Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-20
BYGONE DAYS IN THE BADLANDS
YIvIOlY BROUGHT TO MEMORY BY
DAD fOLEY,A SLOPE PIONEER

time, the King said: Never mind
the Locusts, but finish the story"
The prisoner made answer: "How
can / finish the story, Q King, when
II am not done with the GLocusts?''
Bill Jones, Foul Mouth was an
other old Bisnlarcker. Jones came
from County Gavin, Ireland, landing
in New York in the early seventies.
He Joined the army and was assigned
to duty at Fort Pcmbina, from where
he deserted and changed his name
from Patrick MCCue to William
! Jones. He was not a student Of
ethnology or he would not have TAX
en- "a Welsh name. He often told
INC OF his trip up the Red from Penn
bina; Of passing the place where
Fargo is now located, and his return
! down stream until he met the grad:
ing crew of the n. p, and working
with the graders until bismarck was
reached. lie remained around Bis
marck until the road started west,
when he, too, started, going west Us
far as Billings, Mont, where he
claimed to have been in the saloon
business for a time; later coming 10
Medora. He remained in this county
about 20 years, serving two terms as
sheriff, after the county was organ
ICED. Bill was a man OF very limited
education, but had a fund of Irish
wit, and was a character III his way.
He at times wanted to be bad, but
ne was at heart a very generous
man. Once on his way, to Dickinson
he was much annoyed by our old-time
pests, the Newsboys.' Bill always
travelled, as he worked, in rather dir
.ty clothes, and the Newsy thought lie
saw easy picking. He was, until Ell
threw his basket of curiOs out Of the
car window. A letter from Montana
a few years since Informed me thai
his frozen body had been found in
the mountains near the Yellowstone
park.
Sam Whitney was another old Bis
marcker, and a most remarkable
man. While he had received very
little education in his early life, Ma.
ture appeared to have supplied the
deficiency. He could start business
Of any kind, with or without money,
from managing a butcher shop 10
running ar opera house, and, strange
to say, would always make a sue
cess. He always looked upon the
bright side Of life. He was a most IN
%teresting story teller. When telling Of
his travels and adventures he pevel
did 50 in a brlggadocio way; in fact
it was a difficult matter to get him
talking of himself, but when once
started he was worth listening to. nc
once, told me OF running away. from
home when a very young man, and
how a shipping agent had shipped
him as an able seaman. As q able
seaman he had to take his trick steer
ing the ship. When it came
his turn the mate told him to "Keep
her full and by Not knowing the
meaning of this nautical term he came
near sinking the ship. He made the
voyage around the Horn to Califolr
mia, where he left the ship for the
gold fields. Returning East he served
during the Civil war. After the war,
with his family, he drifted West
coming to Bismarck i'm the early days
OF that city, where he opened an op
era house which he ran for many
years, afterwards keeping a hotel in
Dickinson and MedOra., Leaving Me-
dora IN 'SS he returned to Bismarck
where ne was in tho hotel business for
q time. and FROM there he moved L0
tho Pacific coast. and from there lie
went to Maine, then back to the Pac
ilic coast where he recently died.
What old resident or railroad maj