davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
ISLAND KING OF BIG MUDDY.
Man for Whose Benefit the Missouri
River Built an Island.

one of the best known river charac
tiers in South Dakota is Eli Fort, who
LOT period OF twenty-five years has
received the greater part of his in
come from catching fish in the Mis-
souri, river
He is now the owner of an island
formed by the whrling waters of the
river, which came into existence
through the obstruction formed by the
loss of some of his fish traps in the
river. Fort statcs that thirteen years
ago he lost three or four large fish
traps at the point where his island is
no wsituated
He expected to get good hauls of
flsh when he went to raise his traps
three days after they had been placed
in the river, but found they We're sc
weighted down with sand that they
could not be removed Fort thought
it was all clear loss at that time, as he
little dreamed that the loss of the
traps would cause him to become the
owner of one of the most valuable
islands in the Big Muddy"
sandbar formed over the obstruc
ion made by the fish traps and each
year the sandbar grew larger. Finally
cottonwood and willow trees covered
the tract. The last four years the
island formed in this unique manner
has grown until the surface is now
entirely above high water mark
Mr. Fort is of the opinion that he
has, after all, been we'll paid for the
loss of his traps. Some of the cotton
wood trees on his trap-formed island
have grown to such an extent that
they are as much as five inches in di
ameter The island is many acres in
extent and doubtless will each yeal
continue to grow larger. Fort has
seven acres cleared which he will put
in crop the coming season. He is now
devoting some of his attention to deal
ing in fruit and forest trees and states
that he expects TO have twenty thou
sand living fruit trees on the island
within the next four years.
His island is located near American
island, one of the well-known islands
of the Missouri river Should the ac-
ton Of the stream continue to add to
his island, as expected, Fort will be
come known as the Island King of the
Missouri
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

and the Jailer laughed; but one day
Grow Dog was gone. A few weeks
afterward a deputy hunting for him
met him at the agency at Rosebud
iii not go back with YOU" said the
Indian, and the white man expected
resistance, but with the cunning of his
people the Indian disappeared. To the
surprise of every one he arrived in
Deadwood soon afterward, several
days before the deputy and several
days before the time set for his exc
cution.
Il go away alone, I come back
alone, he said; Il go to say goodbye
to the squaw and pappooses; now am
ready to die"
But he did not die.
The case was appealed and the SUI
preme court decided that the United
States had no jurisdiction over a
crime committed by one Indian
against another Indian in Indian coun-
try. 1t was because this question of
jurisdiction was raised that congress
eventually passed an act giving the
United States courts jurisdiction over
just such cases The only Indian ever
hung in Deadwood was Two Sticks,
convicted of numbering some white
boys on the Pine Ridge reservation.
In these early days in this same old
court house came up for trial also
samous civil suits, concerning mining
around and companies. in which hun
lleds of thousands of dollars We're in
Volved. There was the famous case
0f the Richmond VS. the Sitting Bull
nine. and there was the Golden Re
ward Buxton case. Those both in
'olved fine points of mining law and
created tense public interest
This old court house about to be de-
stroyed was built by Fred T. Evans,
formerly of Sioux City, and sold to the
county for $4,000. The new structure,
the plans for which We're drawn by
Bell & Detweiler of Minneapolis. will
be handsome structure of Black
Hills stone and brick, strong and
slightly.
But with the old court house will
pass the old days.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
SCHOOL LAND SELLS WELL.

The sale of the Hand county school
land, the first time il has ever been
offered, resulted in disposing of 1.iG0
acres at the average price of SIT an
acre. A piece northwest of Wessing-
ton was bid off at S37 per acre, while
a forty a mile southwest of Miller
brought S32 an acre. There We're no
people from distance to bid, the
sales being made to residents of the
county. The law permits only forty
acre lot to be sold at a time. 1t is be-
lieved that this plan is a hindrance
here to the sale of the land, where a
quarter section is considered too small
for farm. Land Commissioner Bach,
who had charge of the sale, auctioning
off the land himself, stated that in no
county in the state at its first sale of
school lands was the result more sat
isfactory than this sale Had not one
halfsection been sold at $40. the aver
age would have been 500 an acre in
stead OF SIT.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
AARON MYERS DEAD.
Last of the Falls of the Sioux Settlers
Dies at Garreteson.

