The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-05-25
DIVORCE given
WIFE OF RICH
DAKOTA FARMER
Mrs. Bernice Gaines of Sanger
Oliver County, Gets Decree
in District Court Here
ALIMONY SETTLEMENT
Husband, Worth Half Million,
To Pay Her $4,25o Each
Year .

To Pay Her $4,250 Each
Year
? Mrs. Bernice c. Gaines has been
granted divorce from Alvin d. Gaines,
one of the wealthiest land owners in
western North Dakota by Judge VIM.
L. Nuessle, on grounds Of cruel and
inhuman treatment.
Mrs. Gaines story of the case re-
vealed the climb Of the couple to
wealth, through joint efforts and care
full outstanding of resources. The pas
sion for wealth grew upon Gaines, she
declared, and led to extreme penuri-
business though it was found by the
court that he was worth approximate
ly $5O0,OOO.
In the settlement, made outside OF
court, it is provided, that Mrs. Gaines
shall receive $l7. 500 in cash, property
in Minneapolis worth approximately
$4,000 and yearly allowance OF
$4,25O for which property valued at
about $75,OO0 is pledged as security
for the payments. The couple nave
one son, Bertice, who Is a student
in military academy in Los Angeles.
The Gaines were school teachers IN
Minnesota when they started their
climb toward wealth. Their great
stroke came in 1900 when Gaines pur-
chased 10000 acres OF land from tho
Northern Pacific railroad In Oliver
county, according to the compliant.
Their joint savings, it was claimed,
went to make first payment. Gaines
sold off thousands Of acres and still
has about $4,000 acres left, it is said.
He owns property in Minneapolis,
where they lived for few years, Bis
marck, and in Barnes, Mercer and
Oliver counties.
Tells of Treatment.
The "cruel and inhuman" treatment,
according to Mrs. Gaines allegations
consisted chiefly in upbraidings aud
terrible seedlings, no bodily harm be:
ing alleged. The defendants extreme
penuriOusness, which required an ac-
counting even Of pennies, is indicated
in the complaint as the chief cause of
the alleged bad treatment.
The Gaines made their residence al
Sanger, N. D., most Of the time, but
have resided in Minneapolis and Cal
ifornia at varying intervals. Gaines
achieved notoriety during the wal
when the Council of Defense summon
ed him to state why some OF his land
was not cultiated. He replied that ne
would be very glad to have 1t cult
vated, but later he became involved in
q law suit when a farmer was alleged
to have entered on his land and plant
ed crops, bearing permission OF the
Counsel of Defense.
Begun Teaching.
The couple were married in the vii
laee of Hamilton, tMinn., Aug. =,
1885. Gaines was IS and his VIE 15
at that time. They moved to .Alexan
dria, Minn, three years after the mar
riage when the defendant became su-
perintendent of theo city schools and
Z she became a teacher, Later he be-
came county superintendent. She said
she gave music lessons to 20 or rs
pupils, in addition to her regular
teaching, and sold pianos. They spent
three years as instructors in the aca-
demic> school of the Department OF
Agriculture, University Of Minnesota.
and in 1900 Gaines made his big pur-
chase of land. He sold of much land,
:, retaining the best, she. said. h,
Mrs. Gaines alleged that "commenc-
] ing shbrtly after the marriage of these,
parties the defendant without cause
or justification has continuously. d.
liberately and methodically treated the
plaintiff with extreme cruelty in that
ASSUMING that he was her absolute
master and she his abject slave ne
has pursued a long, consistent course
of unkind and brutal treatment of the
plaintiff.
Among her allegations as to his al
legged stinginess she asserted that dur
ing April, 1903, when they were COM
ing back from California he insisted
that they limit their expenditure for
a meal on dining car to Is cents or
$l.OO for them and their son. She
claimed that when her father died sud-
denly in Oregon of pneumonia the de-
fendant scolded and abused her
shamefully because of her natural
evidences of grief. She recited tina.
a ladder used in their home at San
ger to get to the second floor was re-
placed in 1917 with stairway.
Mrs. Gaines is said to be a musician
of ability and has received a small
income from compositions which she
has published.
Gaines had answered the complaint
of his wife with complete denial Of
the alleged inhuman treatment. The
divorce was effected som W hat
through agreement of parties, it is ,uIl-
derstood. Mrs. Gaines was represent
ed by G. F. Dullam, of Newton, Dull
lam and Young, with association of
John r. Ward, of Minneapolis, and
Mr.. Gaines by W. II. Stutsman, OF
Mandan.
s. FOR SLOW SMOKER
Westminster England, May 25.-A
pe-smoking contest was feature of
the fair here. Contestants brought
their own pipes. Each was given one
eighth of an ounce Of Stag and one
match Tho man who drew smoke for