The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-11-28
BOOK BY BISMARCK
WOMAN GIVEN GOOD
NEWSPAPER REVIEWS
Dakota, by Mrs. Waldo, Wins
Praise For Context and
Literary Merit

Ii extensive reviews accorded any book
u In long time were made by the New
& York Times and other leading news
papers of Dakota" recent work of
II Mrs. Edna La Moore Waldo, Bismarck
author, but study of the book dem.
Onstrates why it was singled out for
both praise and lengthy review.
AS history it carries the blush of
! truth upon it and makes those epic
days when Dakota Territory was be-
ing settled living actually. AS
the story of an American Frontier it
gives new life and brings new vivid
ness to the tales Of every frontier in
this country.
Written in informal style and with
out bulk or verbosity, incidents un-
! known to the casual reader Of history
are told with a freshness and detail
j characteristic of q time when almost
anything could happen-and did. It
was to the newspapers of territorial
days which Mrs. Waldo turned for
this material. OF these papers the
writer says "The first history of North
J Dakota was written in its newspapers
and, although comparatively un-
known, it still remains the most COL
orful, the most melodramatic, reflect
ing as it does, the reactions and the
feelings of the times"
Scanned Pioneer Newspapers
The first papers established were
the Dakotain at Yankton and the
Tribune at Bismarck. 1t was from
these as we'll as from several founded
later, notably the LaMoure Chronicle,
the Fargo Argus, the Grand Forks
Plain Dealer, the Jamestown Alert,
the Mandan Pioneer and others that
she cleaned incidents to weave into
the pattern of Dakota" The author
spent 18 months in porting over the
files in the North Dakota Historical
Society library.
Opening the book with a chapter
entitled Smoky Water" she recon-
structS early transportation on the
Missouri and pictures trading posts
and river ports which sprung up at
that time. For many years Bis
marck's growth was bound up with
river navigation and here lived many
of the famous pilots. Among these
was Captain Grant Marsh, one of the
greatest river pilots of all time. Re-
naming always as river epic will be
his record-breaking run with the Far
West" of 900 miles in 60 hours follow
ing the battle of the Little Big Horn.
It is told that he pushed his boat for
SO miles up an unchar.ed river and
stood by to aid with the rescue work
after the Custer battle, in order to
bring the wounded to the hospital at
Fort Abraham Lincoln with the least
possible delay.
New to many readers will be the
episode of Custer and the grain
thieves. Custer, himself Mrs. Waldo
sketches as glamorous figure and a
frontier soldier who knew his bust
ness.
The story Of Clusters last fight is
told with the dash and color of the
sensational news story it was. It was
with this story tn a t the Bismarck
Tribune and the New York Herald
scooped the world. Mrs. Waldo re-
ports that the story sent by wire to
the New York paper cost $4,000 in
tolls Newspapers in Bismarck that
day sold for Is cents apiece.
Describes Social Life
Taking exception to the statements
of historians who picture life in terri
torial days as continuous hardship,
the author brilliantly describes the
social side in a chapter called Little
Prairie Towns Here are accounts OF
euchre parties, of concerts and plays
given by well-known talent, of recep-
tions, balls and church fairs as we'll as
the more vigorous pastimes Of tobog-
gaming and skating.
An entire chapter is devoted to
gentlemen of the press" Among
those particularly mentioned is COL
onel Clement c. Lounsberry, founder
and publisher of the Bismarck Trib-
une and distinguished author of an
authentic history of North Dakota
The Tribune, according to Mrs. WAL
dos account, had many brilliant edi-
tors, including Stanley Huntley, one
of the outstanding newspaper men OF
his day and author OF the famous
"Spoopendyke Papers"
AS the author points out. it was the
day of personal journalism. For the
by libel suits and threats of personal
violence there was unlimited oppor-
tunity.
Nor was all Of Dakota's history
written by men. Mrs. Waldo shows
There was for instance Mrs. Linda
Slaughter, wife of Bismarck's first
doctor, of whom the author says: "be-
cause of her peculiar gifts. her faculty
for recognizing each opportunity as it
came along. she was destined to be-
come the first woman of Dakota dur
ing the 70's and early sos :. wom-
an who helped to interpret the life of
her day, not only to the world she
knew but to posterity as WELL"
Hannafin Often Mentioned
Although many early Bismarck citi-
zens loom large on the pages Of Mrs
Waldo's book, few held the interest of
the public more continuously than
Dennis Hannafin, erstwhile saloon
keeper, ''squatter governor" and poll
tician. for whom one Of our streets is
named.
Ranching in western Dakota;
Roosevelt's visit; the lively tale Of the
Marquis de Mores and his packing
plant; the discovery of gold in the
Black Hills; bonanza farms: territor-
ial politics; all are dealt with in sue
cessive chapters with news stories
from contemporary papers furnishing
the background.
In this book Mrs. Waldo has accom-
rlished the thing which makes his
tory popular; she has written a con-
nected narrative spiced with bits OF
gossip, half forgotten incidents and a
wealth of local color.
This is the authors second book
Her first, "Yet She Follows" was a
biography Of her grandmother pio-
neer resident of the state. She has
written many short articles, plays
and stories for girls magazines and
for 10 years has been regular con-
trihufnr To national periodicals.