Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-04-01
Reports from Washington are Favor
able to the Establishment ofa
Fort at Bismarck.
Quartermaster's Department Reverses
its Decision and Recommends
the Location.
Secretary of War Also Agrees t
Take Favorable Action in the
Same Matter.
For the Military Post.

Washington advices indicate that the
proposed location of a military post at
Bismarck is considered with greater favor
by the officials of the war department
and the secretary of war and if the pres
ent bill before congress providing for an
appropriation of $4,000 should pass,
which is probable, the project for a post
will meet with no opposition from the
quartermaster's department and the
secretary OF war. AS the construction
of a post is within the province of these
officials their approval of the plan to
build a post at Bismarck is a matter of
great satisfaction to those most in.
terested in the location of the post and
assures the permanent location of the
post as o o as the appropriation shall
have passed congress. This will de.
pend largely upon the military COM
mittee, but as the heads of the war de-
partment have approved the plan it is
more than likely that the committee
will report favorably.
The history of the efforts of the city
to secure the location of a post at this
place are familiar to the majority of the
residents of the city. The bill for the
post was originally introduced in the
seneate two years ago, and was passed
by congress and an appropriation of
$4,000 made for the beginning of work
on the surveys and site. A site was
offered by the city of Bismarck, and Sc.
cured by the citizens committee. A
committee of three army officers was
designated to examine the site, and
after one site had been pronounced
against, a second was approved and
formerly rendered the government. The
advantages of the location of a post at
the city of Bismarck, midway between
the Indian reservations along the river,
and on a line of railroad, where troops
could be readily moved in case of neces.
sity and where supplies could be re-
ceived without transportation across a
long distance overland, were advanced
and the project to locate the fort at Bis
marck was favorably considered but
the matter was tabled by Secretary
Alger, presumably on the recommends
ton Of the quartermaster's department.
Capt. j. w. Pope, of the quartermaster's
department who was ordered to Bis
marck to take charge of the work of
construction was ordered away from the
city and the work was dropped tenn
porarily, the appropriation lapsing into
the treasury, not having been drawn
upon.
With the converting of the present
congress, Senator Hansbrough renewed
his efforts to secure a reconsideration
of the post matter and introduced a bill
similar to the first one, providing for the
location of a post, to take the place of
Fort Yates to be abandoned, and for an
appropriation to begin the work of con-
struction. G. B. Little and 1. P. Baker
OF the citizens committee were called
to Washington to appear before the Of
fcials of the war department and the
military committee and present the
claims of the city for the establishment
OF a post. They appeared before the
officials named, and after their state.