Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-11-18
WHEN MORRIS WAS NEW
AND GAMBLERS THROVE
Graphic Description Of Morris Fifty
Years Ago Cited By Chief
Justice Brown.

JuSClce Brown.
The address given by Chief Justice
c. L. Brown at the opening of the
new armory last Thursday evening
was mainly reminiscent of Norris as
it was half century ago. He said
in part:
81 brought with me typewriter
copy of an article written for and
published in the Minneapolis News
of date August 7th, 1871, descriptive
of Morris at it's birth, fifty years ago.
1t is a graphic pen picture of the in
dustrial life of the place at that time.
1t was reproduced in an issue of the
Morris Tribune some 80 or 35 years.
ago, and it's verify vouched for by the
late w. J. Munro, then editor of the
Tribune, who visited Morris early in
1872, at which time the place was
still of the frontier order, with the
reputation down the line as a trif1e
fast.
II am going to read it. 1t is not
long, and will serve to demonstrate
the great force and power of the
moral law, where municipal law and
authority fail, for from confessed1y
very bad surroundings and environ
ment, Morris rose to high standard
of civil life, a position it has sustain
ed for many years.
Norris, Mimi.
Aug.7th, 1871.
Norris is insStevens County and
situated on the st. Paul and Pacific
Railroad, about three miles beyond
the Pomme de Terre crossing. Three
weeks ago there was hardly a house
here. On he 25th of July the first
passenger train went through the
town, at which time it had grown
considerably, there being, besides the
depot and emigrant house, about a
dozen houses, of which number eleven
were saloons. Since that time the
increase of houses and population has
been quite steady.
=" The business portion of the city
is on the north side of the railroad,
and there we find stores, Is to 20
saloons, l wholesale liquor house, a
city bakery with a tent roof, and
meals at all hours" a meat market,
tin shop and other establishments, of
the latter, more hereafter. Shanties
and dwelling houses abound on all
sides.
The depot is in keeping with the
expectations of the place, being 80
by $50 feet, The emigrant house is
now used as an eating house, mine
host, G.. Hyser, of Benson fame, keeps
up his old reputation to the delight
of the railroad boys and travelling
public; his hotel being on the south
side of the track.
Government goods, bonded goods
etc., destined for the forts on the
frontier, for Red River, Pembina,
etc., now go this way, being shipped
by OK team from this point. The
gentlemen in charge have their Of
fees on this side and have christened
the street Transportation Avenue, y
(now Atlantic Avenue.) Here we
find Messrs George D. Petit and
George H. Spencer, the former being
the agent Of the government and the
latter for the Red River freighters.
The lumbermen, L. Davis. Good and
Avery have their offices here, while
P. Sutherland, a highly esteemed
gentleman and everybody's friend,
supplies the freighters teams, two or
three hundred coming on the prairie
waiting for their turn at loading.
AS soon as the cars commenced
running regularly we found that we
would be blessed soon with all the
/ modern improvements; some coming
! from below, and some from - Oak
Grove, on the N. P. r. r. The au-
thorities have stopped their outrag-
eous operations there, and they came
in clouds like birds of prey and To-
Gated here. One day a gang Of men
were putting up a large building with
tent roof, which some thought was
dance house, but in the evening
the sign was hung out, and in the
guise of the California Exchange. ;,
the dance house disappeared and a
mammoth first class gambling estab-
/ lishment commenced business. Here
let me say dance house is to be es-
tablished soon if parties keep their
promise.
1t is evening, we are stopping on
the south side; the sights must be
seen. Let us go up town sTis the
old, old story. Night after night the
same scenes witnessed, like robberies
committed and outrages repeated.
The saloons are crowded with drunk
en- teamsters and soldiers with a few
stray sheep. Here is a fight, a man