Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-05-30
irish : American Community
Was One of His Castles
in Spain.
THE GOLD RUSH DAYS

Pierre. S. D.-Special: The depart
ment of history has just received new
light upon the life and career of
Charley Collins, for years editor of
the old Sioux City Times and a prime
promoter of Sioux City and Dakota
Territory in the Cos and '70s. 1t APP
pears that Collins was Il natural prop
agandist, Il dreame of wonderful
lima gination. but above all Il loyal
son of Erin. With him, ireland was
an obscssion.
One of his castles in Spain" was Il
great frish-Anlerican community,
where Irish patriotism could be en-
gendered n munitions of war coll
lected. so that when Ensland's ex-
tremitN and Ireland's opportunity
came. a patriotic army OF Irish
Americans could be at once thrown
into tho British dominions and wipe
out. root and branch. the English OPP
pressors from the American CONT
nent." He quietly secured the in
dorseilent of his scheme by the Fenian
congress of 1869 and got Il charter
from congress. naming as incorpora-
tors. among others. Wendell Philips,
a. I. Stewart. Jim Fiske and Ben
Butler. He proposed to build his Hi
bernian commonwealth on the. banks
of the Missouri opposite the mouth OF
White river. to which place ne re-
paired. constructed II dug-out. plated
a great city i'm his mind, which he
called I;rule City, and proceeded to
advertise for Irish settlers. One of
these. Il prospective druggist. is said
7" have come out to Hrule City looking
for am opening. He expressed some
disappointment, in Collins presence.
at tn" absence of fine dwellings, and
public buildings. Collins grabbed him
here and there across the prairie. stop
ping occasionally to say, Here is the
opera house; this is TIN" city hall: be-
hold the court house. and look at the
postoffice." His imagination easily
placed these objects i'm reality before
Eenian Invasion.
II was about this time that the fla
NOUS l'enian invasion OF Canada at
Niagara Falls failed to laateri.lize.
Collins believed that Canada should be
attacked from the back door. and
through his influence some 80 pa
triots were induced to come out to
Canadian invasion; their idea being
Of like kind to that of John Brown, at
Harper's ''crry-that once the battle
cry was sounded that lrisl,nen from
all the world would rally to their
standard. These men were. distributed
al Forts Randall. Sully. Rice and Blu
ford. where, the commandments be-
coming suspicious OF the lOiterers, in
auired OF. and received instructions
from the war department to disperse
them. They We're in turn dispersed
and all headed across country TIC
Pembina. at which place they met
crossed the international boundary
captured the customs house and Hud-
son Bay coinpany's post and We're pre-
pairing to march on Fort Garry when
they We're arrested and the expedition
broken UP by United States soldiery
under Captain Wheaton. from Fort
Pcnb1na. They were indicted for {:
breach of the neutrality laws, and the
leaders. John O'Neill. Thomas Curley
j. ]. Donelly and w. Y. O'Donoghue
imprisoned at the fort.
1t will be noticed that Collins did not
ACCOMPANY the invaders. Here the.
were kept for a time. but the recort
does not show how their cases Were
finally disposed. the only 1rkling being
IN letters from United States .Attorne,
Warren Cowlcs. resident at Nernlillion