Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-03-18
LOCATION
Interesting Sketch of the Battle Fought
When the Capital Was Located :
.y.- at Bismarck.
{ Prominent Part Played by Alexander
! Mckenzie in Outgeneraling Rival =
/ of Bismarck.
Story Of the Capital Commission and
Its Experiences in Selecting Seat
of Government.

In the Minneapolis Journal of Satur
day, e. G. Torrey writes an interesting
sketch of the incidents Of the location of
the capital at Bismarck, which is of in
terest and worthy of reproduction as
follows:
'One of the most interesting chapters
in the early history of Dakota was en-
acted in 1883 when the famous capital
commission, after a swing around the
circle, located the capital at Bismarck.
The inside history of the deals made at
the time when the commission came
under the hypnotic influence of one
Alex. Mckenzie has never been written
and probably never will be until some of
the participants in that transaction have
been removed to a brighter and better
world. There are two well-known north
western newspaper men who could un-
dertake this task and pen story that
would be full of interest. Ralph w.
Wheelock, who was secretary of the COM
mission, is one, aid Col. e. T. Cressey,
who had daily paper at Huron while he
was yet tenderfoot, is another.
Wheelock's relation to the committee
gave him opportunity to learn about all
that was going on, both above and be-
low the surface. Cressey was the only
independent newspaper man who boarded
the train at Sioux City and never skipped
meal or lost free lunch until the
grand finale was pulled off in Fargo some
four weeks or more later. What tale
either could tell were he so disposed!
"Events crowd each other SO rapidly
in new country that few remember the
personnel of this commission or the
towns actually in the race for the capital
of the big territory So ome of the mem
bers have dropped out of sight and
others have little more than a local
reputation Alex Mckenzie is, Of course,
the best known of the nine. Two, B. F.
spalding of Fargo and George A. Ma
thews of Brookings, have been in con-
gress and are generally credited with
having good prospects of going back
again some time. The chairman of the
commission was Alex Hughes, then of
Elk Point, but since 1883 of Bismarck
and other cities in North Dakota. c.
II. Myers of Redfield, but now of Water
town, was public examiner in South,
Dakota for several years and is we'll
known in the eastern part of the state.
Other members were M. D. Thompson
Of Vermillion, Fl. II. DeLong of Canton,
MAJOR j. NJ. Bedding of Deadwood and
DIR. Scott, the treasurer, then of Grand
Forks. What is now South Dakota had
six members of this commission, while
North Dakota had but three. It seemed
cinch that he capital would never be
located within 200 miles of the Northern
Pacific railroad. To be sure, Alex Nc
kenzie was on the board, but be was not
SO we'll known then as now and was sup
PSoSu W SolSlol uo AlOlS elldl LIS own
vote. If Mckenzie had been better
known it is probable the South Dakota
boomers would have felt safer in letting
him operate on the outside instead of
being the "main guy of the commission
itself. It is barely possible that even
under these disadvantages, the influence
of his magnetic personality would still
have been felt. -
''The towns actually in the contest,
those which offered sites and were Wis
tied by the commission were Canton,
Mitchell, Huron. Pierre, Frankfort, Red
field, Ordway, Fargo, Devils Lake and
Bismarck. No offer was considered that
was not made on official blanks and ac-
companied with certified check for
$4,000. The commissioners had free
special trains to visit all these towns, and
were banqueted in each and feted as
yeritable kings Of men. The trains were
stocked with the best stuff that the
marts of the world afforded, and every
thing was free to all on board. The
nine members took their wives with
them, and the train went from southern
to northern localities by way. OF Mlnne-
apolls and ST. Paul, and both going and
coming spent several days in these
cities. The business III hand could wait
and bodies OF such prestige and import.
anee were too rare to move hastily. The
party had BY this time sWelled to several
times its original proportions. The
boomers and promoters who hoped to
profit by the location Of the capital piled
upon the train, and as there was no law