In the death of Aaron Myers at Car
retson one of the last, if not the last,
of the settlers who located at the Falls
of the Sioux in 1857 passed away. Mr..
Myers came as an employee of the Da-
kota Land company and was later
placed in charge of the business of
that company at Saratoga. Mimi, on
the Cottonwood river, but was fright
ened away by the Indians. He joined
the Shetek Lake settlement and escap-
ed massacre there at the time of the
Indian raid of 1862, taking his family
in an OK wagon and starting for New
Ulm, only to find that place surround
ed by the Indians. He crawled into
the town and volunteered to go for re-
lief. and succeeded. All this time his
family was camped on the prairie, and
after the Indians We're driven away he
rejoined them and started for Man
lato. but on the way his wife died
from the effects of the exposure and
fright Mr.. Myers settled at Garretson
in 1882. and resided at that place up
to the time of his death.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
SAY 10 CLUBBED WIFE.

James Runs Close-to-the-Ni llage came
up to Deadwood from Rosebud agency
to answer for the charge of assault
with intent to kill. He appeared be-
fore Commissioner McDonough, who
bound him over to await trial by the
United States district court 1t is
charged that, while drunk, he assault
ed his wife with a heavy club and
left her unconscious and apparently
dead Her friends began the usual
Indian ceremonies over the dead, and
even called III a schoolmaster. H. w
Gates to measure her for a coffin He
no sooner had arrived, however. than
she became conscious. and since has
entirely recovered from the effects of
her recent beating.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

Children playing on the hill one
summer day found near the White
Rocks the dead body of man. The
alarm was spread as if on wings, and
the body soon was identified as Lee.
who had come to the Hills but a short
time before with man named Bell
who afterward had been his partner
To be suspected in those days was 10
be arrested, and Bell was taken int.
custody that very day in Crook City
where he had pawned Lees watch
There We're many discriminating cir
cumstances. but after hard tough;
trial he was cleared. Even then pub
lie sentiment was so strong against
him that he was taken back to Jail for
safety. He returned afterward to his
home at Dassel, Mimi, and went into
the hardware business. A few years
afterward, while he was both a men,
Der of the city council and the Demo
cratic candidate for sheriff, he com
mitted suicide. Whether or not it was
the memory of the dead man who was
once his friend that drove him to COM
nit the deed, no one ever knew
Grow Dog Escapes, but Returns.
Indian trails also figured conspicu-
ously in the piebald civilization of
those days. The case most far-reach-
ing in it's influence was that of Grow
Dog. tried for the murder of Spotted
Tail on the Rosebud agency Accord
ing to the laws in evidence at that
time Pretty Camp, Grow Dogs wife,
was not allowed to testify in his be-
half, though she knew that Spotted
Tail was drawing a gun at the time
Crow Dog shot. The result was that
there were but few witnesses in behalf
of the defendant. But Crow Dog was
a kindly old chap Accordingly he
was given considerable liberty and
was permitted to 90 up on the hill
sides to pick kinnekinnick, which he
mixed with his tobacco, for smoking.
Through the grating of his cell one
day he saw the form of Jack Legion.
a murderer, swung into eternity, and
he knew that a similar fate would be
his He told the jailer that he was
going back to the reservation to say
goodbye to the squaws and pappooses,
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
WILL RAISE APPLES.
New Industry Develops in Western
South Dakota.


