The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-06-14
NORTH DAKOTA COUNCIL OF
DEFENSE OPENS INTERESTING
EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY
Many Matters of Importance Be Body
Is Typical of State-But One Born Outside
of the United States

The North Dakota Council of De
Tense this morning opened an excel
tive session which promises many i'm
pOrtant developments. A large mum
Der Of matters Of urgent interest hav'
come up since the adjournment of thu
board two weeks ago, and it is prob
able the present session will run from
ten days to two weeks.
The executive committee of the
North Dakota council is rather ty
pical organization of Flickertail farm
ers, business and professional men
Charles M. Whitmer of Yucca, one
of the most active members, was born
in LAGRANGE county, Indiana, moving
thence with his parents to Kansas in
the bleeding days of that state, and
coming to North Dakota in 1884, when
he first took up residence at Man
dan. Shortly after he established his
now has $500 acres Of fine land, on
which he runs $50 head of pedigreed
shorthOrns. He has three sons, all of
whom are helping out at home. In
1911 he served as member Of the
house of representatives, and he has
had three terms as commissioner OF
Oliver county.
T. J. Nelson.
r. J. Nelson was born in Carleton
Place, Ont, 6S years ago, and settled
in Pembina county in the spring of
rs, demonstrating near Hoople two
years later. He has been actively en-
gagged in farming since 1864 and is
still at it. His family consists of
four daughters and three sons, one
of the latter and two of the former
residing at home. He is chairman of
the Walsh county Republican central
committee, and he has held other c0un-
ty and township offices. His people,
of pioneering Scotch stock, were early
settlers in Canada and original home
steaders in North Dakota, the whole
family coming into North Dakota in
1879. Mr.. Nelson's father died 20
years ago, but his mother, Mrs. H.
l.. c. Nelson, is still alive and &C.
tive at Walhalla, at the age of 81.
v. II. Stickney.
V. H. stickney, the medical
member of the board, was born in
Vermont in 1856 of an ancient New
England family. He came to North
Dakota in 1883 and settled at Dickin-
son when that town was considerably
wild and woody. He brought with him
a diploma from Dartmouth and he i'm
took up the practice of med
icine at Dickinson, where he has been
actively engaged ever since. DR..
Stickney has two daughters, one Of
them is the wife of Capt. Nachtway
Of the base hospital No. $50, Camp
Jackson. Dr. Stickney has owned a
Stark county ranch for years and has
made a success of the stock business
When the North Dakota council of de.
Tense was organized in 1917, he was
made chairman, which post he held
until he received his commission as
lieutenant in the medical reserve
corps in November, 1917. Later he
was made medical aid to the govern
or and chief of the North Dakota
medical advisory bord, in which ca
pacity he Is still serving.
William LANCER.
Attorney General William LANCER is |
the youngest member Of the council
and has also the only native North |
Dakotan. He was born at Everstor,
near Casselton, on September 80, 1886;
was educated in the public schools
Of Cass county and at Columbia; took
up the practice of law in Mandan;
became first assistant then states
attorney; made it mighty difficult to
get drink in Imperial Morton, for |
which he was elected attarney gen.
eral two years ago. After cleaning up
Minot and making North Dakota safe
for matrimony, he returned to New
York and married popular young
woman on Riverside drive who had
become interested in him in his Col.
umbia days. He is now seeking re-
election. .
Lynn J. Frazier.
Lynn J. Frazier, governor and eX-
OfficiO OF the board, was born in Min
nesota bu tcame to North Dakota as
soon as he could conveniently arrange
It. and settled near Hoople. whence
he finished the Grafton high school
and the Mayville normal and then
entered the University of North Da.
kota, graduatel;( came back home
and married, took up farming on the
old home place, and addressed the as
cows and chickens in fan
cy Greek and Latin cuss.words. The
league went up. to Hoo.
pie one day, yanked Mr.. Frazier off his
plow and made him governor, since
which time he has become the most
cussed and discussed executive in the
United States. He is republican,
a Scotchman and Methodist, with
four children.
..- Charles 6. Backberg.
Chales G. Backberg of Bottineau
located in Bottineau in the spring of
1902. He was born in Iowa 40 years
ago and grew up on a farm. When
he was % years old he took up sta
tionary and traction engineering
which he followed for several years,
later returning to farming in Iowa
and then in Minnesota. where he