The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-11-27

lIC liCSCilt Cllst do WILL do III llC
~neighborins own OF Ethan. Mt. Yer
non, Parkston and Armour, opened
the first hardware store in the town,
carried mail longer than any other
man in the service in Mitchell. and
last and best is the largest single
contributor to the city's growth. 1t is
perhaps fitting hat such a man
should be named postmaster of The
city which he helped to build from :;
sod shanty to a municipality ranking
third in South Dakota.
Was Immigrant Boy.
Landing in New York City us au
Tom first learned the trade of 4
plumber and steam-fitter. Gradually
working his way westward, in the
winter of 1873 he arrived at Algona,
la, then the western terminal OF the
Milwaukee road. In the years preced.
ing he had married and become the
father of four children, but the moth
er died and that winter the young
father cared for his youngsters single
handed.
Early in the following spring, on
-larch 8, 1879, Mr.. Ball brought his
family overland to Rockport, on the
James river southeast of Mitchell. AT
ter a few weeks, he moved to Fire
steel, which promised to bud into {
struggling pioneer town. But the hop
es OF the settlers We're groundleSs
and in September, 1850, all tore down
their shacks and moved to the Mil
waukee road townsite, which mater
allied into Mitchell
The mammoth red barns, modern
homes and graded highways of the
country surrounding Mitchell were
then but a. dream of the widest
fancy. Instead were found a few
scattered shacks of logs and sod.
Rather then sleek white-faced and
shorthorned cattle were herds of buff
falo. antelope and deer. for at that
time the country was still primeval.
IIomcsteaded South of Here.
After helping to survey the town
Mr., Ball chose a homestead two miles
south Of the site, now known as the
Fred Widmann farm, ind built the
first hardware store, on the site of
the present M. II. Gosche store, The
shack was built Of rough lumber,
with a taxpayer roof. but it ranked
with the otner stores of the village.
This store vas sold in 1881 to l.. w.
Ad.ams, another pioneer, whose death
was noted but 4 month ago. The real
estate business and farming occupied
Mr.. Balls time for another year, and
on March 20, 1882, he entered the
%postoffice service as chairman of the
civil service board, a position he had
held continuously ever since.
Mitchell grew like a mushroom in
the first few years and it was not long
before the young metropolis vas in
need of mail carriers. And it was just
twenty years, seven months and %
days ago Sunday when Mr.. Ball start
ed out as one of the two mail carriers
in Mitchell. His route covered the en-
tire south portion of the town, as we'll
as some of the north part. And thus
over twenty years ago, in the buggy
driven all the time by Franz Brandt,
the new postmaster commenced the
task that has brought it's reward. His
sturdy gray-clad figure, riding in the
little old phaeton and trudging from
house to house with his CHEEKY word
of greeting and the same old merry
twinkle in the eyes. will be missed.
He is no longed Tom" Ball, known
and beloved by all, but Thomas j.
Ball, postmaster over one of the larg-
est offices in the state OF South Da-
hota.
AS A City Builder.
But it is a real "city builder" that
Tom Ball-he will be anything
but Tom to his friends and acquaint-
ances, even If he should become a
major-general-has won his real dis
tinction.
For many years when a new arri-
val reached Mitchell and began in
quiring about for a house in which
to establish. himself and his family,
about the first inquiry made of him
by any n to whom he might apply
for information as TO where to- find
such a place, would In all probability
v--t-S,N