Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-11-06
STORY OF THE n. ?. R. R.
Col Lounsbury Writes Enertainngy in The North Dakota
Magazine Of the Road and Pioneers In This
Section of the State

flag, accompanied by many Of his
warriors, in the procession which
welcomed General Grant and others
on. this occasion. - ~ ~.
Edwin F. Johnson conceived the
idea of the construction OF, the North
ern Pacific railroad. at the Office of
Thomas H. Garfield, at Burlington,
Vermont, he planted the enthusiasm
and aroused the energy in the breast
of that young enthusiast, which organ
lied the forces and pushed the work
to completion. It was largely Can
fields work which procured the char
ter; his work that saved It.; his that
organized the syndicate which finally
built it, and his. that enlisted Jay
Cooke in the enterprise.
The great financial concern of Jay
Cooke & Co., which had negotiated
the bulk of the government loans dur
ing the civil war, was forced into
bankruptcy by reason of its connection
with the construction of the Northern
Pacific railroad, and the panic Of 1873
resulted therefrom- The bonds of the
Northern Pacific which had been SO
recently placed at nearly par fell to
10 cents on the dollar, sweeping away
the fortunes of thousands who had in
vested their all in the securities of
the company. .@.,s.sn 49, =:
1882 Hiram iB. Wadsworth and w.
l.. Hawley of Minnesota shipped in
200 head OF. young cattle for ranging
on the plains west of the Little Mis-
souri, river and established a ranch
sixty miles up the river from Medora.
Other ranching interests rapidly fol-
lowed the establishment Of this, the
first ranch of importance in North
Dakota. In 1881 Joseph and Sylvane
Ferris and A. W. Merrifield came to
the Little Missouri region and en-
gagged in hunting. ;. s. IT,. =:
In September, 1888, Theodore Roose-
welt came to Medora, North Dakota,
for the purpose of hunting. Joseph
Ferris accompanied him on his hunt
ing expedition and on September II,
1883, on the plains Of North Dakota,
Mr.. Roosevelt killed his first buffalo.
On the trip Mr.. Roosevelt became in
terested in the subject of stock grow
ing, and on his return purchased the
Maltese Cross herd of cattle and
placed them in the hands of Sylvane
NJ. Ferris and A. W. Merrifieldc ON the
Chimney Butte ranch seven miles
south of Medora. He added several
hundred head to the bunch that fall
and the next year established the Elk
horn ranch, thirty-fye miles down the
river from Medora. This ranch was
in charge Of SeWall and Dow. On the
two ranches he had some 5000 head
Of cattle, and twice a. year visited
these ranches and participated in the
round up, one season remaining until
Christmas. Theodore Roosevelt was
mot TEDDY" on the range but Mr..
Roosevelt" always, the men showing
their respect for him. in his absence
as well as dn his presence. During
the present summer his son, Kermit
rode on horseback from DeadWood to
Medora, accompanied by Hon. Seth
Bullock, and spent 4 few days with the
ranch friends of Mr. Roosevelt. Dur;
ing his stay at Medora Mr.. Roosevelt
was one summer deputy sheriff, and
| was as fearless and faithful Ia the
| performance of his duty as he ex
| poets his appointees to be. Mrs
Roosevelt visited the ranch in the
summer of 1890. He retained his in
J .erests in North Dakota cattle growing