The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-04-02
by T.. l.. DOIIENY


heard of "A surveying expedition that
was TO leave Atch ison, Kansas, for
trip into Indian Territory, mad | de-
cided to join it.
Ny mother, Of course, was dIsap-
pointed. She had been hoping that
] would study for the priesthood. My
father, probably thinking of his own
adventurous youth. didn't seem to
mind my going. But my brothers
jibcd mo and said that | would be
back within Il month.
In my extra terms at high school.
had studied "plane surveying" and
felt fairly we'll prepared to embark
on my career. With 500 advanced
by my father for expenses, ! set out
to conqucr--if not the world at
lease the west.
But was soon disappointed.
Travel was slow. BY the time
reached Atchison, the expedition had
been gone three weeks!
| have had many disappointment
since; but that first one was proha-
bly, my greatest. Pretty much down
in the mouth, I felt like returning
home. But | remembered what my
brothers had said. SO just to snow
them | was no luittcr, | gritted my
teeth, and made up my mind that
would find a job.
Not A Holiday
The next day was July 4, 1872. 1t
wasn't much of holiday for me,
until / picked up Il newspaper and
~ Il
publishing house advertising for
agents to sell series of three books.
Their titles appealed to tho Irish in
me, for they were: 'The Life and
Speeches of Daniel O'Conncll," Irish
Wit and Humor," "Book Of Advice
to Irish Girls"
SO l applied for tho assignment,
got it, and cleaned it up in six weeks
i'm which period | sold these books
to every Irish family in Kansas. l
averaged about SIS n day in com
missions, an almost undrcamcd Of
fortune IN those days.
But l made the mistake of having
the books sent by freight instead of
express. by the time they arrived.
some of my customers had migrated,
others had changed their minds-and
| was stuck.
While waiting for the books, got
4 job with the city surveyor of Atrh.
ison. He had large gang laying
out the northern part of the county.
The weather was extremely no. and
the work was hard. Most Of the picn
quit; but two stuck it out. One was
Tom Corrigan, who later became n
famous horseman; and the other was
|, for although | was small and
weighed only 125 pounds, work and
play in Fond du Lac had made me
hardy.
But this' job was soon over, and J
vas out Of work again
With my dreams of conquest rap
idly fading into Il memory.
Jobs were scarce. ! could find meme
in Atchison, so | drftcd on to Lcav-
cnworth. It's fame had been flashed
the country over on the label Of
hams, for Ryan and Whitaker Of
Loavcnworth were leading packers Of
the day.
SO | reported to their plant and
got Il job-trimming the sides o.!
hogs. Six to fourteen hundred ami
mails day would 20 down the chute
and past the long table at which /
worked.
The quarters had to handle
weighed from 50 to 60 pounds each.
The work wasn't much to my liking.
But stuck to it, for it was Il job
nd al
life then.
For my labor got 81 Il day. But
one day Matt Ryan, the big boss,
came by, looked at the small, under
sized boy at the table. and wanted to
know what he was doing there.
I'm doing all right" | told him.
But he thought | could do better
elsewhere; SO he gave me commits
sion to go out on the street and buy
the hogs from the farmers as they
came into town. | knew most of
them, after my experience as book
agent. and l had little difficulty get
ting so to rs hogs a day.
But BUSINESS conditions became
. bad. It was the winter of 1S73-the
year of the great panic, and intense
. frost out in Kansas, People burned
corn instead of coal, it was so nuch
cheaper.
General Depression
( To add to the general depression
came the Russian epizootic influenza.
! which attacked all horses, and kill
ed many. Oxen were used to pull
the street cars.
Then came the great slaughter OF
buffalo. which helped bring on their
extinction. Ryan, with his usual en-.
terprise, arranged for the purchase
of 1000 buffalo hams.
Thcseawcre expensive, and my EN-.
ployers wanted to realize everything
they possibly could. So they gave
me new job.
They made me sell the spare parts
and scraps.
I stood behind counter, In part
of theirs establishment, and became .
retail specializing in spare
ribs of buffalo and pork tenderloin!
Business was good. But it was nc,
the business ! liked, for it was no:
to survey the sides Of hams that
had left home.
So decided to jack myself out Of
it: or else l might be shunted int
butchers rut for the rest Of m,
life.
Finally found way out.
r. L.. ra~% ark;el< nohOnv ~ i'll tel