Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-07-30
BY Arnold Nicholson.

Gray, N. d.. July 29.-After two ant
a half days in the. capital of Stuts
man county, the Overlander party, Il
! strong, broke again into its working
groups of twOs and threes. This Il
not to say that the II didn't work
for scarcely a residence or place 81
business failed to receive a call from
some Of us, while we stayed In James
town.
Three Of us left for the north, head
ed up the Jim river, for the Spirit
wood lake country to the northeast
1t was not long until we were attract.
ed by a large white house SCI
amongst many old green trees ant
not distant from the Jim, and on the
bank of a small lake, once a part OF
the river. 1,
This Is the home OF William L.
H0el, one of the villages earliest pio'
neers. 1t was in 1877 that Mr.. Hollis
eyes first gazed upon the beauties OF
this broad old glacial valley, seeing
its prospects he returned two years
later and settled permanently. His
farm, appropriately named Spruce
dale" is bounded on the east by the
jim river, while it's western. line is
the Jfm's tributary, the Pipestone
river. There is, a natural lake on the
place, so that it is certainly not a
dry spot. The farm contains 200
acres, and it is all in crop. There is
a six.acre alfalfa field that has, to
date, yielded two crops, and there
will be Ys third; red top and timothy
have safs6 yielded excellent tonnage
here. & z rIEr
Mr.. Hoil is also a stock raiser. Be-
sides cattle and hogs, he has a herd
Of 'Angora goats. These are in fine
condition and are very profitable, as
their wool is many times higher than
sleeps wool. Chickens are Matched
by three incubators, and there are
ducks and geese on the place.
Farming has not been William l..
Hollis sole occupation. He is a tax.
idermist Of exceptional ability, and
has mounted over a hundred speci-
mems of North Dakota's native game.
In, all his stay in this district he has.
however, never shot n animal, al
though they have been often thick
about his wagon during his many
trips through the country. His mu-
scum is filled with buffalo heads.
crane, grouse, antelope and many 9th
ers. He has also collected many
shells and fossils, and has a valuable
lot. Indian relics collected in early
campaigns. for Mr.. Hall was with Sib.
ley for four months and was present
at Hawks Nest" and has bracelets
and clubs taken from the Indians at
this place, add to the museums in
terest. Mr.. Hollis other pioneer feats
were; Tracing the first mail route
from old Fort Yankton Is. d. up to
jamestown, and then driving the first
four horse coach up his own blazed
trail, n
Later he vas in the fur and hide
business, which then consisted in
trading with the Indians. The fact
that he IS always a welcome visitor
among the red men at the Standing
Rock, where he is known as the "'Tall
Smoking Man." is conclusive evidence
of methods Of fairness, he employed
in dealings with them. WI
In 1892 Mr.. Hall was in Newport,
then the Paris of the U. S. Here he
met such men as Vanderbilt and Ben.
nett, at that time the biggest finan.
ciers Of u country. When they
found out that he was from, as they
said, "Way out in North Dakota he
was their continual guest. Mr.. Hall
said, They quizzed me terribly
about the country, for at that time
they 9 looking for a place to in.
vest eastern capital, and they want.
ed to learn of the new west" At
that time Sitting Bull was a %favorite