Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-04-09
The New Temperance Com
missioner Arrives and
Qualities for Office
Has Not YET Arranged for
His Office Force
His Career

50 GeOFSes murray, Inc new temper
ance commissioner recently appoint
ed by Governor Burke, arrived in the.
city yesterday from Sherbrooke. He
at once called on the governor and
qualified for Office and is now, or will
be when his Office at the capitol is
fixed up for him, ready for business.
| In conversation with the Tribune
| last night Mr.. Murray said he had
/ not had time to talk the business of
his Office overswith the governor, but
would have an interview with him to-
| day and get his views and policy in
the premises. He spoke in praise Of
| the stand the governor and attorney
general had taken for the enforce
ment Of the law and said the legal
steps taken in, Bismarck had had a
very marked effect for good all over
i the state and that it would make en-
forcement of the law much easier
for him.
Mr.. Murray has come to make Bis
marck his home for the next two
years at least. He is very pleasant
i man and one who undoubtedly will
wear we'll Z, z with those who come
i to know him socially. He has a big
lower jaw which betokens will power
and he looks like a man who went
after things and got them.
OF the new commissioner Judge
Ames of Mayville has the following
to say:
II think Gov. Burke's selection
Of George Murray as temperance
commissioner justifes local pride as
well as it gives general satisfaction.
] George Murray belongs to us. No
one else can have him, even If willing
to settle damages and pay for his
keeping. His rise has wholly been
among us, and we made him.
It recall when he struck Steele
county. He came afoot If he were
to do it over again now, he would
come in an automobile. He plunged
into the agricultural business first,
and a little later broke ground as a
school teacher. From these resources
i he banked enough to go to Ann Ar
Dor law school, where he soon grad
8 uated. But he was not through
s. with Steele county. He returned
4 but this time by more conventional
means of transportation and bridg-
ed over a period between the season
that he lit the second time and the
| next general election, by more school
teaching. George was the author OF
2 the first primary election law ever
put in force in this state. He did
!. not wait for the legislature to enact
n it either. The main features of his
measure were, first. see a thing and
then go after it. George saw the
q office Of states attorney for Steele
county. He did not attend any con
4 Yention but went out to every voter
Of that county, talked with him per-
sonally, and when the votes were
u counted his opponent, with a regular
q nomination, was far behind. George
took his certificate of election and
said no more about it. A brief span
of silence from election until the
time to qualify. marked off another
section of his life, then Steele county
4 heard roar, or more like a squeal
perhaps. George had gotten after
4 the blind pigs. This was in the days
of Judge Mcconnell, and it required
n resources that only Murray knew, but
4 he was ever active and when he got
his day in court under a Judge that
was with him it was time for every
body to quit.
But pigs were not his sole diet.
4 The old resident recalls the circum-
stances attending the organization OF
n Steele county, how it was stolen from
Trail, the action Of Gov. OrdWay in
q this deal, and these gave rise to some
!. difficult litigation that fell as a leg
4 acy to the new states attorney OF that
. county He did not stand gazing at
the magnitude of his task; he spit
4 on his hands, sought a law library,
q and where winning was possible he
(, won, and saved his county thousands
+ Of dollars.
But to revert. He cleaned up
i Steele county Of illicit sale of intox-
icants and II he had had a bigger
Il county II would have been all the
4 same A
hen Lindlie's thrifty manage
Iment Of the enforcement league lef,
the position Of its field secretary ",
Il ing in the mire, where 1T lay fol
years, no one dared touch it. George
s. Murray picked 1t up. and he did moi
burn rag before he approached i
either. No filter person could have
taken 1t. Fearless and capable. hs