Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-01-04

ward the members OF the par mere TO-
For certainly the courtesy
which has been extended to me during
my lon. experience which ! have had
upon the bench. has been a source OF
great pleasure to me. Brethren, you
have always been ready and willing
to overlook my imperfectons. At
times | may have spoken words that
| ought no. to have spoken-undoubt.
eddy have. but | have always been
treated with the most profound re-
spect by every single member of the
bar without an exception, and | want
10 return to you. my brethren, my sin.
cere thanks for the kind treatment
which | have always received at your
hands, and | sincerely hope and ex.
pcct that the same courtesy which has
been extended to me during my long
experience upon the bench will also
be extended TO my worthy successor
who Is about to take up the work
that ! have laid down.
"reminiscences Of a Quarter Of a Cen.
fury on the Bench.
Hon W. H. ,nchester: NJ, Toast
master and Bre:hren:--This event has
certainly been a red letter event in
my life. As | have been seated here
tonight. and as my memory has taken
me back over the events of the last
twenty-five or thirty years, ] have
wondered Ii there would be as many
important changes in the next twenty.
five or thirty years as there have been
IN the past twenty-five or thirty. Broth
er Register and |. as We sat here this
evening. were discussing the question
as to what building stood upon the lot
where we are seated this evening. Per.
haps some Of the older members will
remember the old livery barn and
| shack that was here-the old livery
barn run by Mr.. John Austin. And
was wondering if old John Austin
could have gone to sleep twenty-five
years ago and been awakened here
this evening aid looked out upon this
magnificent, fire proof hotel, looked in.
to this elegant dining room, looked
into the faces of these intelligent law.
yers, what sort of a world would the
poor livervman think he had gotten
into.
And this illustrates what might ap-
pear to II minds as we 60 out from
this hotei to the other buildings and
other streets Of the city, and see out
into the country around about. We
can hardly believe. brethren, that SO
many important changes could take
place in so short a time.
When | went upon the bench, as
has been intimated by our Toastmast.
err. the district was much larger than
it is now, comprising the four coma.
ties on this side of the river and ev.
erything west of the Missouri to the
Montana line. l believe the district
at that time would measure about $50
miles from east TO west and the west.
ern part OF it about 200 miles north
and south. The only places at that
time that could be reached by rail
were the county seats that were 10.
Gated on the main line of the North
ern Pacific railway. Some of the old
er members of the bar will well re-
member that at that time to reach the
county seat of Mclean county We had
to drive 40 miles. to reach Emmons
county 40 miles-old Williamsport-
and they were moi satisfied with that
and they finally moved the county
seat 90 miles farther to Linton; and
over on the other side of the river a
60 mile drive from Mandan to Stanton.
and then later on when the counties
became organized we had to drive
from Dickinson about 40 miles to
Dunn county. and overland. fording
the Little Missouri river. 100 miles to
Mckenzie county. and so on down;
and later CT down into the southwest.
ern corner of the state into the newly
organized counties.
! still remember II OF the first
| terms of court that l held in the bad
lands. l am not sure but what Brother
Register was there at the time. 1t was
a COW country at that time. We had
a jury. We, tried a number of criminal
cases, among them n horse thief. an
Indian halfbreed. i never will forget
the jury that was called in that case.
They came in there with their spurs,
pants in their bootlegs. coats off. sun
burned. rough and ready: most Of
| them came from long distances on
horse back. The jury was empanelled
and will lever forget the attention
that that jury paid. Never. And
became interested in finding out some
of the personal history of these men.
inquiring into 1t. I found that upon
that jury in that COW country, among
nat appeared to be rough men. there
were FIVE college graduates and some
other men upon the jury who were
pretty well educated.
Ard tnar. was another
nected with that term which | will
not forget. Some of the jurymen and
some of the other cowmen conceived
the idea of sort of initiating the judge
into the sport of hunting wolves on
horse back, and they had a committee
come and see me and asa me if l
would like TO join such a party. They
?lid they had about fifteen grey
hounos, and they would furnish plenty
of good horses if I would consent to go
with them after we had finished the
term. and they would be very glad to
Initiate me into that kind of sport.
1t STRUCK me Just right. So early in
the morning, after court had closed.
hey came around with the hounds,
about a dozen boys am fifteen or TWEEN
ty hounds. 1 noticed they lad a horse
for the judge. and also could not help