The apple-raising industry bids fair
to be one of the industries in western
South Dakota few years ago it was
believed that this was not fruit
country, but recent experiments have
proved the contrary The exhibit car
that went out from the Hills last fall
took thrty-three varieties of apples,
all of which had maturcd and We're
equal in size, flavor and perfection to
any apples raised in any part of the
United States All the six counties in
the Black Hills were represented, but
the industry in this part of Lawrence
county is unusually we'll developed
Joseph Wells, who has orchards
three miles west of Spearfish, says
that from an orchard of ten acres
many of the trees not bearing full
crops, he sold 1914 bushels at an av-
GRACE price of Sl25 a bushel; that he
retained enough for his own use. made
eight barrels of cider and sold 500
worth of cherries, plums and pears,
and cut from the same ground eighteen
tons of hay which he sold for SIS a ton.
He figures that an orchard ten years
old. with thorough cultivation, will pay
10 per cent on valuation of $4,000
an acre when in full bearing with only
a partial crop
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
MUST TRY CASE AGAIN.
saioonmen's Liability for Death of Pa
tron Still Undecided

Safoonmen's Liability for Death Of Pa.
tron Still Undecided.
A case which has attracted wide at
tentiop in legal circles and among
liquor men, because a final decision
will establish a precedent as to the
points involved has resulted in mis-
trial at Yankton, and will come up for
hearing again at the next term of
court.
Mrs. Nettie McElwain brought suit
for $4,000 damages against Gustave
Schwink of a local brewing firm and
a surety company of Sioux Falls, al
lesing that they We're responsible for
the death of her late husband who
was run over and killed by a train
while in a state of intoNication. In her
complaint Mis-. McElwain alleges that
her husband secured liquor in sa-
loon owned and operated by the brew
cry: that he became intoxicated and
while in that condition was run over
and killed by train. Whether the
man committed suicide or not will
never be known, as there We're no eye
witnesses to the tragedy.
Judge Smith in his instructions to
the jury told them that il they found
that McElwain secured liquor in the
saloon and that his death resulted
from his intoxicated condition, they
must find for the plaintiff The jury
was out over twentyfour hours and
finally reported inability to agree
Thoy AFRO said to have stood seven to
five for the plaintiff
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

works are the thickness of dollar
and it has eight diamond jewels. Sew.
eral valuable offers have been refused
Tor It, The present owner came in
possession of it by buying 1t of a party
who had been in Jail, and who parted
with the relic with great reluctance.
AT meeting of the fire department
OF Pierre for the selection Of officers
for the year, the selections we're :.
Chief, c. w. Rohrer; first assistant
Frank Hinsey; second assistant, Alex
Miller; secretary, P. Dotson: treas.
urer Robert Brandhuber.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
CHARGES THEFT OF CORN.
South Dakota Farmer Causes Arrest
Alleging Burglary.

NIleS'HS Oui g'a'y.
The alleged theft of about fifteen
bushels of corn, worth about 81. has
resulted in the arrest of Albert Baker
of Gregory county on the charge of
burglary Had the corn been carried
away from a corncrib or granary the
charge would have been larceny, but
the corn was stolen from the dwelling
house of w f. Bridgeman. settler
on the coded portion of the Rosebud
reservation, during the temporary abb
sence of the owner; hence the alleged
crime comes under the more serious
head of housebreahing or burglary.
Bakers arrest was due to confession
made by Warren Benson. who was re-
Gently arrested on the charge of steal
ing a bride or other property. The
trial of the two men will take place at
the next term of the state circuit court
in Gregory county.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

