The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-14
NORTH DAKOTA
BISMARCK BIG DAY
Judge Cochrane's Lincoln Day Ad-
dress Brought It Vividly to
Minds Of Old Timers.
Cornerstone of Capitol Laid by Grant
and a Brilliant Following of
Distinguished Men.
Special to The Journal.

M. Cochrane. in his address on Lincoln's
birthday. before the joint session Of the
legislature, struck an interesting his
torical note when he alluded to the fact
that North Dakota was given its first ter
ritorial government by Lincoln, and that
subsequently the cornerstone Of the state
capitol building was laid by one of Lin
coins great war generals, U. S. Grant
This aroused a flood of recolections Of
early days, and recalled the interesting
exercises on Sept. 5. 1888, when the cor
nerstone of the territorial capitol was
laid. 1t was the year after the Missouri
slope and North Dakota political chief
tains had secured the removal of the
capital from Yankton, and the citizens
Of Bismarck had donated 100000 for the
erection Of a capitol building. 1t was de-
sired to have the ceremonies as impress
sive as possible and a combination of for
tunate circumstances made them the most
unique, perhaps, ever held at any similar
event in any state of the union.
Wizards Excursion.
It was the year of the driving of the
golden spike, marking the completion of
the Northern Pacific road, and Willard had
planned a remarkable excursion. There
We're famous men from all parts Of the
world, and in addition to the west-bound
party, there was an east bound party of
German capitalists who had been west
looking over the country. Governor
Ordway, Alexander Mckenzie and other
North Dakotans interested Willard in the
plan to have the excursion stop at Bis
marck and participate in the ceremonies
of the cornerstone.
Wizards cooperation was readily OBJ
tanned. The gathering at Bismarck,
therefore. was perhaps one of the most
| remarkable ever witnessed in any city or
state, and that, too, was in a city of 1000
people, on the outskirts of civilization,
foo IT
that it's name. Bismarck, appealed strong
ly to the German financiers.
Ex-Presidents and Governors.
There were seven special trains of
| Pullman cars that met at Bismarck on
! that day. OF the prominent men present,
| there. was General U. S. Grant, ex-
| president of the United States. Ex-
President Rutherford B. Hayes was an
other in attendance. William M. Evarts,
Springer. William Window and other
| prominent statesmen were of the party.
| Henry Willard, James j. Hill and other
| railroad nlagnates represented the rail-
road world. There were German bankers
| and fnanciers by the score, twenty-five or
| thirty members of parliament, fifteen or
| twenty governors Of states, and represer-
| tatives Of all callings and walks of life.
The aboriginal Indian was represented
| by Sitting Bull, Gall and Rain-in- the
Face, only a few years before returned
from their bloody campaign of the Little
/ Big Horn. And all Of the famous rep.
i resentatives Of these varied countries anC
4 interests gathered on the hill where Nortf
! Dakota's capitol now stands, and saw
I General Grant swing the cornerstone o.
the building into place, heard the brie
addresses by the famous men present
and dreamed Of the wonderful develop
ment that was to come.
A dream-like panorama of the events
ri eli haf vic
Of the old timers when Judge Cochran,
made his brief alluson to the laying of tn
cornerstone.
Legislation Well Advanced.
The legislature has taken a recess with
out the final passage Of the more i'm
portant bills, but with most of them ia
, enough advanced that their disposition i
only matter of routine and roll call
About 500 bills have been introduced
:, Most Of those which there is no intention
Of passing have gone to sleep in commit
. tees or have been killed in the two houses
!, The appropriation bills have been prac
tically decided upon by the senate com
mittee and will go through nearly if no
quite as reported. The house committe
on appropriations will make few if an
changes in the senate recommendations
, The asylum appropriation is cut fro1
$305,000, which was asked for, to $142,
900, but as there is bonding bill in 70
$l2o,5OV, the appropriation Tor that mSt1tu
ton will be practically the sum of thos
two amounts.
The other state institutions have bee
cared for as literally as possible. TIL
feeble minded institute at Grafton get
an appropriation sufficient to furnish it
Q building and establish itself as a state in
> stitution. The state reform school ais
e gets an appropriation and refractor
children will be brought back from Plank
linton, S. D., and incarcerated at home
1t also has a bonding bill that will enabl
it to buy more land and erect additions
. buildings.
There is still plenty of work for tn
: legislature to do There are the new ju
dicial district bills, the game laws, tn
drug store permit bills, the persona
liability railroad bill, anti-cigarette Law
oil inspection bills, state fair bill, s
Louis exposition matter, primary electio
bills. and many other matters Of gener;
state interest before the house.