Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1915-11-18
A First View
Of Emmons County, as Seen by D..
r. Streeter, Original Publisher of
the Record for Thirty Years.

1received your lettersuggesting
that / write an article for the Rec
ord's issue in furtherance of the
booster campaign" of the North
Dakota Press Association. You
wish something showing the
difference in the conditions
in the State and County be-
tween Now and Then----some-
thing in the nature of an
experience offering. You also
call attention to the fact that the
letter must be written at once in
order that it may reach you in
time for publication.
| hasten to comply. | will
never see the day when |. fail to
heed a request to assist any
movement having for its object
the advancement of the gem com
monwealth of the New North
west, and of Emmons, one of its
best counties, which common
wealth and county were my home
for thirty years.
You ask for interesting Incl
dents that came within my ex-
perience---incidents that will con-
vey an idea of the primitive con-
ditions that existed in the early
days of settlement of the county,
long before the railroads came
and the resultant comforts and
conveniences that followed them.
The incidents of the early days
that / will give have heretofore
been published in the Record;
but it was so long ago that most
people have probably forgotten
them, and, besides, a large por-
ton of the population of the
county have settled within its
borders since such publication
was made.
The writer and Eyour mother
were married in Chicago in Feb
ruary, 1881, and in April Of the
same year | went to Bismarck
ito see the country" Most of
my adult life had to that time
been spent on a morning news
paper. The hours were long and
the close confinement very I'm
healthful, and | wanted, if pos
sible, to find a location where |
could establish a weekly news
paper and "be my own boss" /
reached Bismarck just about the
time that the late M. H. Jewel
and Col. Lounsberry, publishers
of the Weekly Tribune (the old
est newspaper in what is now
North Dakota), were preparing
to establish a daily edition. Mr..
Jewell had formerly resided in
Chicago, where he was fore
man of a newspaper, since de.
ceased, known as The Morning
Courier. He had gone to Bis
marck a few years before, in
company with Stanley Huntley, a
writer of national reputation, au-
thor of "The Spoopendyke Pa.
pers" and other first-class humor.
] Gus essays. They had no money
and Huntley was very erratic
The two purchased, with "jaW
bone" as the consideration, the
Weekly Tribune from Col. Louns
berry. The paper evide-.11aly
wasn't a gold mine in those days
and it is a tradition among old
timers in Bismarck that Huntley
who was a magnetic talker, was
in the habit of engaging Station
Agent Davidson in conversation
in front Of the express office
while Jewell went into the Office
through the back door and Sc
cured the absolutely necessary
bundle of patent innards. J"
Iehad intended to stop in Bis
Inarck only a week or so; bu
Mr.. Jewel insisted on my helping
him out with the preparation foi
issuing the daily, and on the new
daily until he could get other as
sistance. ] bought for So
apiece two lots on the east sid
of Eighth street. / staid il