The old days of the Black Hills
country are no more. In few weeks
at most workmen will commence tear
ing down the Lawrence county court
house which, for more than twenty
years, has witnessed the comedies
and tragedies of pioneer life and law
In a mining camp. Lawrence county
will have new court house, hand
some 900 building, modern in arch
ltecture, perfect in equipment, and par
excellence as to symmetry and artis-
tic features; but with the passing Of
the triangular, announcement, old-fash-
Toned building goes much of the pic
turesque that colored legal matters
when the country was but child.
The Black Hills existed for a year
without any authoritative cloak of law
or order; fought battles over mining
claims; killed men, lynched few, and
ordered everything in crude, forceful
fashion. But in ~ the law came to
Deadwood. 1t came in the person Of
Judge G.. G. Bennett, territorial Judge,
who held the first court in the Black
Hills, and Seth Bullock, now United
States marshal of the state, who act
ed as the first sheriff of Lawrence
county.
The first court ever held in the
Black Hills convened in Pennington
county at Sheridan now on the line
of the Missouri River & Northwestern
railway between Mystic and Rapid
City. An old log cabin served as a
20, f.c,t l,,,ci
in Deadwood was transacted in a tin
shop in the rear of Star & Rullocks
hardware store, and the seat of just
ice was a keg of nails. Later court
was held over the postofiice: and then
the Bonanza, a typical Western dance
hall, was abandoned, and from being
place of revalry became the abode
of judges, juries, lleenwitted lawyers
and fearful or defiant criminals. The
bar at Deadwood in those days com
prised many legal lights, as this sec
ton of the country appealed to many
lawyers.
Scene Of Famous Trials.
Many famous trials have occupied
the district court in this circuit. One
of the earliest and most famous muir
der cases was that known as the Cal
lison case. Mrs. Callison, who taught
the first school in the Black Hills, was
found dead in her bed one morning
in August, 49, in Deadwood, with her
head and face disigGred by blows
with a blunt instrument. Her hus-
band was down at Rockerville, -four
fishing placer camp, and she had been
living alone. Suspicion at once seized
upon a woman, Mrs. Boughton by
name, and man named Couk. The
case came to trial and Mrs. Boughton
was charged with the murder and
Couk with being an accomplice. The
peculiar feature of the case was that
Couk, whose trial came first, was con-
victed of conspiring with Mrs. Bough
ton to commit murder, while Mrs
Boughton was acquitted of the charge
of murder. Couk served but a short
term in the penitentiary, being par
doned. He went to Texas, where he
afterward was hung for murder, and
report has it that at the time of his
death he made complete confession
of the Cailison murder.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

the Church of England, has proclaimed
himself an ardent friend and patron of
the drama. The bishop holds that one
of the chief difficulties facing the So
cial reformer is to keep poor people
out of mischief, and he declares that
he has seen thousands dragged from
the public house" by the simpler forms
of the play.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
GRANTS WRIT OF ERROR.
Indian Charged With Murder Will
Have a New Trial.

The supreme court granted a writ
of error and certificate of possible
cause in the case of Fake Flute, an
Indian in Roberts county, who was
charged with murder and the penalty
fixed by the jury at life Imprisonment.
Flute killed two officers who were at
tempting to levy on some property Of
his, and claims that the killing was
done in self-defense after they had
threatened the life of himself and son.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
The Wav He Went.

"Is Casey workin' here?" asked Fin
egan, entering the quarry shortly after
a blast.
"He was. but he jisht wint away" re-
piled Flanagan, the foreman.
Are We exploiting him back?"
YES, suppose so. Anyway, they do
say, whatever goes up mustn't come
down"
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

A Swiss watch, claimed to be 105
years old. is owned by William Strick-
Ter, the jeweler at Miller. 1t is hand
made and keeps accurate time. Its
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

Falling from a thirty-foot scaffold to
a pile of loose rock below, William
Elliott, carpenter employed at Cya-
hide No. . in Blaclltail, was fatally in.
lured and died. His skull was frac-
tured
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30
jury Thinks Woman Did Rioht.

Fort Dodge, Iowa, March 24.-The
grand jury refused to indict Mrs John
Keller, who shot her husband in a 10.
cal saloon with female companion.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

churchman Friend Of Drama.
The bishop of London, generally re-
garded as one of the wisest prelates of
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

The antics of drunken hoodlums
have so annoyed the local authorities
of Baltic that it has been decided to
build Jail in which to lodge violators
of the law In future. The township
board. acting on petition from the
citizens of Baltic, decided to have the
Jail constructed SO drunken and law
less characters can be suitably pun
ished. 1t is believed the construction
of the Jail and the arrest of all law
breakers will speedily make Baltic one
of the most orderly communities in
the state
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

