Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-03
lNlDQR1EGI 0iS

Agricultural College, March 2. The
fine collection of Indian relics which
ex-County Superintendent M. A. Simp-
son of Sargent county kindly loaned
to the Agricultural college three years
ago, has now become the property of
the institution. ...
Superintendent Simpson was one Of
the most careful and painstaking and
enthusiastic collectors Of articles illus
trating the early life of the Mandans
and other western Indians that ever
came to North Dakota. The collec-
tion is very complete of the weapons
and tools of the smooth stone age. 1t
is too extensive to warrant any de-
tailed enumeration In brief it may be
said that it contains of stone hammers
alone nearly one hundred. These vary
in size from those weighing ten or
twelve pounds down to the little
squaw hammer used by the dusky wo-
men in the finishing off of their hus-
bands victims.
There are also pestles which show
long and hard wear in grinding the
Indian maize. Also barbettes sugges-
tive of the crude and simple methods
of baking corn cakes as practiced
among the Indians.
The collection includes number Of
stone axes, some of which are equal
in finish to anything extant. Also
hatchets of the various types known
to the Mandans. In addition to those
of stone, there are number of iron
4 axes such as the early Hudson Bay
traders used to exchange with the In
dams for furs, hence they may be just
~ called high priced.
The lighter side of Indian life is
represented by bone, shell and stone
ornaments, also gambling instruments
and half a dozen Indian pipes.
OF the smaller fints, there is large
collection Of knives, skin scrapers,
gun flints, skinniIg stones and hun
dreds Of points varying from those in
tended for the largest spear down to
the very smallest flint tip. "a
A skull and a rifle barrel from the
\ White Stone Fill battle ground are
also numbered with the collection.
Mr.. Simpson has certainly done a
valuable work in rescuing these relics
and we trust will remember the school
again in the future. We hope that
& this collection will form nucleus and
that friends Of the institution will
keep it in mind and as occasion offers
add to it anything that is illustrative
of Indian life and pioneer life in this
region
Since this collection has been
placed Mr.. G. I. Guinness of Abercrom-
bic, and a member Of the graduating
class this year, has added to it a very
fine specimen of the larger type Of In
dian hammer and large piece Of
petrifed wood, both of which he found
last summer out in Williams county.
Tonight the officers of the military
department give a military ball in the
college armory. This is the first event
/. of the sort ever attempted by the mill
tary Of the agricultural college and a
4 great deal of interest is being taken in
the affair by both the faculty and stu
dent body, as it will be conducted en-
tirely along military lines and stu
dents not in uniform will not be per-
mitted to attend.
While the dance is given to arouse
more interst in the military depart
ment, 1t is also illustrative Of the
great increase in this interest that has
developed this year.
Where last year a scant company
and that but half uniformed, there are
now two full uniformed companies
and third, non-uniformed, to say moth
ing Of the band, which for the first
time in its existence is entirely uni
formed. About sixty-five are taking
band work. Is IS H.
Still further interest has been
aroused by the recent exchange by the