The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-27
SECUTED over
site OF CAPITAL
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF
o. n. WALL, NOW LIVING IN
WASHINGTON STATE WAS A
FRIEND or COL. LoUNssERRY-
CAME TO BISMARCK IN 1853.

Bismarck Tribune: The ',,4 is
in receipt of an interesting letter
from o. Fl. Wall of Friday Harbor,
Wash, which will be very instructive
to all who are interested in the early
history Of this section of the slope. Mr..
Wall secuted over the present site Of
the capital citv Of the state before
there was any sign Of human habita-
ton. His letter follows:
Friday Harbor, Wash, Feb. 90
Editor Tribune: The death Of Mar
shall Jewell calls TO mind many events
or the olden time-the time when Bis
marck was not, as we'll as the time
when Bismarck was in its infancy, for
rode over the ground where Bismarck
now fiourishes, before the town was
even a Pigment in any human brain,
and before the Northern Pacific had
even been talked about as a dream.
Almost forty-eight years ago, or to
be specific, early on the morning OF
July 20, 1853, we entered the valley
Of the Missouri from the east, in pur-
suit of the willy Sioux whose strong
rear guard, in the gray of dawn of that
day, harrassed our advance to permit
their fleeing families and comrades
cross the Missouri river before we
should reach that stream. 1t was on
beautiful summer morning that we
got from the eastern hills of the val
ley. our first view Of the Missouri,
with its green forest-belt that so ap-
pealed to the soldier eye, long accus-
toned to treeless plains. I shall new
er forget that panoramic view of the
Missouri river valley. There was
newness and a freshness about the
whole virgin scene, as it lay a beauti-
full landscape at out feet, unfolded to
US under benign skies, in a crisp spicy
atmosphere that was "elixir to the
lungs" and an inspiration to the soul
Of youth, that will linger as long as
reason holds it's throne. In accom-
plishment of their endeavor to escape,
the principal Indian mass, along with
their impediments had, during the
night Of July % and the early morning
Of July 20, crossed the Missouri, and
as a part of the spectacle witnessed
when first the valley came into view,
was the scrambling mass OF Sioux,
climbing the hills upon which in later
years Fort Lincoln was founded.
However it was not of these matters
I started out to speak, but rather of
how near l came to being a pioneer
citizen of Bismarck, and one of the
founders and publishers Of The Bis
marck Tribune, with which the late
Marshall Jewell was so long associat-
ed Colonel Lounsberry and myself,
had, as young men, been engaged in
The newspaper business in southern
Minnesota since the close of the Civil
war, well acquainted with each other,
but not, however, as business asso-
Gates. He had finally gravitated 20
Minneapolis, where he remained on
the daily press of that city until he
was induced by officers Of the North
ern Pacific Railway Co. to go to Bis
marck, soon to become the terminus
of the road, there to found the flu
lure capitars first newspaper. Hav-
ing disposed of my newspaper inter
ests in southern Minnesota, was
spending a few months at Audubon,
in Becker county, MINI. On May 5
1873, Colonel Lounsberry wrote me
II Jill hllAliAGdDDlASs dppElEluA lIlb VI Ills
conclusion to go to Bismarck, and as
surfing me there could be no escape
from my joining him in founding The
Tribune on almost any terms / chose
TO name. / received this letter on
May 7. I was foot loose and care
free. submitted the matter of
decision TO Mrs. Wall, who was with
me. the sole question Ringing on social
conditions of Bismarck at that time
the worst imaginable. The town was
not only on the terminus OF a great
transcontinental road, at the crossing
of one of the nations greatest rivers,
navigated then by steamboats,, but It
was the Quitting point for the Black
Hills country, and conditions were I'M
speakably bad. On casting the matter
over in her mind, Mrs. Wall expressed
a preference not to go to Bismarck
for reasons just stated, and as her
preference was well taken and re-
spected, l decided not to join in the
proposed enterprise, which since that
day has done so much for North Da-
kota. On the following morning I
received a telegram from General
Manager Mead, Of the Northern Pa
N4AlCg bulCh at dAAu OllC llOlll
Colonel Lounsberry, also dated at
Brainerd. Mr. Mead stated that he
would be on the west bound passenger
train of that day, with transportation
for Mrs. Wall and myself to Bismarck.
The coloneps telegram stated: Have
complete printing outfit in car at
tached to passenger train. Join us at
Audubon" / met the gentlemen at
the train, and said as automatically
and with as much gratitude as my
vocabulary would express, the word
that cost me the honor of being one
of the founders of The Bismarck
Tribune.
Our army. the first to ever invade
the upper Missouri valley, established
and occupied Camp Slaughter, near
the mouth of Apple creek, about four
miles below where Bismarck stands.
During our occupancy for a few days
of this camp. we rode in scouting par
ties, over the virgin plain upon which
Bismarck is situated. o. s. Wall.