The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1914-03-07
letter FROM
{. G. DAYTON
Recalls Many Interesting Incidents
Of Early Days in Western n. D..
Ne Made Money
Out Mere.

A number of our readers will remem-
ber Edison C. Dayton, who supplied the
Presbyterian church in Dickinson for
some time in early days and who was
subsequently engaged in sheep growing
ON Cedar creek Tor few years. For
some time past this most estimable
gentleman has been resident of New
York state. A brother owns the famous
Dayton block in Minneapolis, and on
the 22nd of February the Minneapolis
Journal had the. following. article by
Mr.. dayton, touching upon early history
in this part of the state and also call
ing to mind some of the characteristics
of the Fisher family-John. Robert.
Thomas, Joseph and Harry (deceased)-
R. H. johnson, J. G. Campbell (de-
ceased), A. Hilliard. DR.. v. H. Stick
ney and Dominick Vranna:
Some months ago wrote an article
for The Journal that appeared under the
above heading. ! then dealt with more
that might be called exceptional-de-
veloping the characteristics, virtues
and loibles of cowboys, but in this
article wish to sketch more than has
been common to the early history Of all
sections OF our country, bringing out
rather the traits of settlers than of
those who constitute transient 'ele-
ment. do this out of gratitude to the
friends of my early days, the citizens
and country people residing in Bismarck
and on west to Montana and to help
preserve these features so distinctive
as has been remarked, of perhaps all
sections ofSour common country in their
infancy.
noted few weeks back telegram
from Green river. N. D., stating that
certain party had raised so many bushels
l0f grain on 80 many acres, "a phenome-
nal production. That person and all
his connection came at once to mind.
presume that irrigation played part
in the production of that record crop;
but, however done, the facts were just
as reported, if behind the report stood
the word of the man on whose land the
Drain was raised. He was one of five
robust English farmer boys or young
men, who with their mother, their sis
ter, her husband and some other Eng
lish friends came over together. 1t was
a spendid type of immigrant. | was
at their mothers funeral when one row
of chairs right across the church was
occupied by the boys and their old
country friends. The little church build
ing was full. The villagers abounded
in sympathy and respect.
One OF the brothers was drowned and
again the people came together with
the same feeling. Another of them
, went down into Minnesota and bought
, a carload of cattle for the writer and
when they shipped those steers into
Chicago theEe=were no better went out
f of Dickinson. N. D., that year. Often
they would top the market those broth
ers, with the stock they took into Chi
8 cago. They were all-round farmers.
What magnificent rural people would
: it be if built exclusively on such foun-
dations.
a The same winter there was general
3 store which did large business, the
! wife of the owner, which was one Of
those noble women who could be about
such store, cordial with all and yet
} perfectly digniGed. She died from a
contagious disease after very short
: illness, and what an impression on that
1 community of young people. The village
i itself, perhaps numbering some 700 or
800 people, but at the time only two
or three years old. Business stopped ;
everyone was a mourner;. the little
church could not begin to hold all who
sought to be present at the services.
The man in the pulpit and the people
? all bowed their heads and sobbed. It
was one common sorrow. -
Such scenes are not witnessed in our
> older sections. i Death is more frequent
2 because there are more elderly people
in proportion and sdenser population,
and lines OF one kind and another are
drawn. - 80
Acertain farmer, then poor but homes,
2 and indnstrioas. lost on that same
Green river, which has been mentioned
q yoke of oxen BIZ liehtning. The wor'
anne to town Of his loss and it wa
. only very short matter to get togethe
the funds tos buy him another yoke
= = There was q sympathy and a generos
a. lily and oneness which stand out Il