Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-04-06

P"eoou tLiouSu HIS tnlkH. "neIl COlu luaC
it was a flesh wound and not dangerous
he arose and limped nimbly away.
Among the women of the dissolute class,
Sally O'Neil, "Jack's woman" as she was
called, had the reputation of being one of
the most hardened and viscious. | found
her n day in my husbands Office, a
broken hearted creature, dying of con-
sumption, sorely %repentant, loathing her
evil surroundings and most anxious to
help the younger women to escape from
their unhappy life. She had come to see
me about Kittie Ames, whom she de-
scribed as an admirable and accomplished
girl, and whom she thought could be re-
claimed from her evil life and restored to
her friends. l wrote at her request to
Kittle's adopted father, DR.. Ames of Min
neapolis, and he came, but though the girl
seemed penitent, she refused to go with
him. Sallie O'Niel died soon after, and l
believe her repentant tears were not dis
regarded.
Another poor little creature, who had
my earnest sympathy, was a girl about 20
years Of age, who in the rude v%ernacular
of the saloon was called 'Short and Dirty"
She was afflicted with the nervous disorder
known as "St. Vitus Dance,' and 1 saw
her often at my husbands office. Ii ever
the sufferings OF a human creature ap-
pealed to feeling hearts for sympathy her
condition certainly did. She was at last
reclaimed and sent back to her old home
in the east.
Eastern people have often asked of me,
Were you not afraid of all these rough
people in that wicked town." Let me
answer that l was at first more afraid
of the trontiersmen that l met at Anthony's
on first reaching there, and OF good old
Father Anthony himself, than l was of the
Indians. But [ early learned my mistake
and now | am proud to say that in all the
years that 1 looked out on the lawless
community l never received %discourtesy
or treatment that could be construed into
an insult, but from n man, and he was
not a citizen OF Bismarck. He was a min
lister Of the gospel. He was an inspector
of the United States government, en- route
to visit the Indian school at Fort Berthold.
1t was my custom every day, except
mail days, to ride on horseback, going out
OF town a little ways. then coming back to
town, ride past my house so that in case
persons came to the Office, l could stop and
wait upon them. One day as l rode by 1
saw a we'll dressed, ministerial looking
gentleman mailing letters at the door, and
checking my horse, I looked back at him
over my shoulder to see what ne did. If
he went into the Office, l should lave to
dismount and wait upon him. II he
merely mailed his letters and went away, 1
could continue my ride.
This action perfectly natural and inno-
cent, when understood, was wholly miscon-
strued by this unprotected stranger in a
wicked town. He waved his handkerchief.
l stopped my horse and stared il blank
amazement. he kissed his hand with a
pleasing smile-I rode back to him and
said pleasantly, IL am the postmistress.
My husband is in his Office next door. If
you have business in the p~ostofice he will
be happy to come and wait upon you"
The reverend gentleman did not lave bust
ness in the postofice. Nor did he wait for
my husband to come and wait upon him.
He went back up town at an astonishing
gait. The clerk of the Capital hotel came
down after his mail and we saw him soon
after in a hack going to the landing to take
the boat to BerthOld. That is the nearest
l ever came to being insulted during three
years service as postmistress in "the
wickedest town in America"
In September, a party of surveyors made
their home in Bismarck, while surveying
the civil townships in the twenty.mile limit
along the line OF the Northern Pacific rail-
road, and in which they we're granted all
the odd numbered sections Of land. This
limit was afterwards increased to forty
miles. They sent in every two weeks for
the mail. In December, 1873, the plats
were filed in the United States land office at
Pembina, and the land opened for settle
ment. All persons holding claims near
Bismarck, and all the claimants to the
Bismarck TOWNSHIP set out for Pembina
overland in the freezing cold, anxious to
be the first to make filings.
There was sometime several claimants to
oA1O oou1O oldCV,nuu d lltlulUcI u Splrlbcu con-
tests were made between settlers and the
agents of the L. So p S. Co. In most
cases they had "their labor for their painsD
for the register wholly failed to keep any
record OF the filings made, and his sue
cessor in the office found that he had never
entered in his books any record OF any en-
tries made in the Bismarck district. The
receiver of the office at the same time
pocketed all the money received for the
entries of land offered for the Bismarck
district, and the money paid for flings-S4
for each presumption claimant of 100
acres was a complete loss to those who paid
it.
In September, owing to the failure of
Jay Cooke & Co, financial agents of the
Northern Pacific Railroad company, great
financial depression fell upon all the
Northern Pacific country, and put an end
for the time beingi to all operations in the
way of railroad building in the north west.
All business enterprises in the new city
were temporarily paralyzed and many
good citizens gave up their investments,
and removed from the town. On Novem-
Der 1st the trains on the Northern Pacific