Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-08
CHAPTER IX.
THE New CITY AT TIE CROSSING.

SAAAAA AAS
THE New CITY AT TIE Crossing.
ARLETON CITY was now a
thing of the past. The citizens
camp had been moved to a new
~ location II mile to the north
east. A few log houses had been
built, and many tents were pitched in SYM
metrical rows along both sides of the main
street. This change of location was made
for the same reason that had caused the
railroad company to abandon the line al.
ready being graded to 1.-THE Point" as the
terminus of the line at the river, opposite
Fort Mexican, was called. Owing to the
frequent overtlows of the Missouri, and the
unstable nature of its banks-whole acres
at a time being undermined and swallowed
lip by the treacherous stream--it was
necessary to locate the town on the high
ground back from the river.
DR.. Burleigh, who had the contract to
grade the line to the Point, had taken ad-
vantage of his knowledge of the proposed
location of the new city, and had sent his
brother-in-law, Major Lewis of Yankton,
and several others to locate upon and hold
all the eligible lands in the vicinity Of the
intended townsite. Jacob H0user, a
hunter, and two young men named Miller
and Gilman, who were clerks in the post
traders store of Durfee and Peck at Fort
Rice, had already located claims in the
vicinity of the Henry Suttle farm, where
Dr.. Burleigh's town of Burleigh City after
ward thrived for a time.
The land in this country was the right
tul property of the Sioux Indians. and
until 1t was coded to the government,
settlers could not lawfully locate upon it.
The only claims to title to the land that
we're attainable, were "squatter's rights"
which were always recognized by the
government, when the land was finally
purchased and opened to settlement.
This action on the part of the contractor
I'D the railroad company to change the
place of crossing from Fort Mexican to the
mouth of the Big Hart river, where Man
dan now is.
Here they met the same trouble. Geo.
Seno, assistant engineer of the Northern
Pacific railroad, and his brother James had
run the preliminary line to the river, OPP
losite the mouth of the Big Hart, and the
latter informed parties at the end OF the
completed track, 14O miles east, of the new
crossing to be made at the river. A party
composed of j.. j. Jackman. William
Woods, E. N. Corey and John II. Richards
left Oak Lake early IN the spring of 1872.
passing on the way a party of men under
Col. Smeet, attorney for the Lake Superior
and Puget sound company, who were com
ing to locate upon and hold the lands at
the new crossing for the railroad company.
The Jackman party arrived first, and al
though entirely out of provisions, they did
not rest until they had located the Jack
man claim and n%eighboring lands. Thus
hampered the railway company was again
forced to change the location of its town.
site and the present site of Bismarck was
chosen.
Indeed, with the most generous inten-
lions toward the settlers, the railroad com
pany found itself hampered and harassed
at every turn. The Lake Superior Il Puget
Sound company had been organized as a
branch company to secure title to the lands
desired for townsite purposes along the
route, while the railroad officials attended
only to the survey and construction of the
road. There was lack OF harmony here
from the first in regard to the townsite
The railroad officials, with the exception
Of Gen. Rosser, favored the original line
and crossing at Fort Mexican, while the
LIS. & Z. 8. Co., insisted upon the Location
Of the townsite at it's present location
where they had men employed in holding
it and tue adjacent lands. Gen. Rosser
gave as reasons for changing the place Of
crossing, that the lands around Fort Nc
Kean lay too high, and necessitated toe
steep a grade to ascend, or to descend int
the valley of the Little Hart. Gen. Rosse1
wished to run a straight line, ives
from the river, and in so doini
the Big Hart river was crossed
thirteen times. The bridges for these
many crossings were constructed by hi
two brothers .in-law-Sutt0n and Thomas
W~inston-and their cousin Philip Lewis
who were the bridge contractors on tn
Northern Pacific railroad line.
1t was thought by many that the chang
in the location of the line of railroad wa
not real, but was made to discourage Dr.
Burleigh in his attempt to hold the town
site lands on the original true grade. A
a consequence Burleigh City flourished. d.
Hurleigh gave away lots with a lavisl
hand to all who would agree to live upol
shcm. In the summer of 1872, there wer
wing there Major Lewis, Fred Edgel
George Bellymer, whose wife was cook TO
the outfit, John McCarty, Ed. Donahue,
mar named Waldroif, a half breed colore'
man named Buckner, a white man calle'
Apache Bill" and Joseph Dietrich. am
tMlchael Fellar, who arrived OH the Mine
The preceding June, and a man nance
shannon, who was rcputed to have kille'
a man north of where Oscar Wards plac
now is, and drove his team into town an
sold 1t.
All Of these matters retarded the build
ing OF the railroad and disheartened til
settlers in the new town, many of WHOM
became discouraged and left, and the un