Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-07-14

the carpenters OF the town. Dutton chai.
lenged John Stoye!l to fight a duel. As
the challenged party. John claimed the
right 10 choose the weapons, the time and
place and concluded to lick him on the
spot and did. Dutton was his best friend
afterwards. and wanted the TRIBUNE to
publish his card telling the people what a
fool he had made Of himself.
The first church service was held in a
tent which stood on the ground where
Mclean n Macnider's store aIterward
stood. Deacon Adams, Harry Douglas,
Deacon Mann and myself We're the first
members OF the Presbyterian church at
Bismarck. | think Mann WAS the fourth
member. l am certain about the other
three. Every saloon in town closed during
the church hour. and no New England vii
lage every showed greater respect for the
sabbath than was shown during that hour
oy all elements OF Bismarck. Rev. Mr..
Lyon, Of St. Paul. aud Rev. l. 0. Sloan
were present. The tent vas erected for
gambling purposes but never used.
They opened up again after church was
over and Jordan wrote the sensational
account of the first sermon in Bismarck
which Stanley Huntlev immortalized in
~Spoopendyhe. Huntley represented the
game as continuing during the sermon aud
a collection taken up in chips at its close.
When turned over to the good man. and in
reply to his anxious inquiries it was said
he was informed he could cash them or
blow them i'll. That was fiction. The
truth is as above given. Benjamin. of St.
Paul. owned the tent.
There We're many Catholics in Bismarck
III those days and no priest. but Mr.. Sloan
was so generally respected by all classes
that he was liable to be called upon in the
last hours by Catholics as we'll as Protest
ants. and was SO called at one time, |:
Was from this that he came to be called
Father Sloan. and no matter how much
he protests that such is not a proper desig.
nation TOR a Protestant minister the people
still style him .Father Sloan" a, a tuse,
Of their affection.
There are >evera! first copies Of the Bis.
marck TRIBUNE. but the first copy which
came from the press was taken possession
OF by Charlie Lombard. now dentist in
Montana. then the foreman. Mark Kellogg
WIG was killed in the Custer massacre,
had me second copy. Van Etten also had
one OF the first. The paper sold at ten
had an immense subscription list and was
quoted more than any other paper on
earth so far as its editor could know.
II was the first paper published in North
DAKOTA. An issue of a paper was gotten
out at Glyndon and dated at Fargo before,
afterwards the Fargo Express was estab-
llshed and was finally merged into the
49, A1'ueS' anu tulouRu q course OF
evolution, in which the original species
became practically extinct, became the
Fargo Republican. but the TRIBUNE fur
nished it some of the type on which its
hTSt edition on Dakota soil, was printed.
Geo. Walsh was running a democratic
paper at West st. Paul in 1872 and had also
been on the sam. line at New UIm but
came to Grand Forks in time to establish
the second newspaper in the state, but
none but the TRIBUNE can 90 back to the
twenty-year point.
In its columns will be found the best
early history Of the state, the first settle.
ments, aside from the trading settlements
in the Red River valley are mentioned in
ITS columns. also the FIRST breaking and
first products.
l broke ten acres at Bismarck in 1873
and paid $40 an acre for the breaking.
Oscar Ward had a ranch at Apple Creek.
While We were making ready to print the
frSt issue of the TRIBUNE, the surveyors
started out on the Heart to locate the ex-
tension OF the Northern Pacific from Bis.
marck west. They were attacked by In.
dams on the ground where Mandan stands
and they ran and left some of the lnstru-
ments in the field. The Indians were at
tackled by the troops from Fort A. Lincoln
and seven were killed. We got on top Of
buildings and saw the fight from Bismarck.
Harry CarhoOt killed seven elk one day
On Apple creek on what is now the Stark
farm. and a buffalo was killed one morn
ing in the immediate vicinity Of town.
Dan Maratta was captain Of the May
kountz. She broke a shaft one day on the
upper Missouri and Dan paid a Coulson
boat a heavy sum TO pull her out of diff.
Guilty. The commodore kicked and Capt.
Dan left his employ and became the
superintendent of the rival line, and by
ms shrewdness got away with the con-
Slippery Dan" Kountz was practically
driven out Of the river by Dams shrewd-
ness. Mrs. Deacon Mann kept the board
ing house. The best the market afforded
was always supplied and she was as good
as it was possible for a woman to b.. but
A-unty Harris was secured by the club to
run a mess for them, and most of her best
boarders left her and she g:ieved herself
to death owe it. There was a military
camp at Bismarck. DR.. Slaughter was the
contract physician but was succeeded By
DR.. Porter. The Capito! hotel, run BY
Russ Marsh, was the Leading hotel. The
st. James on Fourth street, in which Nc
kenzie was interested, was a popular place
but Griffin had the biggest run Of boarders.
Iom McGOwan's old Dakota house was
also a popular house and made money
Men cams and men e nt,prOspered or failed
and the TRIBUNE gave a faithful account
of their doings bnt never spoke Of any
mans shortcomings III malice Or to do
him injury. Often the mantle Of charity
was thrown over him, and many a one
has been encouraged by its kindness. 1t
has never missed an issue. There are
some spotted pages during its early life,
and its size varied with the fortunes OF the
town, but it has always stood as a champion
of Bismarck and OF its interests, and l re.
joice that it was my fortune to be identi-
FED with the first paper published in our
proud young state. and that that paper
haslived and is likely to live as long as
any interest of the state shall survive.
In another column will be found
few interesting items gathered from the
first issue Of the first newspaper estab
lished and printed in North Dakota
the Bismarck TRIBUNE Of July IL, 1873
THERE is an increasing sentiment O
co information among the citizens of tn,