Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-03-02
LOYAL FRIENDS.

Kenzie appearing in another column,
from the pen of Ed Henderson, now of
the Tacoma press, is a splendid tribute
to a distinguished and loyal North Da-
kotan. OF his career in North Dakota
MI. Henderson speaks from an acquain-
lance covering a long and most important
period in the history of the Dakotas.
Mr.. Henderson was clerk in the legisla-
ture at 9ankton in the memorable ses-
sion of 1888 when N. G. Ordway was
governor and E. A. Williams, now sur
veyor general of North Dakota, was
speaker of the house-that exciting
session, when the warriors from the
north, lead by the bold and daring Nc
Kenzie, wrenched the territorial capital
from Yankton and finally located it at
Bismarck.
The life of Alex Mckenzie since those
early days has been a succession of
noble deeds and great achievements.
Aggressive in politics he made warm
and lasting friends and bitter but for
giving enemies. His loyalty to North
Dakota, her interests and development
has been demonstrated on every occa-
sion. No one ever dared approach him
with a proposition involving %disloyalty
to his friends, his home, his state. His
acts of kindness and philanthropy have
been so numerous and his modesty so
proverbial daily history has failed to do
him justice or give him proper credit.
He was a controlling factor in the terri
torial legislature that duplicated the in
situations of the southern half and gave
to Grand Forks the university, to James
, town the asylum, to Fargo the agrlcul-
tural college, and to Bismarck the pen
itentiary. When the southern half of
the territory was hostile to the New Or
leans exposition proposition it was Nc
Kenzie who went to st. Paul and placed
his own individual notes in the Capital
bank for $1,000 with which to make the
exhibit-putting up as collateral the
warrants contributed by various counties
which the banks would not take without
McKenzie's personal guaranty. And, as
at numerous Minnesota state fairs in
which North Dakota competed, when
ever Mckenzie was in charge we we're
rewarded with first prizes and plenty of
them.
Mr.. Mckenzie contributed literally to
the capitol building fund of 100000 the
titi1opc Of R;crn ro1y y,ora ballad ,,ror 4o
put up in cash-directly and as endorser
t. the extent of nearly $4,000. In 1889
when the farmers Of the territory were
in need of seed wheat Mckenzie ad-
vanced $1,000 for that purpose and
induced the railroads to assist in bridg-
ing over a bad year. incidentally it
may be stated that he advocated the
removal of the Louisiana lottery to
North Dakota-purely on the theory that
as the world was contributing to the
management, and Louisiana was receiv-
ing a large share of the spoils-why not
let North Dakota have the fool ish con-
LrlJutions of other states and countries?
Aud this served a righteous purpose. It
aroused public sentiment against the
incubus and lottery enterprises in the
United States we're speedily stamped
out by congressional action.
The people of Grand Forks have not
forgotten the $500 Mckenzie gave to-
wards keeping the university from being
closed through lack of state appropri-
alton for maintenance, and there are a
few worshippers, perhaps, in the Presby-
terian church at Bismarck who remem-
her the $500 contributed by Mckenzie
towards that magnificent ediice. In
fact Mr.. McKenzie's whole career has
been characterized by kind deeds and
liberal contributions to all public enter
prjses. At the time of the great boom
following the location of the capital,
although the most extensive owner of
real estate in the city, McKenzie's desire
to have his friends reap financial benefits
was so pronounced he held back his own
property and gave pointers in hundreds