall of 1860, when,
being at st. Louis, l with eighty others
went to Island No. SO in the Mis-
sissippi river, near Millikin's Bend, to
cut wood. We contracted to work until
the 1st Of May. 1851. The wa between
the north and south broke out and inter-
fered with our work. We hailed all up
river bound boat and offered wood for
captain having all the wood he wanted
declined it, but offered us transportation to
Cairo-deck passage, of course. He was
short OF %rations, but gave us all he could.
There were 800 on the boat-all bound
north, seeking their homes, by reason of
stop at Helena, and intended to push
through without landing, as she was al
ready overloaded. At Memphis, failing to
stop, the confederate forces fired over the
boat and commanded her captain to lay to
shore. This was done. Many of those
to Cairo - the fare was only So
but we did not have it, and l reshipped for
$15 per month on a down river boat to
New Orleans. On arriving there the war
excitement was intense, and boats
shared in the excitement with all others
and enlisted in the confederate service, in
the Tenth Louisiana regiment, company
FL think commanded by Col. Mirny, a
French resident of New Orleans. The
regiment was ordered to Virginia at once.
" We were placed unuer command of Gen.
McGrudder. Our regiment was in the bat
tie at Battle Church, near Yorktown, at
Dam No.2. At the time the union forces
under Gen. Mcclellan came up we were at
the battle Of Williamsburg, and at Seven
Pines our general, Joe Johnson, was
wounded in this fight and Gen. Lee took
command. Our regiment was on the Skin
mish line until the Seven Days battle. We
i were then in McGrudder's corps. At Mel
vern Hill l was wounded through the
20. hnuya1, or1 xryoo rntsraI Fro,, dat, o.. -
long time. In about a year l was ordered
to Col. Eller's ordinance train and re-
NAMED with him until Gen. Early was
captured by Gen. Custer. This was the
first OF March, 1856. As a prisoner l was
taken to Stanton, Virginia, thence TO Win
to Fort Delaware.
At the end of the war the United States
to st. Louis. Here l enlisted
in the Uuited States service as teamster
and served until the spring of 1866, when
boat, bound for upper Missouri river. l
that was to be seen. The Indians did not
trouble us much. They kept back in the
country. At one time at Rocky Point the
S Ses' Of M" bu SsfSRese cr a's2nen' the 0y riv sns e This
Ri was near where Fort BufOrd was located
Il in after years.
t& / returned and stopped near Lacrosse,
Wis, cutting wood until 1859. l then
shipped again on a boat bound up the Mis-
souri,. In September, 1869, l landed at
Painted Woods, and there met Bill Mercer
and Joe Dietrich.
/ think Dan Williams, the warden, and
Joe Taylor came soon after this. There 1
remained en- cutting and banking wood until
Sibley's island. where Henry Suttle and
Joe Miller hada wood yard. l then looked
up a claim, and on the 18th of February,
1872, l settled on unsurveyed land as a
squatter. 1t proved to be the northwest
quarter of section 20-138-8O. Henry Suttle
Mann and others followed. I had the first
furrow plowed ever turned in Burleigh
county. I paid Ed Donahue Sis to break
two acres, and on this land, through storms
and floods and ice gorges l have lived, al
though l nave ob been taken ken off from the top
times during the spring floods. 1 planted
the two acres to corn and potatoes the first
year. 1 paid Fred Hollembaek, who was
with Bill Shaw and Carthcart in the s'big
tent store" three dollars per bushel for the
seed potatoes. In the summer 1 brought
the corn and potatoes to Bismarck on a
wheelbarrow, and sold them at my own
price. l have never broken more than
twenty acres. This l have planted each
year to corn and oats, potatoes, cabbage
s&sduu OtuoF veKeIaUloS, lOr WHICH Cn6
Afreighters and railroad builders in the
early days made a grand market. Ihave
raised and sold from onel acre 5000 head of
cabbage that would average ten pounds
each. I; sent to the Minneapolis exposition
several very large heads, one that weighed
50 pounds. l did not measure off the
ground, but l know that $50 to 300 bushels
potatoes to the acre have been dug fire.
qnently off one acre Of my land.
Assthe settlement grew more settlers
hi came in and there was great demand for
grain and vegetables for the transient
s# trade, for boats, the army, the Black Hills
trade and the railroad graders and build
ers. The stages left and prices fell. l ex-
peet but 4 living now. l can raise that and
not half try. M %.HG 1sz+E
To tell you all the events of my life in
the lumber region, on. the Mississippi raft
Ing on the islands chopping wood, in the
Confederate army, on the river, up and
down, and while In Burleigh county, would
take 9 long time. Why, Burleigh county
took in everything you could drive over in
twenty, days when / came here. No. 1 an
not and never have been married. It's too
now. 1 hope for good times for all
who stay. It's no use going away. This
country is good enough for Mike Feller.n
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