Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-15

In October we had a stove put up in our
tent. but in windy weather it was impossi-
bic to use it, as the Topping of the canvas
walls and roofs, either pulled out the stove
pipe and filled the tents with smoke, or
lifted the stove bodily from the floor, and
scattered the fire over the carpet. On such
occasions l found refuge in Mrs. Anthony's
warm kitchen and she taught me how to
cook. IL 1 spoiled any of the dishes, l gave
them to the old lady for her boarders, and
my husband wondered at the size of the
commissary bills. At last there came a
snowstorm, IL night, and we were nearly
frozen. Then Capt. Clarke rented DR..
B%urleigh's mess room for quarters for him.
self and DR.. Slaughter, and the warehouse
for the post hospital. The former was a
large double log house, built in the south
ern style, with a floored and rooted space
between. Capt. Clarke soon moved into
his new quarters at the post, and we oc.
cupied the whole house. We had a fine
h0usekeeper then, a mulatto woman,
named Louisa Thompson, but she had a
fault unsupported by us, and after one pay
day at the post, she got drunk and acct
dentally set the house on fire. This was
on November 18th, i'll the midst of one of
the worst blizzards.l had ever seen. We
were glad to run for shelter to Dimmick's
saloon across the street. This was the first
fire in the new city, and the citizens all
turned out and fought it nobly. Co. D
came on the double quick and joined them,
but in that wild storm little could be done
The house burned to the ground. and such
of our furniture as was saved was taken
from the burning building by men who
rushed recklessly through the flames to
reach it.
Sergeant Smith had his hands severely
burned, getting a trunk through a window.
slack" White and Buffalo jack" John
E. WATSON, afterward a magistrate Of the
city, had both taken hold of the window
sash, just before, to wrench it from its
fastenings. 1t turned on a pivot, and they
both turned a somersault backward into a
snow drift. l was greatly touched by the
eagerness of all the people to help us, their
hearty expressions of kindness and mani
fest sympathy. Losses of furniture and
clothing may mean little in the east, but on
the frontier, 200 miles from civilization,
with no means of transportation, such
losses rise to the dignity of a misfortune.
Still there were some vandals in the
town. Among my most valued belongings
that were l0stin the fire was asilver dinner
set, a family heirloom of great value, that
we hoped to recover after the burnt. ruins
of the house cooled off, in a melted state.
Capt. Clarke sent a detail of men next day
to rake them over, but some one had an
ticipated them during the night. The no,
ashes had been thoroughly raked over and
searched, and only a few melted spoons
were found. The parties who did thi:
were found out, but there were no laws
here then, and nothing could be done.
The soldier who had given the liquor tt
the cook was put in the guard house, but
he got out the same night, stole the cap
tain's horse and deserted, but was captured,
| After his discharge in 1878 he was married
to a woman Of the town named Kittie
Ames, an adopted daughte: of DR.. Ames
| ST., of Minneapolis, who came to Bismarck
in 1878 seeking to reclaim her. The soldiers
name was Marsh, with several aliases
Marsh was an exception in co. D, the main
| body of the men being quiet and orderly
| He soon left kittie and went to Montana
where he was hanged for murder.
After the fire we boarded at the Edwin
ton hotel, keptby j. Il. Bailey in partner
| ship with a man named Stockins, who hat
built the house on Third street, on the lot:
now vacant, adjoining Logan's store. Tht
| hotel was a two story. frame, with large
| front room below used as dining room ant
kitchen and family rooms behind. VI
| stairs were two small bedrooms, and
large unfinished front room. We hat
! one of the bedrooms. the other bOarder!
| slept on blankets spread on the floor in thu
two front rooms above and below. James
| Mcbride. now one of Bismarck's mos
wealthy citizens. was then at the hotel
| Among the boarders was John =. Dunn
| afterwards county commissioner and nov
treasurer, who kept a drug store on MAR
street, where Glitschka's building nov
stands, in partnership With. a. Macarthur
An old man named Robert Henry. will
a boy about IL years old was there, will
some teams. Henry afterwards settled OF
a claim on Heart river, near where Man
dan now is. and was found murdered ant
robbed in his shack soon afterward. pre-
sumablysby Indians.
j. S. Warne, afterward engaged in min
ing Ignite and holding a claim west o
Mandan, had just arrived; a man named
Robert Scott. who afterwards kept a livery
stable on Third street, where Slattery'
block now stands, in partnership with }
w, Millett. now of Bismarck, was there
also a telegraph operator. Mr.. Bailey. ant
his son d. 1. Bailey after~ard kept a hard
ware store on Main street, and MIR. Bale!
met a sad death in 1880, by being drowned
in a pool of water while returning from
Joseph Gayton's ranch, some thirty-fv'
| miles south of Bismarck. The Capita
hotel was now completed, and was al
elegant building for that time. We secured
.,,o ,orua front rooms. fitted them up will