The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1917-11-15
LITTLE MAC"
VETERAN News
PAPFRMAN IS DEAD
TX. Mcleod, Publisher of the Flasher
Hustler, Passed Away at ShakOpee,
Minn., After Long Illness

Minn., After Long Illness
j. X. Mcleod, better known as
"Little Mac, publisher of the Flasher
Hustler, passed away Nov. 8, at the
hospital at Shakopee, Mimi, following
an illness of nearly year from rheu-
matism and complications. The fun
eral was held in Bismarck Monday af-
ternoon, scores Of friends from Flash
er, Mandan and other slope points at
tending the last sad rites. The re-
mains were inferred in Bismarck, Ma
sonic services being held at the grave.
Little Mac" was born on Prince
Edward Island about Sc years ago.
He was the son Of Well-to-do Scotch
merchant and his mother was an Irish
Catholic. The Mcleod children were
given an excellent education and "Lit-
tie Mac" was sent to a school where
he was educated for Priest. Before
he completed his education, he made
up his mind that he did not care to
complete this work and he left school
and started out in the world for him
self. He located at Fort Gary, which
afterwards became known as Winni-
peg and was engaged as printer at
Emerson, Man., when that city was
much larger than Winnipeg. This
was in 1878. In 1884 he came to
Devils Lake, which was then located
at the end Of the Great Northern rail-
road and came across country to Win
tering River, in McHenry county
where he published the Mouse River
Advocate. In the winter Of 1884-85,
he walked from Wintering river to
Burlington. He was thinly clad and
did not even have an overcoat and his
cap did not cover his ears. Half froz-
en- he came to the home Of James
johnson, one of the earliest Ward
county settlers and spent the night.
He had been engaged to edit the Bur
lington Reporter, owned by the Hon.
Joseph l.. Cotton, owner of the Bur
lington townsite and father Of Mrs,
James johnson and L. D. Cotton OF
Burlington. He edited the Burling-
ton Reporter almost continuously from
that time until 1890 and when Mlnot
had become the county seat by the
time. the Reporter was moved to
Minot, Mr.. Mcleod continuing for
time as it's editor and business man
ager. He was one of the states ablest
editors and had a delightful style of
writing all his own. He seldom wrote
out his copy before setting it, but
would mount the stool at the case IN
the old days before linotype machines
and set gem after gem as he composed
&. He was politician of more than
the ordinary ability and delighted to
get into the thick Of red hot political
8oht He was editor of the Burllng-
ton Reporter at the time of the famous
county seat fight when by trickery
Minot won the county seat away from
darlington. Marshall Mcclure was
publishing the Minot Rustler at the
time Of this famous fight and the tits
between the veteran editors became
% heated that it was feared that the
papers would have to be printed on as
bestos. Old timers will never 1ofgeI
that county seat fight. 1T required
a vote of two-thirds in order to re-
move the county seat. Ihe GreaS
Northern had built its line to Mlnot
after first planning on striking Bur
lington, changing its route when .;
!. Cotton and the chief engineer could
not agree to terms. Altho later, those
who stuck by Burlington admltted
that Minot was the logical point Tor
the county seat, it will have to be al,
mitted that this city would never had
received a sufficient number OF votes
had not lot of voters been brot IN
from Montana and voted at Lone Tree.
Attorney Gregory spent the DAY at
Lone Tree giving advice; Atty. HaVre,
void was there to furnish booze and
q. Ashley Mears was there to dole out
the money to the voters, and at the
conclusion of the election, in order
to make things appear on the square,
three Finlanders who could not speak
Enplish were arrested for illegal vot-
ING. A little early Ward county his
torv is here given because OF the part
which Mr.. Mcleod had in shaping
the affairs of the county in early days.
In 1900 Mr.. Mcleod resided on
homestead near Tasker and for sever
al years he had charge Of a depart
ment for the Ward County lndepen-
dent. Later he went to Stanley to
edit Geo. w. Wilson's Stanley Sun and
he participated in the county seat fight!
assisting in organizing Mountrall
county. While in Stanley, he met
the woman who later became his wife
and who has assisted him SO nobly IN
his work at Flasher. From Stanley
he went to Flasher where he published
the Hustler for nearly ten years, and
which paper he continued to publish
until the time of his death. He made
big success of the business tinan-
cially and had built up one OF the
states very best weekly papers.
Mr.. Mcleod is survived by several
brothers and sisters who reside in
Canada. One brother, Father Mcleod
a Catholic Priest, spent some time in
Minot a few years ago in charge OF
the Catholic mission.
The Independent joins the many
friends of the deceased in extending
sincerest sympathy to the heart brok-
en- wife.
Granvilleites did not take we'll tt
"Tess of the Storm Country" on &C
.a,,.+ ~ +ho c,,n11tt1y c0nOs and iOkps