Bismarck daily tribune., 1911-12-29
VOYAGE Of THE DURfEE
(Continued from page ~

spoken silent defiance to the decree
which commands things to create,
multiply and increase upon the face
of the earth-they have neither Great
ed. increased nor multiplied, but are
the same in number, size and desolate
.barrenness as when their geological
epoch was laid by the retiring waters
which divided thu lands from the sea;
for hundreds of years the grass has
gnown green and withered upon up
land and bottom; for hundreds OF
years the gentle savage or the savage
gentleman. has feasted his eyes upon
these delights and miseries, and his
stomach upon the fruits of the labors
of squaws and white men.
But what care we for the doings
of centuries back. We hasten to Bis
marck which is the creation of no an
tiquated lapse of time, but the product
of few years energetic growth. The
Durfee took us there in six and one
half days and unloaded freight at
every intervening post and agency.
We congratulate the Durfee ON her
speed we congratulate the captain tor
rushing her along; the clerk for his
management of freight installments;
the pilots, J. LeBarge and Dam Com
FORT for the acurate twists they made
and the bars they skipped; the mate
Jesse Stapleton, for dhis pleasant
alacrity; the two engineers, VIM. and
James Coulson for their share of the
work; Shoe Fly. Ginger, Sugar, Jim
River and the balance of the crew for
their tjreless muscles, and finally our
selves for being there and seeing It
all. Bismarck is a town Of one street
and several smaller streets, and boast
Of population Of 800 souls. The one
street mentioned is the principal
street, and upon it the business OF
the embryo city is mostly done. It is
full of the right sort of enterprise, and
every man woman and child In 1t feels
that the future of the city rests up
on his or her indiv' dual shoulders,
which by the way is the proper feel
ing in any new town. 1t toreshadows
advancement, and with the spirit
which prevails Bismarck cannot slum-
Der while the world moves on The
only fault we have to find with the
town is that it is too far from the
river-but perhaps we should reverse
the form Of our complaint and reprove
the river for being SO far from the
town. Rivers 10 not talk back, but
the Tribune is quick to resent any
reflection upon its Bismarck. Speak
ing of the Tribune brings to mind the
fact THAT it will probably appear as a
daily before many weeks elapse. Col.
Loumsberry is sitting up the pins for
this enterprise, and If Bismarck un-
understands herself she will sustain 1t.
We met many people In Bismarck
with open hearts and open doors, and
they kindly bade us enter both. Col.
Brown and family, of Yankton, are
Rourishing i'm their good Old 1ospit.
able way, and Ben Ash, who made the
trip up with US, on the Durfee, made
US feel as though his feelings stfhl in
clined Yaml1tonward. OF all the many
who gave the party hearty welcome
we cannot indfvidualize, for they are
a host. They were expecting US,
watching for us, perhaps praying for
us, and their pleasant ways makes the
hdieu a regret When they come to
see us they will find the latch string
reaches several hundred miles up the
Missouri.
At half past seven O'Clock on Thurs
day evening; the 18th inst, the Dur
fee backed away from the Bsfarck
levee and truned her nose homeward.
At Ft. Lincoln we made la halt, and
Capt. Mason kindly gave us time for
a brief inspection of the surroundings.
Col. Tom Custer and Capt. A. E. Smith
of the 7th cavalry, had all the post
carriages in waiting, and the party
made a flying inspection Of the beauti-
full grounds and building improve.
ments at the fort. The compliment
is 'highly appreciated by the party,
and in return we will speak the truth
and say THAT Lincoln is the finest post
on the river. and that the occupants
deserve all they possess in the way of
comfort and attractive surroundings.
At Standing Rock and Cheyenne agen-