Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-10-13

Carrying se5o,Ooo In an Old Trunk Il.
Cart to Winnipeg.

e'AN ~ "NPN
Fl. G. McMicken, agent for the
Great Northern railroad at Winnipeg.
Man, was induced TO tella good story
to a Fargo Argus reporter the other
day:
Mac" as he is Familiarity known in
railroad circles, is Of Canadian birth
and asonof thelate Gilbert McMicken
who acted as assistant receiver gen.
eral on the opening Of Manitoba, and
operated the first land office in Win
nipeg. 1t was twenty years ago,
when, acting under the government
that he had undergone the response
bilitv Of having S25o,0O0 conveyed to
his new seat in,that city from Toronto,
Canada. There being no railroad
transportation farther north than
Moorhead, Mimi, in those days the
dangerous and irksOme task OF over
land travel was necessary. The
money was placed in two large safes
and carried across the wild prairie Of
North Dakota by OK teams. occupying
a period Of three weeks from Moor
head. Those were anxious days for
the ley encouragement, but the
wealth reached Winnipeg unmolested.
That was the first government money
taken into Manitoba. A few months
later ii was found necessary to double
the amount, and the son was given
the authority to transport another
$4,000. He bcthought himself Of a
novel scheme, inaSmuch as he was
compelled to accompany the money,
and purchased an old leather trunk,
in which he deposited the amount,
which consisted Of paper money Of
small denomination, covered il over
the top with some wearing apparel,
and started for Chicago. At Chicago
he found his baggage safe, let it
remain in the depot, sought his hotel
and retired. Thenextd day he checked
it to st. Paul and from there to
Moorhead. Here he took the stage,
and his journey to the north began.
The old trunk was tossed upon the
hind part of the stage along with the
rest, with no fastening, aud away
they went humping Oyer the broad
plains In the early history Of North
Dakota, in which this occurrence
happened, stage robbers and thieves
We're numerous throughout the coun-
try, and almost daily the overland
traveller found himself lined up along
the roadside while the leader Of the
gang deprived him of his possessions
Little did the bandits think, as the
old familiar stage rumbled on its
journey those days, that the old
leather trunk held a fortune in easy
grasp. Dr. the hero OF this little story
would not have told it with so much
merriment. 1t was the careless man
ner in which the transaction was car
ried on that threw of al suspicion
VI its contents. The stage reached
Pembina, near the border line, on a
Saturday morning. Eager to reach
his destination, Mr. McMicken hired
a halfbreed, who was the sole posses
sOr OF a lame broncho and a two
wheeled cart. Seated on the trunk
behind the broncho, and the bronzed
native in the real on foot, the journey
70 Winnipeg was resumed. For
thirty long miles this picturesque
trio logged along in the fashion
described, when at laStthey were met
by a carriage that had teen sent on;
to convey the traveller in. His father
could scarcely believe him so rash a:
TO make the trip a heidi, but Mae
declared that he lost no sleep ovel
the old leather trunk that many
nights stood out OF door on the stage,
which could easily have been pene.
trated by a common jackkaife. 1T
has always been a source Of satisfac.
tion to me-" said he in conclusion.
ito know that l crossed the plains OF
North Dakota with s2j9,00 in cash
locked up in an old leather trunk