Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-01-26

town az tho crossing of.the Missouri and ending
about 1872. The early history edisstto ended With that
CHAPTER xii. 81.
EVENTS tn EDwINToN.
- n Sept. "a, 1872, an important
event occurred that was chron-
icled in my letter Of September
~ 18th, to the st. Paul Pioneer, as
follows: af>Ss
IAN eventful day in the history Of Ed
winton. The long threatened 'whiskey
order was put into operation and the
sword Of Damocles SO long suspended over
the doomed heads OF Its whiskey drinking
.denizens fell with. a crash and cut off their
supply Of benzine. IN obedience to orders
from department headquarters at st. Paul,
based N the law fOrbidding the importa-
ton and sale OF liquors in the Indian coun-
try, the military made a descent at day
break upon the various saloons of the city
and c0nfscated the entire stock of liquors
found therein. Some of the dealers lost
heavily, but all submitted to the inevitable
with good grace and great good humor. A
few of the wise ones, however, being fore
warned were likewise forearmed, and their
stock of spirits was long before spirited
away to a place OF safety, leaving but an
innocent array of empty jugs and demi-
johns to confront the invading army.
Some Of the scenes enacted on that mem
orable occasion were truly %laughable.
Thirsty souls whose matin 0risins f0r
years had arisen with the incense of the
brandy bottle, strolled forth in unsuspect-
ing innocence to claim their accustomed
morning constitutional, and unable, with
their strongest mental effort, to estimate
at once the full force Of the calamity that
at one fell swO0p had 0vertaken them, dis
tributed themselves in little groups around
the corners, and with owl like faces dis
,cussed, with becoming gravity, the ill
timed event. Bewildered old topers with,
canning mouths and disheveled hair, issu-
ing from their overnight haunts, were hor.
i1or stricken at the dread announcement,
and melancholy marked them for her own.
With many wry faces and uncouth grim
ares, they continued to swallow an ounce
Of SO Of the muddy compound known as
Missouri river water, and the expressions
Of deep.toned disgust as they choked down
the unaccustomed beverage, were ludic-
ous in the extreme. 3
"A gigantic rush was then made on the
stores for the fiery liquid yclept "pain-
Killer the chief ingredient of which is
supposed to be alcohol in its pure state.
The result, however, was not gratifying.
The mis-named .:pain-killer" proved to be
pain producer on an extensive scale, and
differed from its kindred champagne" Dy
furnishing an ache of the genuine sort. In
deed more than one of the newly created
and unwilling sons of temperance were
led before the day was over to suspect its
identity with the long ago, famous STOOL
killer" the mysterious bugbear of their
boyhood. a counter rush was then made
on the doctor, and devious dollar prescrip-
tions, for one ofthe chief. ills that flesh is
heir to, went off like hot cakes, to the in
tense, satisfaction Of that worldly-minded
gentleman. Truly sits an Ill. wind that
blows nobody good" and should our ILL
fated, town recover from this stunning
blow, the whisky trade from this impetus
thus acquired, will probably supplant all
other interests for years to Gomez 9.es4s ny
Alas, I fear l was a true prophecies!
YetsSwas I not q faithful historian, mas.
much Us my pen was discreetly silent as to
the trainsof events that led to the issuance
of the famous ,s1Whiskey order" Ehe
licensed post tradersin the army alone had hld
authority, to sell manufactured goods in
the Indian country. Many Of them had
purchased their appointments. Others had
Influential friends at Washington. I'm
patient at. any encroachment upon their
p~rerogatlves they resolved to put q stop to
the illegal sale Of whiskey, so as to retain
. monopoly q, the same. 4 4. .5s,, "a
Secretary OF War elknap had q personal
and peclinliarylint ter in the western post
traderships, but the administration could
not afford to- antagonize the whisky inter
tests, represented by the wholesale dealers,
SWh0s,had sent the goods to be retailed in
hse,,sflInidianss. country. Some scapegoat to
sbearstthe blame must be fonnd, to shield
The. administration, and yet preserve the
raiders monopoly Of the whisky traffic
How could this be done?
SsAsSdx " IgOlA yVOs S0VOu = UOS0AAo AOAoON
about lin the eastern press that public
saloons were being kept in the Missouri
nyerasettlements, and instantly q wild cry
,99r0sefrOm the Indian peace associations
andsfromsthe temperance societies OF the
east, that the sale 81" liquor in the Indian
country must be stopped, In these socie'
ties we're many good, we'll meaning people
who$earnestly believed they were working
for the good Of the respective causes in
which they yer engaged. But then as
q ,theyiwere easily made the unconscious
instruments Of designing politicians. With
o~ommendable zeal they fastened to the
secretary Of war, and when he promised
that the unlicensed sale Of liquor on The
snceded lands in the Indian country should
be stopped, theyfelt that q great victory
for temperance and Christianity had been
/. won. 81
Nowhere than in the armydo newspaper
correspondents more quickly learn discre
. ton, and the importance Of discriminating
between legitimate and t~cOntrabalnld news