The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-11-20
NDREW BURKE
WENT LONG WAY
TOGOVERNORSHIP
OF NORTH DAKOTA.

l g.
The death at Roswell, N. NJ, Sum
day Of Andrew Burke. former COVER
! nor of North Dakota, removes from
| life prominent character Of the early
day political affairs of this state.
Like several Of the very recently re-
North Dakota public officials, Mr..
Burke was defeated for reelection as
a result Of the uprising of farmers.
the farmers being, in those days, or
ganized under the name Of the Farm
| ers' Alliance, and by fusion with
the Democratic party they succeeded
in ousting the then dominent Repub-
lican party-Mr. Burke along with
| the others.
From the streets of New York,
| where he was a newsboy, without so
far as he knows, even a name, An
| drew Burke came to the west to
| grow up with the country" to find,
I'm his fortieth year, that he had been
elevated to the governorship of the
state. Andrew Burke never knew
anything of his father and mother
his earliest recollections of childhood
life as he himself relate them to his
friends in North Dakota, being as
sociated with the streets Of the great
city of New York. T..
Andrew Burke got his name from a
family that adopted him at the age
of about eight or ten, and took him
to indiana. He stayed with them till
he was 81 years old, when he came
to Casselton, N. D., and became in
terested in business. It was about
1873 when he first located in Cassel-
ton, and ten years later, when he
was elected county treasurer of Cass
county, he was engaged in the bank
ing business. Upon his election to
the treasureship he removed from
Casselton to Fargo to make his home,
and he was treasurer Of the county
during the last days Of the Territory
of Dakota, and the first days Of the
state of North Dakota
When the Republicans, in 1890,
were casting about for a man to put
up against John Miller, first COVER
nor of the state, they selected An
drew Burke for their standard bear
er. It was a bitterly contested con-
vention nomination that Burke's
friends won for him, and he was sub
sequently elected with little opposi-
tion in the general election.
During the early portion OF his
administration q commission Great
ed by the legislature discovered that
the state had no law for the election
Of presidential electors and that
there was no law for the canVassing
of the election vote. Governor Burke
convened the legislature in special
session, and among the acts OF that
body was the making of an appro-
priation for an exhibit at the Chi
cago Worlds Fair. This failed to
meet with general approval, though
the exhibit proved OF tremendous
value to the pioneer state as a means
of bringing settlers. r
It was in the veto OF a measure
that compelled the railroads, to lease
sites to farmers grain companies
etc, under conditions that were OBJ"
noxious to the railroads, that really
resulted in BurlIe's defeat in the next
election. The Farmers Alliance was
strong for the measure, and when
Mr.. Burke vetoed it on the theory
that. it was not constitutional, the
Farmers Alliance formed a coalition
with the Democrats, nominated E1'
Shortridge of Devils Lake, and de-
feated burke in the fall election,
Burke being again nominated by the
Republicans.
LOST MONEY IN GRAIN.
i upon MS 0eIeaCs ME. DuEhe 4eLL. CHV
state, going to Duluth, Mimi, where
he engaged in the grain bushes"
which proved a failure. Subsequent.
ly he went into the oil business az
Kansas City, and shortly thereafter
he was appointed Inspector Of Unit
ed States landoffices, residing in
washington during the latter part OF
the Mckinley administration. Sub
seuuently to that he went to Color
ado, and then to New Mexico, where
he has since made his home. His
wife died there few months ago.
Mr.. Burke, during the early days
was captain of the Dakota Rifles,
Fargo military organization that was
launched in rivalry with Co. B. Da-
kota Militia. He was a life honorary
member of the Fargo conststory,
Scottish Rite, and was SSrd degre"
honorary Mason.
During his residence IN Fargo MT
Burke was prominent in the citys
social circles He made his home on
Eighth street south, constructing the
residence now occupied by DR.. T: II.
Burton. His twin daughters. Amy
and Ada, were born while he reside~
hare. = -..-