The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-07-07
Founder Of I Tribune Tells Story
of Brave Old Days in Bismarck

way engineers were attacked by In
dams about where Mandan is locat-
ed. met Mark Kellogg, and that
night accompanied by John ]. Jack
man returned by team to the end of
the track, and in time reached Far
60 by all manner Of construction
transportation, including hand-cars,
flat-cars, box-cars and wagon with
the bare running gear used in haul
ing ties. / reached Minnesota two
days later by passenger trains
where l purchased from the Mime
apolis Tribune the plant Of the old
st. Anthony Democrat, consisting OF
q Taylor cylinder press, a quarter
medium Gordon jobber and COM
plete newspaper and job printing
plant. On June II, 1873, arrived
at Bismarck on a mixed freight and
passenger train; the office coming
by the next train.
The work of construction on the
Tribune Block. commenced at once.
It was situated on the railroad right
of-way about IS feet west Of what
is now known as the Will Block,
destroyed in part by the late Trib-
uhe fire. It was built Of green cot
tonwood lumber, was 22x40 feet,
shingled roof. l was the architect,
Edmond Hocket with myself,
Charles Lousbard, and such other
help as we could obtain, was the
builder.
City of Shacks
Ten days later Lousbard, the fore
man, commenced on the advertising
which l had solicited. There were
then about sixty shacks, tents and
dugouts in the bank occupied for
various PURPOSES under construction.
Every place where they kept any
thing to exchange for cash adver-
tised, including the saloons, gamb-
ling rooms, dance halls and sporting
houses.
Mark Kellogg assisted me in the
local columns. He was an old-time
telegraph operator and had been
employed on the La Crosse and St.
Paul newspapers, and later ran q
publication Of his own at Brainerd
The editors of the Brainerd Trib.
une, Glyndon Gazette, and MoorheaC
Star with their wives or sweet.
hearts, came to see that the ther
new publication was probably usher
ed into the. world and thus The Bis.
marck Tribune became the first
newspaper printed in North Dakota
July 6, 1873.
The paper was a seven column
folio printed on q Taylor cylinder
press with the engine and engineer
husky Norwegian, contented will
81 for the job. July II the secont
number was published, Lousbard
Kellogg and ! constituting the full
force.
4 The Tribune flourished during tn,
summer Of 1873. The completion o,
thirty miles Of the road east Of Bis
. marck gave business a brisk start
there were large shipments by raj
/ and river of delayed Indian and mill
, tary supplies from the previous
year; there was the expedition
escorting the railroad engineers t
!, the Yellowstone and the construc
! ton Of the new cavalry post at For
Lincoln for the accommodation o
the Seventh u. s. Cavalry.
. City Great News Center
Bismarck was q great news cen
/ ter with sensation abundant, an
} our force being fresh from dali
newspaper work made the most 0
l the opportunity. George w. Plum
by, also Of the Minneapolis Tribune
) had succeeded Lombard and Amo
C. Jordan, the night-editor, ha
; come to assist me. Theodore
Linghiser Of the railroad office, ais
: volunteered assistance; Jackman an
Kellogg fingered near.
After the Jay Cooke failure
4 things took on a different hue, bu
! what Jordan and Singhiser did t
3 make things hot in the old towr
3 during my absence could not be full
; understood without having been
e actual touch with the situation.
When l returned with supplies til
/ soldiers had raided the town. Muc
: Of the sporting element had lef
some Of them taking the train fc
E the first station east, Jordan ha
e gone, Singhiser did not stay. I'll
h wind whistled through the crack
E between the cottonwood boards; til
big press was out Of commissio
and the jobber used to print a
s apology on wall paper to hold tn
i date. then the paper became . fiv
I column folio.
i The office was made comfortable
business affairs adjusted and late
t December I returned to Minneapol
n to again report the legislature f.
! the Minneapolis Tribune and s
Z Paul Dispatch while editing I'll
|, news and editorial columns Of I'll
!, Bismarck Tribune by telegraph.
d. Custer Comes
In August the next year Gener,
It Custer was permitted to accompan
J. an expedition to the Black Hill
J. which was gone about sixty day
!, The purpose Of the EXPEDITION was
e demonstrate to the frontiersme
e who were clamoring for the opel
a ing Of the Black Hills. that thel
+ was nothing to justify disturbin
= the Indians in their rights and q
cordingly q distinguished geoloeia
ID Prof. Winchell, Of Minnesota, n
4 other eminent scientists, accompI
. MED by . corps OF newspaper n(
(, representing the eastern press. .
a complained General Custer. The
+ was also = party Of expert minel
with the expedition, headed by H.
Ross, Of Bismarck, and accompanil
y BY Il. H. Knappen Of the Bismarl
& Tribune. He was instructed to e
= sleep and dig with them and to brir
to me the results.
The scientists accompanying Il
a, expedition saw no gold, they -four
= no indication Of gold; the corr
]. spondsnt saw none; the miners y