The Ward County independent., 1921-09-08
"SUNNY JIM'S" IMPRESSIONS OF
TOWN CRIERS' hANDAN TRIP

cratic fashion. Upon inquiry We
learned that children under sixteen
years of age are admitted free. Over
16 charge Of 15c per is made. Bath
ing suits rent at 15c; a towel SC, and
checking clothes be. The water is
drawn off weekly and a fresh supply
provided. The pool with its swarm
of bathers and the immense crowd
of onlookers upon every hand makes
this one Of the real sights Of Bis
marck and our only hope is that the
Minot pool may prove as popular.
Space forbids more extended men,
ton or descriptions of the Capital
city.
Promptly at $3.50 Bismarck time
our Minot Criers started on their
pilgrimage to Mandan with an in
junction to turn our Waterburys and
Ingersolls back an hour as the shift
from Central to Mountain time occurs
at the Missouri.
We crossed on the ferry within sight
of the immense bridge which the gov
ernment is erecting across the broad
expanse of muddy water and shift
ing sands Of the great Missouri at
this point.
We observed that the approaches
were practically complete and the
false work for the steel spans were
in course of erection. We have. since
learned that work upon the spans be-
gan on Thursday following our cross
ing.
We reached Mandan without mis-
hap, excepting a broken axle sustain
ed by Bill Gettleman's car shortly
after leaving the ferry. At Man
dan despite the earliness of the hour
it was evident on every hand that
there was to be "big doings". Main
street was gaily decorated and swarms
of vehicles of every description and
pedestrians filled the thorofare. Our
interest centered principally upon the
host of Indians seen upon every hand.
The Lewis & Clarke hotel was our
headquarters here and the manage
ment provided the major portion of
the Minot contingent with cots in a
light, airy sample room on the fourth
floor. We might digress at this
point and mention the basso profundo,
by jingo, the buzz saving, the ear
splitting snoring an dother myster-
ious and unseemly noises which per-
vaded this bed chamber when all the
boys got lined up in perfect unison,
not to say harmony, in the wee sma
hours of the night. Dante's Infer
no had nothing on room 426 the night
of August 20, A. D. 1921.
The deliberation of an advertising
club may not concern the general run
of people but it is safe to assume
that if our people had been present
and listened to the many enlightening
talks not confined to advertising but
concerning civic affairs and the me-
diums which will bring about a more
perfect understanding Of present con-
ditions which to say the least are
Criers Clubs of North Dakota are do
business and social life generally. The
sessions were held in the CONNER
cial Club rooms and right here let
us say that these quarters are ideal
for any community. There is read
ing room equipped with a rack con-
tanning all the latest periodicals, the
room itself being we'll lighted, and the
walls decorated with mounted animal
heads and adorned with paintings pic
turing some Of the early day history
Of this, the oldest city in North Da-
kota. Secretary Tom Sullivan Of
Mandan with true Irish thoroness, hal
made every provision for the com
fort of Mandan's visitors and not a
single detail conducive to the dis
patch of the business of organization
and deliberation was lacking.
The first public appearance Of the
Clubs was in connection with the
grand parade which opened the Mis-
souri, Slope Fair which began that
day and lasted three days. The
parade was fully mile in length.
The Minot Criers were given a con-
spicuous position in the line of march
and wearing the bright Rotary coats,
with drum corps of four pieces at
the fore and Bill Gettleman as Major
Domo, ,Messrs. Lambert and Nestos
carrying a large banner behind which
marched the rank and file each with
small banner bearing certain III
formation calculated to impress the
multitude with our Importance, we
marched thru the broiling sun items
perature 116 in the shade) just be-
hind the Bismarck contingent, dress
ed in comfortable bathing suits. In
dians on horse back, on foot, and in
lumber wagons preceded US in the
line. The braves were attired in their
gayest raiment and the squaws gor-
geously appareled, some wearing
capes adorned most magnificently and
worth a princes ransom. One of
them wearing a cape adorned with
hundreds of elk teeth was the cyno-
sure of all eyes. After luncheon we
repaired to the assembly room where
Major Welsh was chosen temporary
chairman. Now, right here Ye
Scribe, wishes to pause to pay our
respects to this generous, whole-soul-
ed, genial gentleman. Too modest
to tell his history, we find upon in
quiry that he comes by the title "Ma-
jor" by virtue of his service upon the
battlefields of France where he was
in command of Mandan company of
volunteers among which there were
a large number Of the Sioux Indians
of the Standing Rock Reservation. The
titular head Of the Sioux at the time
was Chief John Grass. His only son,
member of Major Welsh's company
fell fighting valiantly upon the cory
fields of France. His body was re-
Gently returned to this country and
buried at Mandan with all the tribal
rites of his people and after this Chief