Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-07-07
TEMPERANCE WlTE.
Account Of the Early Movement for T EN-
perance in the City Back
IN 1879.
Return Of an Old Time Bismarck Lady
Brings Recollections of the
# Event. S;3

THE TEMPERANCE WAVE OF 1879.
The return to Bismarck of Mrs.
Catherine Lewis, sister of Mrs. Kupitz
and Mrs. Freede, who left this city for
California in 1886, has brought back
to the eold timers pleasant. recollec-
tions Of the temperance wave that
spread over Bismarck in the fall of
1879, and which was the result,of the
efforts of several ladies of the city who
organized the first temperance society
in Bismarck and which was also OUT
side of church societies-the first
woman's club in northern Dakota. This
was before the days of Francis Will
lard and the w. g. T. U. and was chris
tened "The Woman's Temperance I'm
ion of Bismarck" There were fifteen
members and its olLcers were Mrs.
Catharine Lewis president, Mrs. Emma
Marston vice president, Mrs. Linda w.
Slaughter secretary and Mrs. Winni-
fred Nichols treasurer. There was
some opposition manifested at the
outset by the saloons and Mrs. Slaugh-
ter and Mrs Marston, who were teach
ers in the public schools of the city;
were notified that they would lose their
positions if they did not desist. But
not deferred they rented Champion
hail. the principal hall in the city,
over the saloon of Emmons & Meserye,
on East Fourth street, placed cab
met organ therein and held weekly
temperance meetings, at which a fine
literary program consisting of tenn
perance addresses, temperance songs
and recitations, was presented. These
meetings and the temperance revival
that followed became memorable in the
history of the town. Rev. j. NJ. Bull
having come to Bismarck as the pas
tor Of the Methodist church, then in
course of erection, at once inaugurated
the Murphy movement" and organ
lied and carried on a Red Ribbon So
ciety in connection with the W oman's
Temperance Union at Champion hall,
and the meetings were thereafter
crowded with applicants to sign the
pledge cards furnished by Rev. Bull,
while committees of the ladies pinned
on the Red Ribbon badges, over 100
signing in single night. Saloon-
keepers not only Withdrew sneir oppo--
sition but voluntarily agreed to cease
selling liquor to minors and inebriates,
to close their saloons on Sundays and
to close at midnight. A juvenile tenn
perance society was formed in which
all the children in the public schools
signed pledge cards, never to drink
liquor, smoke tobacco or use profane
or vulgar words.
# The meetings continued unabated in
interest and popularity until Champion
hall was wanted by Capt Emnons, the
proprietor, for his newspaper. The Bis.
marck Sun. The meetings were then
held in the city hall and We're trans
ferred to the new Methodist church up
on its completion, where under the
leadership Of its earnest pastor, Rev.
Bull, the temperance wave culmin
ated in an old-fashioned Methodist re-
viyal.
Mrs. Nichols, Mrs. Slaughter and
Mrs. Lewis, the undaunted promoters
OF the famous temperance wave. are
50 Tar as they know. the only survivors
OF the Woman's Temp Union OF
Bismarck, the records OF which still ex-1
list. They have met together recently.
and should this meet the eve of any
other surviving members they hope to-
hear from them.