Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-09-15
COMPANY A FUND.
Shall it Be Used for Reception, or for
Transportation, or Both-That's
the Question.
History of the Movement to Raise
Funds and the Confusion Now
Existing.
There Will be Two Funds-One for
Reception the Other for Trans
p%ortation Only.
Each C~onfrihnfor RI Declare in Which
Each Contributor to Declare in Which
Fund He Desires His Dollar
Placed.

\ FULL EXPRESSION DESIRED.
How shall the money now being
'aised through the sale Of badges be
used? That is the question, and it is
proposed to settle the matter by Il d.
rect appeal to the individual contrib
utors.
\ little history of the movement to
raise funds for the benefit of the North
Dakota volunteers is pertinent ut this
time.
First came the question: 'Nhcre
shall the regiment be mustered outy'
The government gave the boys the OPP
ton of being brought back to the state
in a body and mustered cut here, or be-
ing mustered out at San Francisco. The
boys elected to be mustered out in San
Francisco, because by so doing they
would receive a considerable sum of
money in lieu of the transportation, ra-
tons, etc. In short, it was figured that
to be mustered out in San Francisco
meant that the boys could reach their
homes-after paying their fares-and
have from % to so per cen more
money than they would have if the
muster out occurred in the state.
Soon after this determination conf
munities having companies in the regi-
mcnt began the agitation of raising
funds to receive the boys in proper
manner upon their arrival. Thus the
badge scheme was generally adopted.
In the meantime, some enthusiastic
individuals, following the example of
Minneapolis, urged the enlargement Of
the scheme to cover the whole state
and with a view Of raising sufficient
funds to bring the boys home free from
San Francisco, Notwithstanding the
fact that the government pays for the
Transportation in question. A meeting
of prominent citizens Of the state,
named by the mayors of the various
cities, met at Fargo, and canvassed
the whole situation. Senator Hans
brough was chairman of this meeting
The representative from the Missouri
slope district was Hon. w. H. Win.
chester. At this meeting it was decided
that it would be impracticable to ask
the state to meet the expense of trans.
portation and without an extra session
no funds were available, anyhow. Ii
was finally agreed that an effort SHOULD
be made to obtain the lowest rates fol
transportation and Senator Hans
brough was chairman Of the transpor
tation committee. He went to st
Paul, and later to the Southern Pa.
citic people in San Francisco, and the
result is a rate of $1,000 for each man
After the decision at Fargo agains
attempting to raise transportation
money, an organization was perfected
in Bismarck to raise funds sufficient t,
give Company A a hearty reception
upon it's return. Badges were prepare
and sales began. In other localitie'
similar movements were on foot, an,
in Trail and Grand Forks counties
, with no companies in the regiment;
movement was inaugurated to rails,
funds by voluntary subscription t,
bring the boys home free, notwith
standing the decision of the COMMITTEE
! at Fargo. 10 a certain extent this ha
conflicted with the arrangements o
communities elsewhere. Fargo fnall,
2 decided that Company B should rid
: free as well as be entertained, an,
Grafton started on. the same line.
: In the meantime, in the Bismarcl
dictrict, badges We're being sold for tn
:. purpose Of raising funds to entertain
only. But public sentiment in favor O
, bringing the boys home free seems I
have swept over the state, and we az
just now in the embarrassing positio,
Of declaring what we intend to do wit
3 out the visible means Of milking on
t intention good.
Thus the local committee finds itsel
confronted with a problem that can b
3 solved in one way only-direct appe;
to the purchasers Of badges.