The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-07-24
SISTER B0N|FACE'S
COLORFUL CAREERI IS
GIVEN RECOGNITION
Was Leading Figure in cere-
mony at st. Louis; Featured
BY Big Newspaper

Proving that . prophet may be
honored in a far as well as in his
own country Is q copy Of the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat, recently re-
oeived by The Tribune and contain
ing an account Of the unwilling Of a
memorial tablet in that city, cere-
nlony in which Sister M. Boniface,
superintendent Of st. Alexius hospi-
tai here, was the leading figure.
The tablet marks the site of the
first hospital established west Of the
Mississippi river and Sister Boniface
was asked to unveil it because she
was the oldest member of the Catho-
lie Hospital association present at
the convention, of which the cere-
mony was a program feature.
Reviewing the colorful career
which brought the distinction to Sis
ter Boniface the st. Louis newspaper
said:
Pioneering In the northwest 60
years ago, Sister M. Boniface, supe-
rior of st. Alexius hospital Of Bis
marck, N. D., who Is here attending
the 18th annual convention OF the
Catholic Hospital Association Of the
United States and Canada, watched
the frontier disappear from Ameri-
can life and helped to write the his
tory Of her state.
1T is a vivid, picturesque period
of America which her memory covers
since she came in the. early days to
take charge Of the first hospital in
Bismarck. Last year at the Catholic
hospital convention, she celebrated
her Goth anniversary as Sister OF
the Order Of st. Benedict, which she
entered in st. Cloud, Mimi, when
she was ID years old.
"She is being honored today by be-
ing chosen as the most fitting Sister
at the convention to unveil the tab
let on Spruce street, which will mark
the site OF the first hospital in st.
Louis and the first west Of the Mis-
sissippi river. The ceremony will be
held at 2 p. m. by the Catholic Hos
pital association. The hospital was
established by the Sisters Of Charity
of st. Vincent de Paul, who conduct
the De Paul hospital on Kings high
way.
Nursed Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was one of
Sister Boniface's patients when he
was roughing 1t in North Dakota and
had an attack Of pneumonia. After
wards, whenever he visited Bismarck
and the whole town celebrated his
coming, he always called at st. Alex
1us hospital to pay his respects, she
stated with pride.
"'The city welcome committee al
ways pinned the famous rabbit tail
badges on the Sisters which everyone
else wore when Teddy was in town.
and we were glad to wear them IN
his honor she said yesterday.
"When Sister Boniface arrived In
Bismarck, N. D., more than 40 years
ago, she took over building which
had been started for hotel in boom
days and abandoned unfinished. 1t
was converted into hospital with
IS beds, and Immediately filled with
patients from the poorfouse, which
burned down just as the hospital was
finished. The first month she took
in only $50, she relates.
"The hardships Of those early
days may sound romantic in retro
spect, but they were very present
trials at the time she explains.
There was no water system In the
town, and we had to pay Is cents
barrel for water for laundry hauled
several miles from the Missouri river.
No Heating System
zach room in the hospital was
heated by small coal stove ind the
winters were bitter cold. I got per-
mission to put in a hot-water heat
ing plant If could raise the money,
30 I begged until I was promised a
thousand dollars. One man gave me
q lot which later sold for $500. Then
I sent 400 miles to the nearest
plumber. He came in July and prom.
ised to have the plant In by October.
and with hasty optimism, sold all
Of the stoves except one in the recre-
alton hall and one in the mems
lounge, and we nearly froze to death
before the plant was finally installed
and working on Christmas Day.
SISTER Boniface bought the first
telephone In town when a salesman
came to Bismarck with six iastru-
ments. She induced the leading drug
gist to buy the second one and doc
tor the third one, but when she tried
to sell the other doctor the fourth one,
he refused unless she would promise
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