Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-09-27
Excitement in Edwinton Twenty
three Years Ago Today Over
Gen. Belknap's Whisk, Order.
An Interesting "Reminiscences OF Olden
Times When the Supply of
BenZine Was Cut Off.
What Was Said of 1t at the Time,
and How the Tipplers We're
Affected.
This Day Twenty-Three Years Ago

AH16 lay "0Hty. hT6c ago. nv
September "a, 1872, was a lively day
in Edwinton, now Bismarck. On that
day the famous "Whisky Order" of Cen
eral Belknap, secretary of war, went into
operation and all the liquor that could
be found was confiscated by the military.
Edwinton was as dry then as Bismarck
is now(?.)
Mrs. Linda w. Slaughter, then with
her husband, who was post surgeon at
Camp Hancock, then Camp Greedy,
described the scenes on that occasion in
q letter to the st. Paul Pioneer now the
Pioneer Press, dated September q,
1872.
"An eventful day in the history of
Edwinton. The long threatened whisky
order was put into operation and the
sword Of Damocles so long suspended
over the doomed heads of it's 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 on the
law forbidding the Importation and sale
of liquors in the Indian country, the
military made ii descent at daybreak up
on the various saloops Of the city and
coniscated the entire stock of liquors
found therein. S. me of the dealers lost
heavily, but all submitted to the newt.
able with good grace and great good
humor. A few Of the wise ones, how
ever, being forewarned were likewise fore
armed, and their stock of spirits was
long before spirited away to a place of
safety, leaving but an innocent Of lot
empty jugs and demijohns to confront
the invading army.
Some of the scenes enacted On that
memorable occasion were truly laugh
able. THIRSTY souls whose mHsln orisins
for years had risen with the incense of
the brandy bottle, strolled forth in m
suspecting innocence to claim their ac-
customed morning constitutional, and
unable, with their strongest mental
effort, to estimate at once the full force
of the calamity that at one fell swoop
had overtaken them, distributed them
selves in little groups around the cor
ners, and with owl like faces discussed
with becoming gravity, the 1lltimed
event. Bewildered old topers with,
.yawning mouth and disheveled hair,
issuing from their overnight haunts,
were horror stricken at the dread an.
DOuncement, and melancholy marked
them for her own. With many wry
faces and uncouth grimaces, they con-
trlved to swallow an ounce Or so of the
muddy compound known as Missouri
river water, and the expressions OF deep
toned disgust as they choked down the
u~naccustomed beverage, we're ludicrous
in the extreme.
A gigantic rush was then made on the
stores for the fiery liquid yclept spain
killer" the chief Ingredient of which is
supposed to be alcohol in its pure state.
The result, however, was not gratifying.
The ls.named +" pain-killer" proved to
be a pain producer on 81 extensive scale
and differed from it's kindred "sham
pagne," by furnishing an ache of the
genuine sort. Indeed more than a of
the newly created and unwilling SOM of
temperance we're led before the day was
over to suspect its identity with the long
ago, famous "fool-klller," the mysterious
bugbear Of their boyhood. A counter
rush was then made on the doctor, and
divers dollar prescriptions, for one of the
chief ills that flesh is heir to, went off
like hot cakes, to the intense satisfaction
Of that wordly-minded gentleman.
Truly "lt's an3ill. wind that blows nobody
good" and should our illfated town re-
cover from this stunning blow, the
whisky trade from the impetus thus ac-
qnired, will probably e%upplant all other
interest for years to come.
The history Of the issuance of the
whiskey order itself, which was designed
to give to the post traders at the mill
tary forts monopoly of the whiskey
traffic in the Indian country, while being
ostenslbly issued to crafty the temper
ance Indian peace societies of Wash
ington and Philadelphia is fully set forth
by Mrs. Slaughter, in her pamphlet 0
"reminiscences, FORTRESS TO Farm" now in
press in the TRIBUNE office. 55
Maj. s. A. Dlckey of Bismarck. who
was then post trader at Fort Lincoln,
then Fort Mexican. has given to Mrs.
Slaughter, to be preserved by the state