The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-28

would have easily brought $50 per bar
rel, but nobody thought of raising the
price Of anything. We sent teamsters
across the Sioux reservation, a distance
Of about 200 miles, TO bring provisions
to us. Our merchants were obliged to
get everything by teams in those days,
for we had no railroad nearer than
Pierre, on the Missouri river. They
soon had supplies on hand, and bust
ness was resumed as usual"
Did your people receive much aid
from Eastern citieS?"
mot a dollar; not a cent. Offers
came from st. Paul, Minneapolis, Chi
cago, New York and other cities but
they were rejected with thanks. Our
people displayed recuperative powers
which were wonderful. Our merchants
refused to compromise with their cred
1tors, but paid every dollar owed by
them; some of them asked an extern
sion of six months, in order to do so
Such people with characteristics of that
nature cannot be found in all communi-
ties. Everybody suffered loss, Of
course, but they all stood together in
their independence. They believed that
it would injure Deadwood to go before
the world whimpering for help; SO they
unanimously declined to assume an
attitude of mendicancy, but went to
work to rebuild the city"
How could they recover themselves
without outside aid?"
well, the two banks at Deadwood
had fireproof vaults. The buildings
around them were burned to the
ground, but the vaults were unframed
and the money was safe. The bankers
had it to loan, and they had all de-
posits ready for the merchants when
they needed their money. AS soon as
lumber was produced there was plenty
n O1Sly he 9th
mechanics at from 81 to So per day.
In just one month from the date of the
fire DeadwOod was rebuilt, and it was
handSomer city than the old town
had been. Our miners worked right
along as though nothing had happened.
They received $3.50 per day, which is
sos per month. Nearly every one of
So you see, while the fire was a terri
bic blow to us ALL we had recuperative
powers, and were not obliged to ask
nor accept aid from any source"
How did you manage to preserve
order after the fire."
well. l was judge then, and the
people believed that l knew something
about law and order, so they asked me-
to preside at meeting the morning
after the fire, and 1 did so. About 5000
men attended the meeting, and they
unanimously passed resolutions. in
Vesting me with autocratic power to
appoint committee on public safety
and to this committee all grievances
were to be referred and by them decid-
ed, subject to appeal to me. 1t was
decided by the meeting that everything
should remain in statu quo, and
all property rights to be referred to
the courts, just as if no fire had oc-
CURED. Therefore, where town lots had
been in dispute, the holder at the time
OF the fire was permitted to continue
as holder, and other claimants were
obliged to await orderly procedure to
gain possession. There was only one
man who refused to obey the order of
the committee on public safety. He
took possession of a lot which he
claimed belonged to him, and swore
that he would kill any one who under
took to eject him. The committee was
called upon and proceeded to the spot,
accompanied by the sheriff. The man
was told that he must go away, and
he asked the sheriff what he was going
to do about it, and the sheriff replied:
We are going to take you away from
here dead or alive He then weakened
and said: If the people are agin' me
and the law is agin' me and the sheriff
is after me, I'm gittin', and I'm gittin'
quick, too And he retreated Every
body else cheerfully obeyed the orders
gnu VII CSllOIlS Vi TIE committee.
Was no effort made by the lawless
element to burglarize the banks?"
None whatever. AS soon as the
committee was appointed, / sent word
to the colonel Of the cavalry regiment.
which was encamped a few miles away
from us, and a company came gallon
ing into the gulch and camped there.
IL was we'll understood by all that the
people were determined to maintain
order at any cost. and the few who
might nave been tempted to commit
depredatfons instinctiVely knew that
all the ropes had not been burned, and
that a DeadWOOd mob would make
short work of them. The presence of
the cavalry gave confidence to a few
OF our tlmld people, who were common
ly called tenderfeet' in those DAYS.
and business was resumed without any
delay whatever, beyond those incident
to homeleSSneSS, while new houses were
erected The city seemed to grow
mag1cally. Everywhere saw and ham
mer were going all day long and all
night too. We would retire at night
and in the morning see new house.
of course of small dimensions, at sun
rise where at sunset was vacant
ground. The people were cheerful. too
and very few of them complained"
DID not a number Of people suffer
for food 2"
Not single soul. Our committee
went carefully over the ground en-
deavoring to find those who needed
aid; and but one family could be found
that would accept aid of any kind, and
that was the family of a miserly fellow
whose house had not been DESTROYED
nor any of his property. Of course he
received nothing from the committee:
except some vigorous advice.
One Of the singular incidents Of that