The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-10-13

The Author
lin" to Deadwood, S. D., and the
Black Hills. in 1876, ran from Mandan
to the southwest, and Mandan IN
those days was Il collection Of five
buildings. Bismarck was Il triflc larg-
or. Secondly. Sitting Bull WAS not
a chief
As matter of fact the stage
coach rnc did not run into Deadwood
in 1876, and 1t did not run from
Manddn to the southwest in 1876 or
at any other time Mandan was not
on the map III 1876. while Bismarck
was Il lively frontier town. with good
stores and hotels and its merchant"
doing an immense business.
Stage Started in 1877
The Northwestern Express Stage
and Transportation Company began
operations in the spring of 1877.
making Bismarck its headquarters.
The block Of ground on Main Street
between Ninth and Tenth streets was
donated to them by Hon T.. \. WI
lams. for building purposes; 1t was
on this ground that they built their
stables and yards for their horses
and stage coaches. Their main office
was on the Railroad Right OF Way.
corner Main and Fourth streets
where the Webb Brothers store
stands.
\ daily line Of stage coaches was
put on between Bismarck and Dead
wood. The route was across the bot
tom to the point on the Missouri
river across from Fort Abraham Lin
coin where the stage coach was
terrled across the river on tie Steam
that Union, Captain Horn, Master.
The Union was owned by Mr.. John
\. Mclean, who was the first mayor
OF Bismarck From Fort Lincoln the
route continued southwest TO the
Black Hills.
Ran From Bismarck
In 1879, | made the trip by stage
coach to Fort Meade. near Dead
wood, to call on Captain William
Harmon. who was post-trader at Fort
Meade. The troops at that time were
luartered in tents. After Il railroad
was built into Pierre the stage com
pany in $50 transferred their out
fit from Bismarck to Pierre. as the
latter. place was fifty miles nearer
to Deadwood than Bismarck During
the whole period from 1877 to 1880,
the stage coach line ran out of Bis
marck to Deadwood and not from
Mandan.
Sitting Bull was one of the most
noted Indians that occupied our
western plains. but in later years he
has been badly misrepresented. A
writer nearly Il half century ago, who
understood conditions in the west.
in writing to an eastern publication
said, lone thing about Sitting Bull
is certain: he is an Indian of unusual
powers of mind, and Il warrior whose
talents amount to genius, while his
stubborn heroism in defense OF the
last of his race is undeniablc. Cruel
he may be, that is from the instincts
Of his race; n general of the first
natural order he must be to have set
the United States at defiance as he
has for the last ten years" Yet to-
was not chief. That he was not Il
warrior.
Sitting Bull up to the time of his
surrender was classed as a hostile
Indian. He was not coffee cool
er, like some Of the socalled friendly
Indians, who hung around the In
dian agencies, eating government
yations and then sneaking away un-
der the guise of friendship to COM
NIT depredations against the govern
nlent that fed them.
Cause of the Wars
The main cause of our Indian
Wars was the opening up to settle
mcnt o. the Black Hills country.
Geneta! Sheridan in his annual re-
port Tor 1875. s.;id, I'm the Depart
menJ oi Dakota the military have
the double duty of protecting the
From the raids Of hos
tile Indians and the Black Hills
country from occupation by miners.
attracted there by real or imaginary
wealth in the soil. | earn
estly recommend some action which
will settle this Black Hills question
and relieve US from an exceedingly
and embarrassing duty.
feel quite satisfied that all the
.ountry south of the Yellowstone
River, from the Black Hills Of the
.'heyeilne as far west as the Big
Torn Valley and perhaps as far west
IS Clark's Fork Of the Yellowstone.
S collaborating, but as to the amount
f the gold deposit | cannot say: it
nay be great or it may be small.
his area is also in many places we'll
imbered, has many beautiful valleys !,