Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-08
EARLY ! DAYS |! RECALLED | j
PRESENCE OF COL. WILBUR 4
STEELE AS IA JUROR IN
THE THAv


CASE CAUSES oLp-TiME NEWsPA-5
PERMEN no RECALL HIS Elk \.
PERIENcE IN TERRITORY.
Fargo Forum: The Forum has said,
"a great many times, that nothing i'm
portant could occur except when some
Dakotan had something to do with 1T,
1 and usually occupied an important
placeon the stage. This was exempli-
fed when the Kingston disaster oc-
CURED and Jacob Lowell, who had
been a resident Of Fargo since 1871,
8 was visitor in that city at the time,
but escaped unframed.
The matter comes upsagain in con-
nection with the Thaw trial, when j,l-
! rof No. 8 is Wilbur F. Steele, the man
who organized Kidder county and 10
Gated the townsite Of Steele and was
one Of the moving spirits in Dakota
territory back In the early eighties.
V He was also a member Of the legisla-
y ture in 1885. Colonel Steele came to-
Dakota about 1879 and opened a large
\ farm at Steele. It was then called
the Seventeenth siding or some
thing of the nature. He went into the
dairy business, had fine cattle, fast
horses and choice chickens, and pro-
syided every convenience for them. He
planted many rows Of trees in the vi
entity of his farm and in 1881 the leg
& islature at Yankton authorized the or
4 ganization Of Kidder county. He was
anxious to obtain the naming OF the
commissioners so that. they would des-.
nate Steele as q temporary county
seat, but could not get any satisfac-
ton from Governor Ordway in re-
gard to the appointment. Colonel
Steele came to Fargo on business and,
in chatting with Major Edwards, told
him Of his troubles. The major ask
ed him who he wished as commission
ers and he gave the names, including
John Van Dusen Of Tappan, or the
& Troy farm as it was generally called
at that time. Major Edwards imme-
diately wired the governor, asking
him to name the gentlemen suggested
as the first county commissioners OF
Kidder coutny, and, within three or.
four hours. had a dispatch back stat.
ing that the men had been appointed
] and their commissions mailed.
Any one who knows Colonel Steele
can imagine his Joy over the receipt
of this Telegram. and he wanted to
know what he could do to reimburse
the major, and even offered him quite
q sum Of money, but the major declin-
ed. but said that If he could arrange
1t SO that The Argus would receive the
orders for the county supplies he
would be pleased.
The colonel promised that this
\ should be done and left for st. Paul
that night to look after some other
business in connection with his new
d townsite.
Three or four days later The Pio-
4 neer Press came out with a column
writeup Of the county of Kidder and
the new town Of Steele, and as soon
as Major Edwards saw it he smell a
mouse and remarked that George
3 Bohn, erintendent Of The Pioneer
Press job plant had got hold OF Col
B onel Steele and induced him to give
the order.
tigatfon proved that this was
4 the case and then Major Edwards
& sent Colby West out to Jamestown.
Steele and Bismarck and he gathered
the data for q series of articles On
Colonel Steele, and each day vicious
attack appeared upon the new town
site proprietor.
After six or eight of these had been
I published, Colonel Steele came into
Fargo determined to thrash the ma
jor The colonel weighed about $50
pounds at that time and was In good
fitting trim, but the major saw him
coming, got into his room and behind
his desk, before the colonel reached.
him, and there was Al never a blow
4 struck, as Major Edwards got the col
onel talking. and he finally sat down
and before he left the office, gave The
Argus an order for some $1,4Oe Or s1,.
500 worth Of lithograph work for his
new bank to be started at Steele and
for the different departments Of his
farm, and from that time on they were
4 the best Of friends.
Eastern papers have made much Of
this incident, and, as rule, have
grossly exaggerated it but the fore
going account may be relied upon as
correct, as It is written By the only
person who was present Ia the once
at the time of this occurrences. aside,