Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-06-01
THE PIONEER DAYS.
Interesting Recollections of Pioneer
Days in Jamestown and Western
North Dakota.
Mrs. Chenery Of Jamestown Writing a
Series of Interesting Sketches of
Early History.
First White Child Born of Parents Who
Came from Observation-Disclosures
of Indians.

ing a series of sketches of early his
tory of jamestown. They will be in
teresting all through the western part
of the state for the reason that the
experiences Of all western towns were
similar and closely linked together.
A portion of one of her sketches is as
follows: 1t would not be correct to
say that we had much fear of our red
neighbors, as the fort was a trust
worthy protection but still, there were
times when wild rumors of hostile
raids would fill all hearts with terror
of some lurking savage foe. Large
parties of Indians were frequently
camped here ON their way from the
Devils Lake reservation to the Mis-
souri, river and the reverse, and it was
a common thing for five or SIX hundred
of them to indulge their dancing pro-
pensities in the woods e our house,
which was located about where the
round house now stands. These So
cial occasions were very interesting to
those who listened-and no works can
describe the awful pandemonium of
these barbaric orgies.
On one occasion a friendly Indian,
son of old Left Bear, brought tidings
that a hostile party from Standing
Rock was heading for jamestown, and
a number of people on the east side
barricaded themselves in the depot.
Our family, however, did not leave
home. but l can remember watching
my father load his guns to be ready
for any emergency. The alarm proved
to be u%nfounded and our peace re-
manned %unbroken.
At some time dastardly murders had
been committed by an Indian neal
Pembina and o O after a friendly In
dian woman, old Susie, came to M
father with the tidings that the muir
lerer and some of his friends were
camped here in the woods and that
she had seen the scalps of his victims.
This sent a thrill through our little
community, but the lnuians escaped to
the Missouri. He was subsequently ar
rested and l believe was hanged.
The Indian is much given to friendly
visiting and does not always
his presence according to the rules of
polite society. On one occasion
mother entered the sitting room to find
eleven formidable looking red men ar
rayed in their gayest blankets and
brightest paint, sitting around the
room on the floor, but they were only
making a state call, and departed after
smoking the pipe of peace with my
father.
There were amusements, too, in
those days, principally dancing. Oc-
casionally grand balls were given in
the dining room at the fort. Balls
were always grand in that long ago
time-written with a very large &C.
They were also in the second story
OF Mr.. Kelley's store and other build
ings. (The other buildings were sa-
looms. This, Of course. c~onfidential.)
AT the rear of my fathers hall there
were beds where his men slept but
these were convenient. serving as
nurseries where babies could sleep
peacefully while their mothers "tripped
the light fantastic toe
Once some II sat down upon an
unfortunate infant. but no harm was
done. Frontier children were not del
icate.
And here I will mention that the
first white child born in jamestown
was a baby boy, named Frank, the
child of Mr.. and Mrs. Bilheimer, who
came here from Bismarck. The father
was afterwards arrested for theft. but
while. being taken to rembina for
trial jumped from the Red river steam
boat into the water to a a child
from drowning, and this deed made it
easy for him to escape from the hand
of justice without punishment.
4AC uIoC uldllldSS emo was
performed by Mr.. Kelley, who was
then a notary public. The contract
ing parties were a Miss Bowden and a
soldier named Gillespie.
The first death was that of a man
employed at the fort, who was buried
in the old military cemetery.
Our winters were long and dreary, it
cannot be denied, as it must be re-
membered that for some years there
were no trains from fall until spring
and the only communication with the
outside world was by stage, and as
storms were many and terrible great
suffering was often experienced by the
hardy men whose vocation forced
them to face the inclement weather.
OF course the fort was a bar to COM
plete stagnation and, personally, some
Of my happiest memories are con-
nected with those army children who
were my playmates in that long time
ago. There are sad memories too.