The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-11-01
HISTORICAL FLAG
TO BE PRESERVED
RELIC OF 1878 WHICH WAVED
DER TRANSFER STEAMER
is SENT EAST
Was at Masthead of Boat that Car
ried Northern Pacific Trains Over
Missouri River Between Bismarck
and Mandan for Two Years.

Travelling from Tacoma, Wash,
to st. Paul, an honored relic of
northwest history passed through
Butte recently to rest in the ar
chives of the Northern Pacific rail-
way. 1t is an old United States
flag, bearing only SO stars and
ragged with age, and it marks a
significant period in the develop
ment of the northwestern states.
History of the flag was related by
W. H. Merriman, division freight and
passenger agent of the Northern Pa
cific, as follows:
when the financial panic of 1873
had passed and the work of building
a railroad on into the wilderness Of
the northwest could be resumed, the
Northern Pacific company was not
able to afford immediate construc-
ton of the bridge planned to span
the Missouri river between Mandan
and Bismarck. But the construction
of the Missouri division had to go on
in spite of the lack of a bridge.
Trains Runs on Ice
WIN was C5u I'LL Oh Tic new 1Nl
sion in the dead of winter, 1878, by
the transportation of ties, iron and
other material across the Missouri
river on the ice. The track was laid
upon the frozen surface of the river,
under the direction of General H. L.
Rosser, engineer of construction. For
several weeks trains were run from
one bank to the other on the ice-a
daring innovation in railway road
beds.
General Rosser, who directed the
famous ice bridge operation, was a
prominent chieftain in the c%onfoder-
ate cavalry during the civil war.
While he was helping to give the
northwest it's first railroad, General
Custer, his opponent in the civil war,
was giving him every assistance at
Bismarck-Mandan, for the soldiers of
his command at Fort Abraham Lin
coin protected the railroad builders
from Indian attack.
1.-THE ice bridge was used until
fires on the engine were actually put
out by the water which covered the
melting ice. Then the track was re-
moved a few days before the ice
to the rising current of the
river.
Steamer Carried Trains
after spring floods had abated,
& transfer steamer was put into use,
carrying trains from shore to shore.
On this transfer steamer floated the
flag which has just been presented to
the Northern Pacific by M. A. Mar
Tin of Tacoma, into whose possess
sion it passed years ago.
Transfer steamers were used for
.wo years, until the Bismarck bridge
10 longer needed, the flag of trans
'er steamer No. 1 passed into the
lands of John Davidson, agent of the
Northern Pacific at Bismarck. After
lis death his daughter gave it to M.
Martin of Tacoma, Wash"
In returning the old flag to the
Northern Pacific for its archives, Mr..
Martin said: 1--WE all honor the flag
IS the emblem of our country, but to
is of the Northern Pacific this old
lag, ragged and torn as it is, means
much more, and l know you will ALI
eel as l do and give it a place in the
rchives of the old road.
"Since the day it was new and
loated so proudly at the masthead
f steamer No. 1 as she crossed back
nd forth over the Big Muddy, IL
tars have been added to the So
hown on her blue field, and for four
f these the railroad Of our pride has
ioneered the way and started an,
mpire."