Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-01-20

United States as clerk or deputy in any
Office In the state.
Mr.. NEWMANS bill defining the juris-
dictiOn Of the district court and the powers |
OF the judges thereof.
GOVERNOR OI:DwAY.
The house recessed to hear OK Governor |
Ordway, who was applauded during his !
address and ut its close, and then ad-
!nurncd to meet at II O'Clock noon or the
l7th to vote Tor United States senator.
Mi. OrdWay said it gave him great
pleasure to appear before the house of
representatives for a few minutes and to
contrast the facilities now enjoyed com
pared with those had for the transaction of
business when he became governor in
May, 1880. When lie reached YanktOn he
found q plain one-story building on which
were the words. "Secretary's office" The
first legislature after he became governor
convened i'll the court house, using the
court room for the house of representa-
tiyes and the jury room for the council.
The facilities for board for the members
were no better: The people of Yankton
were assured in my first message that
while J. would not assent to any plan that
would tax the people of the territory for a
capitol building, that whenever any mum
Der OF individuals would present to the
people OF the territory q location and
building, without expense, that l would be
willing to cooperate in taking the capitol
to some other point. These suggestions
were entirely unmatured and when the
second Legislative assembly met we were
worse off than when we met before. We
were denied the court house and were
obliged to fit up some rooms over a whole
sale liquor store or restaurant, and both
large. with narrow front street, with no
committee rooms, and the air in those
rooms in which we convened was sitting.
We had on our hands fifty or sixty insane
people who had been confined in The court
houses and jails in the several counties
their number had increased to about 100.
We then had the Yankton insane asylum
and the penitentiary at Sioux Falls
completed. The members came to that as
sembly determined that they would havea
place to transact business, and a commit.
tee was appointed to visit me. l reiterated
what had said in my message. l said
nothing about it in my second, l assured
them [ stood on the same platform l had
stood on at first. Two. thirds were de-
termined to a some action toward re-
moving the capital and the result was a
bill for that purpose. The members of the
capitol commission were named in the bill
Of that bill 100000 was placed in the
hands of the capital commission, and a
quarter section Of land was turned over to
the state-property then worth $l50.000.
The work went on under great difficulty.
The secretary and treasurer absolutely re-
fused to obey the law, and the only recourse
we had was in the auditor. Under these cir
culMstances we placed the funds in the
banks to the credit of the commission to be
used by them in the construction of the
building. The commissioners were al
lowed 10 per e for expenses, but they
used only 5000 of the $4,000 thus allowed.
The remainder went into the construction
of the building.
The work went OIL and the YanktOn peo-
pie pursued us in the courts and we were
obliged to secure individuals to assist in
contributions. We secured the services of
the present Senator Villas Of Wiscon-
of September. in 1883, and the 10Th day Of
January, 1884, 100000 brick with the re-
Quisite stone, wood and iron was placed OH
the solid foundation, and this building COW
cred in. We had from fifty to seventy
masons at work night and day, the courts
pursuing us in the meantime and men at
Washington saying nothing was done but
the cornerstone laid, and it wa not until
after the roof was on and we presented the
photographs that they abandoned their
talsehOOds.
1 had given my time day and night al
most.
SAooo iA ~ " IuNS ulCtl1 W SldlAu NY
the smaller body to see that they had JUS.
tice. Now the same trOub occurred with
reference to building your buildings. al
though they had their penitentiary AID
their asylum, deaf and dumb institution
and appropriations for an agricultural col
lege. When the SECOND legislature met L
refused to vote 81 for appropriations I'M
less you were treated right. The gentle.
men that were there at the time were men
of nerve II courage. | asked them to
come together and decide and put the bills
together. Those bills were carried through
and your institutions commenced in the
Summer OF 1888 and institutions at Grand
Forks and VermilliOm were included in
this list. We expected to have our uni
versity some where in the center of the
state. ! want to add in this connection
that all this work which was done was
done with economy. There was a certain
sum of money appropriated and provisions
lowed them to build that portion, II that
we should complete whatever was under
taken and have no u~ncOmpleted buildings
on hand. | said, "YOu can have as large a
building plan as you please, and thus the
work was carried on, so that in July, 1884,
ing. we have had all the buildings and the
capitol building completed, we only owed
in bonds 1894 600. Ten per cent warrants
were out, amounting to $194,O0O, but /
turned over to my successor $2OO,OOO to pay
Them"
Now, gentlemen, I have only this to say,
that these matters are something that l
take pride and interest in bringing before
you as some OF the work which came under
my hands: and which 1 hope l may be
pardoned in saying thatl not only gave
my whole time during which men labor,
but it l got five in twenty-four hours sleep
during the time these buildings were
going on 1 did we'll. l wa chairman of
the boards and gave them all my special
attention, 1 looked at all lots and ex-
amined all details of the plans and ap-
proved them, and in many Instances gave
personal attention to all buildings
until completed, and l want to say to you
that whatever l have done 1 done in the
interest Of the people of the territory, and
not cent beyond what l received as my
salary for %gOvernOrship, which was 50, 900,
did ! receive. paid all my W expenses
on this work. l mention this because l
want it understood that in those days we
were anxious to show the people OF this
country and those coming iii that we were
building upOn broad and comprehensive
plans. l want to state in This connection
that during all this period of capitol bust
ness ! gave no advice as to its location. 1
had nothing whatever to do but carry out