The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-05-21
'(By Frank Fiskc, Fort Yates, n. D.

Inc good renders OF The Mandar
and Bismarck papers may have no
ticed some reference OF late, undc,
sundry captions, regarding the rout.
! ing OF the Capital to Capitai iiigh.
way south to the South Dakota line
With some of these readers this has
become personal matter, with 9th
! rrs, no matter at all, and with the
newspapers an interesting display OF
editorial cloquence. Conferences
have been held between taxpayers
! travellers, County Commissioners and
| good roads men, all because a route
| that will please all has not been
agreed upon. a. this writing. In the
| mean time, time is fugitive, and
the traveller trave.: the same Old
country roads. fording the same old
creeks and GUESSING the unwarrar ted
delay in building roads. We, of the
south country, understand that the
big bone of contention is where we
will be required to enter M ndan or
whether we will enter Mandan at all,
should we desire to visit Bismarck.
Down here in Sioux County a fight
is on over the routing of the road
from Cannon Ball or SDlen to Sell
fridge, or from Solen or Cannon Eall
to Fort Yates, or vice versa. We
hear that both routes will be used,
which is pleasing, providing Il bridge
is built over the Cannon Ball at or
near the Parkin Ranch. Our greatest
desire is that this bridge be built
It is very necessary and can be put
IN at great saving to the tax-pay-
ers at this time, by government aid.
Regardless of the fight between Bis
marck and Mandan or between the
factions in Sioux County, nothing
should be put in the way Of this
bridge.
Plea For River Road
Throughout the controversy, per-
sonal considerations have hefoeged
the main issue. The plan of the or
iginators of the Capital to Capital,
or Bismarck to Pierre route, was to
provide a highway that will appeal
to the travelling public-the tour
ists-as well as to serve the needs
of the people living along it. And in
order to make this appeal to the
tourist a highway must have some
thing more than ordinary interest to
commend it. 1t should have some
thing of historical value. 1t should
have something of scenic grandeur
And the needs Of the present must
hn nj 81 Cat
The far sighted citizens of this
state are doing much toward pre-
serving places of historical and
scenic interest, for here lies the
romance of the past. On these spots
the traditions of our great state
rests. A unitarian world may
strive to shut out romance and tradi..
ton. but herein lies the ties that
bind us to the land We love. Re-
move them and nothing is left but
a place in which to live.
AS one who loves to ruminate up-
on the glories of pioneer days, rise
to speak a word for the historic and
scenic interest of the original route
running south Of SIandan. Allow me
to mention q few places of import
ance. Crossing the railroad track
bothersome things-the traveller pn-
tiers stretch of road b0rdered by
beautiful timber, pleasing relief
from the tireseme prairie country
he has just come over beyond either
Bismarck or Mandan. PICTURESQUE
river bluffs lie on the right after
crossing the Heart River bridge.
where many skirmish between the
Indian and Redman mas taken place.
Five miles south Of Mandan one
passes through old Fort Abraham
Lincoln. Most tourists know that
here was the last home of General
Custer and the flower of the noble
Seventh Cavalry. History and fiction
abOunds with the life Of this plaee.
1t is woven into the literature of
America. Every school boy has stu
died it, and loves it. From here on.
the route presents setting after set
ting. most pleasing to the eye and
satisfying to the scarcher for rem
nants of the past.A There is Sibley
Island Bend, the old River Side
Ranch, the badlands around Sugar
Loaf Butte, Glencoe Bend and Fort
Rice. Fort Rice where Chief Gall,
Sitting Bull and their warriors lay
seige and made life more interesting
than western movie to the hardy
men who made their stand on tho
prairie shore beside the Missouri
River long before highway fights
were dreamed al. Southwest lies
Palace Butte, south stands Barn
Butte and between runs Dead Mans
Coulee. Coming down from the
highlands the traveller enters the
cool woods about the Parkin Ranch.
This old place beside the winding
Cannon Ball River holds more of the
past, more connection with the great
Indians and Indian fighters than any
other know of. 1t was real ranch
where famous men stopped to rest
and to spend hours of social inter-
course before going on their way to
make history, the most of which has
never been preserved. On the hill
| above the ranch are the graves of
Mrs. Alma Parkin and Mrs. Louise
Van Solen, daughters of Mrs. Major
Galpin, and beside them lies II. S.
Parkin, the man who made the ranch
famous
In Indian Country
| Crossing the Cannon Ball-on the
new bridge ?-the route will wind
| through the Indian country. Here
stand the primitive homes of the
Sioux, once proud foeman of the
whiteman. Each moment new view
greets the eye, and time will pass
quickly,-when the road is. built
| until Fort Yates is reached. Fort
Yates has a glorious past, a pleas
ing present and hopeful future.
| Mere lies Sitting Bull. Here lies