The Bismarck tribune., 1922-02-13
HOSPITAL HAD
HARDSTRUGGLE
IN EARLY DAYS
Building of Big Institution Is
Tribute to Executive Ability
of Sister BOniface
STARTED IN SMALL WAY
Institution Grows From Very
Small Institution to Big
Modern Hospital
STARTED IN SMALL WAY

Today, Februady 18th, an event of
much note is celebrated in Bismarck
when friends gathered at St. Alexius
Hospital to celebrate the golden
jubilee of the fiftieth anniversary
OF the entrance into the sister,
hood of Sister Boniface, superintend-
ent of st. Alexius Hospital.
There mingled among the throng
of friends from every organization,
group and family in Bismarck, many
pioneers who added to the joyOusness
of the occasion their "reminiscences
of day twenty-five years ago when
they assembled in the old st. Alexius
hospital building to offer congratula-
tions upon the twenty-fifth, the silver
anniversary of Sister Bonifaces sis
terh0Od. .,...
The very efficient head of st. Alex
ius came, very young sister to take
over the work or reorganization OF
hospital work in their building known
now as the Business College Block;
then St. ATexius Hospital. There she
found a bare, unfurnished building,
heated by the inadequate device OF
stoves in some of the rooms. Little
enough there was for the brave lit
tie sister to undertake her work with,
but she would find the way
School Removed
When the building was opened in
1884 by other sisters of her order
there was room and to spare, to at
tempt the care of the sick in the coun-
ty and the town, a school could be
housed and the students boarded in
the building and still there was room
to spare. Here the sisters were the
nurses, the teachers, and the house
keepers until 1892 when the reorgan-
ization took place.
The school was removed to the site
of the first Catholic church at the
west end of Main street, where one OF
the first missionaries, Father ]. B.
Genin had erected small church
building.
Sister Boniface then proceeded to
find means for installing a heating
plant This was soon accomplished,
for in company with one of the pioneer
women, the sister told Of her need one
afternoon and evening found the re-
quired amount on hand, through gen
erosity Of the business people OF the
young city There was no steam fit
ter to be had, so man was brought
from St. Cloud to install the plant.
Sister Boniface smilingly tells, when
in reminiscent mood, of her first
months income for the hospital. They
took in $40. There were very many
county patients but not much money,
so the sisters just went ahead and
cared for the sick anyway. Seven
sisters made up the whole staff.
Old Building Improved
On vacating the old building in Jan
uary, 1915, an addition costing $4,000
had been added, and the building put
in excellent condition. The hospital
had outgrown it's enlarged quarters
and a new site on Ninth street had
been secured Here on a block
farther removed from the disturb
ances of the fast growing city, the
splendid new edifice was erected, and
January !, 1915, saw the installation
of the highly organized, scientifically
equipped and thoroughly modern hos
pital.
Could Sister Boniface be induced to
tell the story of the bringing about of
the great venture; building repre-
senting in it's finished state today, an
outlay Of s250,OOO, the history Of the
city would be we'll told But the sis
ter directs the great establishment,
happily meets the great responsible
ties involved, and rests content in the
we'll won friendship of the whole city
and far over the state, through the
sick and suffering who have found
quiet and healing in the great hos
pital. T..
Vigorous and alert, the beloved head
of the institution will greet the friends
who call to wish her we'll on Monday
next. Her helpfulness has gone out to
those of every creed and calling in
the country, and her friends will come
from every known source to mingle in
the common ground of good will, to
wish the worthy superintendent long
years of continued happiness and
prosperity.