The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-08-28
lines beginning With

/ far AS the solar walk or milky way:
Yet simple nature to his hopes has given,
Behind the clouc-topped hill, a humber heaven
Some safer world in depth Of moods embraced,
Some happier island in the watery waste.
Where slaves ones more their native land behold,
- 40 iends tormants, no Christian thirst for gold"
After a few compliments on his d%eclamatory
1st55e, we dropped into a discourse, and in conclu-
ehng. said that he supposed. in his present plight,
1T would be hard work to convince the people of
Yankton that he was the brother of a doctor; the
son of a, doctor; a graduate of Ann Arbor Un
versity-a practical physician himself with a grad
uating course finished and a diploma toSshow for
It. In: reply l freely admitted such a declaration
would be in the nature Of a surprise to the people
there; that there was room for another physician
III the Territory; that | would issue the. initial
number of the DAKOTA DhMocxAr in a few days,
1ant as an earnest Of my faith in his ascending
star would publish his card in TIL. first issue with
QUE any charge to himself-and so a surprise was
sprung on that line, in the first issue Of the DEMO
GEAR July 9Th, 1868. :rs
- About two weeks or more after the paper had
appeared, this doctor or 'quack'' as the loungers
persisted in; calling hi,n-invitcd me to. his room
lat our hotel. = He was in good spirits and said
things were going right with him.. On his table
a brimming bucket Of beer had been placed fresh
on,tap from Russtacaer 5 frontier brewery. We
were not alone: Sitting ON a chair and reclining
against the wall was the. face Of a stranger. He
arose and was introduced as M Stevenson, of
Iowa. tragedian and dramatic reader The man
was young, tall, rather sandy complexioned,f with
"a eruf hearty, assuring manner. He had just took
a run up there from Sioux City, he said. to see a
link in his destiny. The link was a lately forged
one he added but none the less well .rivited.
After some pleasant re artee, in Wla'chI joined,
tley mutually told the story Of their first meeting
lat Missouri Valley Junction some weeks before.
They were both financially stranded. CO nttded their
troubles to each other, and mutually a9grsedsto
raise the wind They footed it over to*Mognolia,
twenty miles or more. rented a hall on. promises,
stood off the printer and billed the town for
S!!,axesperian readings and coniealities:~ After
two or three nights.-printers bill paid, tbsfy came
up the grade. and landed with three dollars and
sev7enty6ve cents wrapped Up; in the company
exc1,equer. A division of sentiment as to; business
prospects in this town demaadel;a divisioasoloon,
pany property, and stranger Number One CROSSED
Big Sioux bridge with one dollar and t}11rty,aHe
cents to meet his "star of destiny in the land'of
1.-The Dakotas." 1t was in this. manner they. had
told their story. After the departures OF the
next iowa bound stage. the face Of stranger Mum.
Der Two, was missing at the International
I Many years later--being in a reminiscent mood
while resting at a ranch--l told this story. Com
hade M;r:er. who had IN listening, thought he
could help me. a little further along with stranger
mo g. and begged pardon for the Interruptions
Here iswhat he sail:- ~ was down working in
a brick yard in Sioux City in the autumn of 1863.
One night in early September, saw a large crowd
around the leading hotel, and 1 under
stood it4was an open. air political meeting; so ell:
bowed my way along the street following" up the
crowd. I could hear the speaker make his ~sallies,
land sees Cloud Of hats go up, and hear the .thun-
|ders Of applause that created him Who is that, !
asked of AN old citizen making such an uproar up
there? ssOh that is Orator Stevenson, -. ga id he,
.Who is Orator Stevenson?" I asked for I was an
tenderfoot then. "Oh,'' replied old citizen,
4.the Republican State Central Commute have en-
him to even up the State ticket majorities
with Grant and Colfax, and I guess he can do it,"
And. he did,-as the results lined up with his
efforts on the rostrum.
The Yankton horse thief. and quaek doctor, or
stranger No. One-may you ask, what became OF
him? We answer that the old saw about sometime
deception Of first appearances will hold in this
case. Stranger Number had a large compass to
|go on, but in concluding, here, his story will be
CURLY told. He married q daughter Of the
leading Dakotan-called in those days the Father
|of the Territory. He, also, like. stranger Number
Two, became q party leader and an %eloquent
public speaker. And quack,-weli. for over twenty
years thereafter or until his death a decade Of