The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1922-06-29
ALEX. M'KENZIE, BEST KNOWN
NORTH DAKOTA POLITICIAN.
DIED IN ST. PAUL; ILL Z DAYS

Bismarck, June 25.-Alexander Nc
Kenzie, whose legal residence was in
Bismarck, died Thursday afternoon at
2:3O in the Miller hospital, St. Paul
after an illness of only two days. He
was stricken Tuesday with acute
bronchitis and became unconscious
Wednesday and never regained con-
seriousness. News Of his death came
as severe shock to his many friends
and business associates throughout
the Northwest.
Gilbert Haggart, who was in Bis
marck Thursday, said that he was with
Mr.. Mckenzie Monday in St. Paul and
Mime apolis. In the afternoon Mr..
Mckenzie drove to his attorneys Of
and expected to be called that after
noon as a witness in land case. The
attorneys were not ready and he was
to have appeared Wednesday.
He returned to St. Paul after a
visit with Judge Andrew Miller of
Bismarck, who was in Minneapolis
In the best of spirits, he complained
merely of cold and tightness on
his chest and stated that he was 60
ing to have his physician look him
! over, the next day.
| Mr.. Mckenzie, upon his return to
! the Northwest in the spring, had
made his home at the Minneapolis
club. He was on very rigid diet,
due to high blood pressure.
Mr.. Mckenzie leaves host of
friends over the state. No man was
more reticent of his affairs. He sell
| dom wrote letters and then when he
did they were just brief epistles.
Many young men were given their
start toward success by him and the
many kindnesses performed will never
be written and are only green in the
minds Of the benefciaries. No man
in the state had bigger personal fol-
lowing than he did.
National Political Figure
He soon became q national figure in
the affairs of his party. Many of his
old time business friends moved to the
Twin Cities and his interests took him
more and more to St. Paul and eastern
cities. He became associated with Mr..
Cook of the Cook Construction Com
pany, being y partner in that bust
ness. The safairs CT lat c1slra2v
/ we've l:quidated a sh2rt time ago and
practically all Of Mr.. McAenzie's af-
| lars Weie put LlIo SHAPE belole HIS
death.
No man was more genial to meet.
He understood men and in the game
of politics no one knew the moves
better and he played it on a grand
and not petty scale For years his
name has been household word in
North Dakota affairs. No one shun-
ned publicity more than "Alex" as he
was affectionately known to the Twin
| City newspaper men who sought him
o..v daily at the Merchants hotel to
get his views on North Dakota poll
tics as well as the trend Of national
affairs. He knew more leading public
men than any leader in politics in the
Northwest. A prominent figure at
every national convention for years
+ he participated in the deliberations of
the inner circles. He was standpat
Republican, a stalwart in al things
political and prided himself upon his
unyielding adherence to political con-
victions. In political battle he gave
no quarter, but he held the respect of
| his enemies and often came out OF the
bitterest controversy only to pIacate
forces that had but a short time be-
fore fought most bitterly.
Married Bismarck Girl
Alex Mckenzie married Anna Hays,
; Bismarck girl, in November, 1878
His son, John Mclean, was born the
following year and died at the age OF
8 years, of diphtheria, at their home
on Main street and is buried at the To-
cal cemetery. He had two daughters,
May and Anne.
His daughter, May Mckenzie, mar
ried Charles B. Foster, general traffic
manager on the Canadian Pacific, and
resides in Montreal, Canada. She has
two children, i-nna, age about ID; and
| Alexander, age 20. { &c. Anne NJ =
Kenzie married TT. Mcdonald. a
! French Canadian, and lives in Mon
treal. Mr.. Mckenzie was born in
Canada in 1851 and is survived by his
two daughters.
Alexander Mckenzie was born in
Scotland, and was so thoroly a man
of that land that in the early years IN
/ North Dakota he spoke the language
fluently. He was born in 1851. He
came to North Dakota with the North
ern Pacific railroad construction. He
was in charge Of tracklaying west of
Fargo in 1872, the first definite dat
preserved of him in this state. 1t is
reported that with another youth, he
walked across the prairies from Val
ley City to Bismarck.
Bismarck first knew him in 1878,
when the railroad reached this point.
He quit railroading and fitted him
self into the community, where he
was to spend the early years Of his
life. He first engaged in small
manufacturing enterprise but when
the sheriff of Burleigh county was
drowned in 1874, Mckenzie was ap.
pointed to the place. He was elected
sheriff in 1876 and was reelected four