Suffering broken leg in runaway
accident and lying on the prairie Tor
four hours with the temperature
around zero was the experience of G.,
Halsch, a Hutchinson county farmer.
He finally was found by two of his
sons and some neighbor boys who
CHANGED to pass along the road.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

In the oratorical contest held at
Huron, Charles r. Miller was the sue
cessful speaker, and will represent
Huron college at the state oratorical
contest to be held at Huron in May
His subject was abraham Lincoln"
and was pronounced by judges as well
as the audience to- be one of the finest
orations ever delivered by a college
student in Huron
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

Justice McCool of Miller held Harr,
Clegg, a ST, Lawrence druggist, to the
circuit court in $500 bonds on the
charge of Illegally selling liquor.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

The acetylene gas plant in Nc
Nish's saloon at Hill City blew mp.
completely wrecking the building. The
ruins caught fire and burned to the
ground. Thirteen or fourteen men
We're in the saloon at the time of the
explosion. One man was seriously in
jured; the others escaped.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

The public school officers of Brown
county held convention at Aberdeen
The subjects discussed We're: The
School as a Social Center" Patriotic
Instruction in Our Public Schools"
"Teachers' Wages (a) Past, OBJ Pres
ent, (c) Future" Rural Schoolhouses
and Grounds" Responsibility of Sue
cess or Failure of School,
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

The referendum petition on the
question of granting the ten years re.
bate of taxes for the erection of an OPP.
era house in Pierre has been filed with
the city auditor and the question will
be submitted at the regular spring
election
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

Pierre and recommended commuta-
ton of sentence from life imprison-
ment to ten years in the petition of
Michael Andres, sentenced from Car
rington county on charge of murder
The petition of Andrew Nightpipe for
pardon was denied, and the petition
of Richard Hayes was laid over for
further consideration.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

Articles of incorporation have been
filed for the Gold & Co. State bank OF
Big Stone City, with a capital of S2S,-
600. lncorporators, John T. Gold
James A. Gold, Nj. E. Gold, Robert j
Hicks and George H. Clark.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

The members of the Dell Rapids
volunteer fire department, at thcir
annual business meeting, elected the
following officers for the coming year:
Chief, G.. H. Blow; foreman, ID. r.
Richardson: assistant foreman, NJ. V
Medin; secretary, John Medium
treasurer. S. Swanson. The depart
ment is we'll organized and is one of
the most efficient in the state.
The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-03-30

The Pierre board of education has
rendered to Prof L. f. Frisll of Oma.
ha the position of superintendent OF
city schools made vacant by the resig.
nation of w. p. Dunlevy Mr. Frisll
has been for many years professor of
science and mathematics in the
schools of Omaha
The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1906-06-02
Tirzah Church..
Was Established over One
Hundred Years Ago--Some
of the People who Live in
the Community---Th Old
Heath Place.

The following is an extract
from a communication in the
Monroe Journal, written bv one
who has recently visited Tirzah
and vicinity.
The next place of note was
Mr.. w. ID. S arnes'. He has re.
Gently built a nice house and
has a large milling plant and
runs a big farm
After leaving Mr.. Starnes' |
soon came to the hospitable
home of Capt. j. }. c.. Steele
Capt. Steele is one of the Odd
landmarks and has been a use
full man in his community. In
the midst of this community is
Erirzah church. This is one of
the oldest and largest churches
in the county and his more than
800 members, which is perhaps
the largest membership of any
church in the county. This
church was organized in 1904
In the 10; years of its existence
it has bee, served by Twelve pas
tors, the shortest being one year
and the bngest twenty.seven.
Rev. w. '. Ratchford is the
pastor nowI md he lives in the
nice parsor &c near the church
Around thi church we find a
host of god citizens, among
them j. E. Sapson, j. Ii. Weir,
Pink Walkuh j. j. G. Steele,
The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1906-06-02

next and last place was at the
old Waxhaw Baptist church.
This is another one of Union
county's best churches which
has a large membership. In this
section we find a number of good
citizens, among them w. NJ.
Grow, l.. M. Riner, 4. ]. Sims,
Richard Grow, Ellis Austin and
others.