May 3: 1905: Mandan’s School Trouble. Rumors had been spreading that a fight was taking place within the Mandan school board. Focusing on a claim that the school board through some teachers could not be “good teachers” because their religious beliefs did not fall along desirable lines.

The rumors began when, at a special meeting, the chairman, while reading applications for vacant teaching positions, came across one that proclaimed that the individuals was a protestant. Seeing that, the chairman dismissed the application.

Getting into the middle of the fight, the Mandan Republican argued that the Catholics of Mandan should not be able to sanction such things, and that protestants should have a chance to be employed as teachers as well, as long as they were qualified.

May 4: 1918: Father Declines to Let Boys Register for Service. Frederick Reib, a farmer from the Zeeland community, had his two sons, George and Adolph Rieb, taken from his house by Sheriff Dockter, and brought to the town of Ashley, so they could be inducted into the service.



Previously, Frederick has insisted that his sons be omitted from their duties as citizens of draft age, but possibly in spite of that, the two boys were immediately entrained for Camp Dodge.

It was believed that if they had registered for service to begin with, they would not have been impressed into the service. The reason being that one of the boys was crippled, while the other was married and the head of a family.

George was on a hunger strike as he left for Camp Dodge. He was in charge of a party of local select service soldiers.

May 5: 1909: Peddler Caused to Leave for Doing Business. A.E. Shimers, an Italian peddler, was charged with peddling without a license in Mandan. Pleading guilty, he was released upon the payment of a fine, which covered his entire resources.

Shimers was nabbed while doing business at Dogtooth.

Mandan had a special ordinance that required peddlers to get a license, which cost $20 a day. The intent was to keep cheap retail salesmen out of the field.

May 6: 1916: Owen’s Appeal. In a heart touching appeal, Owen Farley, one of the oldest settlers in Bismarck, asked for assistance. Being down and out on his “earning capacity,” he appealed to the City of Bismarck to help him be able to keep his body and soul together.

While the county was assisting Farley, it only did so to a small extent; not enough to keep him provided for.

Arguing that he had done a great deal for the city in the past, saving both life and property, that it was only fair for him to be compensated for his previous work.

May 7: 1914: Kicked by Horse. Having a bad day, Reinhold Sailer, the young son of Adam Sailer, a well known merchant and farmer of Stanton, was brought to Mandan after being kicked by a horse.

Reinhold was brought to Mandan by Dr. C.C. Smith, by automobile, and taken to the hospital.

With two fractured ribs, and severe internal injuries, his condition was deemed serious.

May 8: Mandan Wakes Up. The city of Mandan was in high glee as the railroad, with a center for operation in the city, began to expand outwards, and in return, business was looking to increase in Mandan.

Warehouses and offices were being erected just south of the Northern Pacific tracks, and a large number of teams were expected to arrive in town shortly. The Missouri River was also expected to be greatly used, and negotiations with Captain Baker, of Bismarck, who had a fleet of six or eight boats, were pending.

The extensive N.P. warehouses at Bismarck river landing were also expected to be used, with heavy steam shovels, cars, rails, oats, coal and other supplies being shipped from Bismarck to Cannonball, and other points, via the river.



With the news, a general awakening was seen in the business sector, which was celebrating by stringing twelve new arc lights along Main Street.

May 9: 1917: Women on the Back of Plows. In a special note, it was brought to the attention of readers in Mandan that women were on the back of plows and riding the seeders. The information was brought by those who had been out in the country, but returned to the city that week.

The news was celebrated as it showed that Morton County women were playing no small game in the cropping of that year’s grain.

Those in Morton County had been working to plant as large an acreage as possible, and everyone was needed to join in. It was estimated that a full 35 percent more land would be cropped that year, as compared to the previous year.