Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-26

their headquarters at Bismarck back
in 1889, and the long trains taking
in supplies to the Black Hills made
Bismarck one of the most important
Quitting and shipping points in the
country. In 1879 George Peoples,
in filling a government contract, re-
ceiyed full cargo of stoves by boat
from Pittsburg. This was before the
surrender Of Sitting Bull and the
final conquering of the hostile Sioux
Indians, and Old Fort Lincoln, five
miles distant across the Missouri,
was one of the most important regi-
mental military posts in. the coun-
try
The directory shows that in 1879
there were "a saloons and restau-
rants in Bismarck, rs freighters and
contractors, 96 mechanics, 20 engag-
ed in general business and 21S team
sters and stage drivers.
Walter Mann, of St. Paul, was then
president of the First National bank
at Bismarck, Geo. H. Fairchild,
cashier, and H. R. Porter, Dan Els
enberg, Asa Fisher, were members
of the board of directors.
The old Sheridan House, now the
! Northwest, was owned by E. H. Bly,.
now dead, and stood where the new
Northern Pacific depot is now 10
Gated. r=.a
Joseph Dietrich advertised an ON
nibus line to the steamboat land
| ing, Fort Lincoln, Mandan and other
points. The Tribune was published
at Al Main street, where the west por-
ton of the Gussner building, corner
of Main and Second streets now
stands, was weekly and the sub
scription price was $3.50. In those
| days letter heads cost $40 a thous-
| and other job printing in proportion.
| Pennies were unknown and the two
| bit piece was the usual change
dimes and nickles were scarce. A
shave cost quarter and beer was
ten cents glass. The first man to
reduce the price of beer to nickle
the stand where is now located
| the Star restaurant-was given his
"quit" papers and run out of town.
| He left on steamboat for Fort
| pocket. .
Until the winter of 1889 the
boundaries of Morton county extend
ed to the Missouri river, as they do
| now. The county seat had been To-
( Gated at Lincoln City, nearly oppo-
site to Bismarck, about mile from
the river. A log court house had
been constructed and it, with one or
two other houses, constituted the
city. County records were purchased
and lot-jumping was the principal
occupation of the new Corners Then
a new city was laid out, with county
seat ambition-Sheridan, about half
a mile east of the present city of
Mandan. Then came news that the
legislature at Yankton, the territor-
ial capitol, had extended the boun-
daries of Burleigh county SO as to
| include large portion of Morton
county. But this lasted only until
| the next session of the legislature,
when the original boundaries of Nor
ton were restored, giving the people
OF the new county proprietary in
terest in the good mountain waters
OF the Missouri river. Hon. Robert
| Macnieder was the territorial coun-
| Gilman from Bismarck when the Nor
ton county territory was taken-to
help out a ferry purchase - and
Farmer Wallace was in the legis-
lature in 1879 when the territory wac
! restored
The Bismarck legislative district
then comprised the counties of Bur-
leigh and Stevens, which took in all
the territory west Of Barnes county,
including Stutsman, and north in
Guiding Ramsey-al1 in the Bismarck
(11th) legislative district.
The first train to cross the Mis-
souri, river, following the extension
| of the road west, was on February
-, 1879. 1t consisted of an engine
and fiat car and crossed on the
Use, which was about three feet thick.
Back in the early days thirty years
ago, Alex Mckenzie, then sheriff of
Burleigh county, is spoken of in this
directory as having CLEANED the city
of the many crooks and blacklegs,
and established for Bismarck an en-
viable reputation for law and or
der"
The directory is in an excellent
state of preservation and is of in
atrinsic worth in the compilation of