Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1904-02-26
the LAUNCHING OF the DAKOTA.

/ THE LAUNCHING OF The DAk0TA
A Brief Review of the Trip t.
New London and Interesting
Events of the Journey.
President James J. Hill of the Grea
Northern railroad had q great steam
ship, the Dakota, launched at New Lon
don, Connecticut, on Saturday Febru
ary 9. and in order to properly com
memorate the event, he had invitation
Issued to few Of the old timers of th'
Dakotas and Minnesota. TO be presen
on that occasion and witness the event
At $50 on the evening Of February 8
. special train party composed Of forty
two persons, residents Of Minnesota
North and South Dakota left the st. Pau
Union depot bound for New London
Connecticut, to witness the launching
Of the Dakota. The entire party
were invited guests Of President Jamel
J Hill Of the Great Northern railroad
and all under the care Of that prince o.
railroad men, Colonel Clarence E
stone. assistant general passenger
agent Of the Great Northern. Col
Stone had provided everything for the
comfort and happiness Of the guests
and after leaving ST. Paul q general re-
union was held in the sleeper assigned
to the representatives of the Dakotas,
and it was reunion long 10 be remem
bered. There were present from North
Dakota q delegation from Bismarck
composed Of General E. A. Williams,
Hon Marshall H Jewell, Judge Hare and
Hon. r. j. Turner. Fargo was repre-.
sented by Hon j. G. Hunter, 8. B. Fol
som and Editor q c. Plumley of the
Daily Forum. From Grand Forks came
the Hon. G.. B. Winship and Miss Mary
Belle Flemington, q student of the
State University and the young lady
who had been selected to christen the
great steamship. n.y..
Honorable E. Y. Sarles of Hillsboro,
George M. Young of Valley City, Lee
Pettibone Of Dawson, Hon. Joseph
Roache, Mayor of Minot, Hon. Charles
Diesem Of La Moure, Editor W. R.
Kellogg and John Knauf of jamestown,
and Hon. Daniel Mcmillan Of Langdon,
completed the delegation.
South Dakota was represented by the
Hon. John E. Garland, Judge of the
United States court, Sioux Falls, and
Arthur Linn of Canton.
The St. Paul delegation was headed
by the Hon. Luther s. Gushing, Presi-
dent, and Benjamin F Beardsley, secre-
tary of the ST.. Paul Chamber of Com
merce, and fifteen other prominent
business men and bankers. Col. H. G.
Graves represented Duluth, Hon. Ezra
g. Valentine, Breckenridge. and Hon. H.
". Jones Minneapolis. Mrs Luther S.
Cushing, a charming and beautiful
lady, accompanied her husband, Presi
dent Cushing, and the pride Of the Da-
kotas, Miss Pennington, was the special
guest Of Mrs Gushing. q
This was the personnel of the excur-
sion party, and we believe no happier
party ever left st. Paul on pleasure
bent going east or west.
Tho South Dakotans were largely
outnumbered by the gallant pioneers Of
the north, but it was Dakota combin-
alton of old timers and all were Dako-
tans before statehood drew a line. The
old timers from the north and the old
timers from the south had not met
since territorial days and the meeting
was like unto a jubilee jollification of
long lost brothers. There was the
white haired, dignified, and scholarly
and handsome Gen. Williams Of Bis.
marck, an orator of the Alexander
Hamilton type, an authority on irri-
cation and friend Of Russia. The
veteran editor and accomplished gentle
man, h. G. Plumley, with the handsome
and genial Jack Hunter Of Fargo, made
. combination Of literary and legisla-
tive talent not surpassed in the north.
west. E. Y. Ssrles of Hi]lsboro, who is
likely to be the next governor of the
state, carried off the honors at New
London among the ladies. Dan Nc
MILAN Of Langdon, the Bobby Burns. of
the party, who loves no music like the
bagpipes; Mayor Roache of Minot and
Charlie Diesem of LaMoure would have
been taken for preachers anywhere, not
20 much from the cut of their cloth as
from their calm and digni6ed modesty
on all occasions. George Winship was
the pioneer of the party, having located
at Grand Forks in 1867, coming up the
Red River from the north when North
Dakota was q wilderness. Mr.. Win:
ship took special pride in the fact that
Miss Pennington was student in the
state university at Grand Forks, an
institution he had more to do with sc.
curing for his town than any other
person in the state. He is editor of the
Grand Forks Daily Herald, and a
modest gentleman of youthful appear
ance. The great big hearted big Dako-
tan-Hon. Alexander Mckenzie, Joined
the party at New York. and from that
time until he left for Washington. the
people of even New York knew that
there were some Dakotans in town.
The special left over the Burlington
and arrived in Chicago at 10 q, m.