Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
The McClellan Saddle
Sept. 17, 2019 — The saddle issued to the 7th Cavalry – the one to which Custer belonged – was developed by General George McClellan during the period of the Civil War. His design was unique in that the saddleback was open in the center, allowing for a sort of air conditioning between horse and rider. The design was also useful in winter— cavalry riders wore heavy woolen greatcoats that draped down over their legs and the horse’s sides. Warmth from the horse’s back transferred through the opening in the saddle and was captured under this coat, helping horse and rider stay warm.
The McClellan Saddle was used by the U.S. government throughout the First World War and is now duplicated by modern saddle makers.
Purity and Chewing Gum
Sept. 18, 2019 — On this date in 1913, the Bismarck Daily Tribune reported Governor Hanna had issued a proclamation calling for a “Purity Sunday” to be observed. “As earnest and sincere men and women,” Hanna wrote, “let us give serious consideration to the discussion of the problems that shall make for the uplift to manhood and womanhood; ever remembering that the greatest asset of any commonwealth consists, not of its cattle, horses and lands, but of its good men and women.”
Also on this date, but in 1891, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union met in Grand Forks, where a resolution was proposed to denounce chewing gum. A delegate objected, saying it would make the WCTU appear “needlessly ridiculous.”
Beer on the
Military Frontier
Sept. 19, 2019 — Soldiers stationed on the military frontier brought with them a taste for malt beverages like beer and ale. This was sometimes satisfied by ale imported from England, Scotland or Ireland, which could be bought at the post trader’s store – if the fort was located on or near a railroad or navigable river. In the days prior to pasteurization, ale’s heady character permitted shipment over long distances because of its relatively high alcohol content.
Artifacts from Fort Rice and Fort Abraham Lincoln indicate soldiers there were drinking a lot of the precursors to modern-day Bass and Guinness products, including India Pale Ale. However, some posts were too remote and had to brew their own, mostly with less-than-great results. Army surgeon J.N.T. King sampled some locally brewed “common ale” at Fort Totten in 1869. He pronounced it “a miserable article & not fit to drink.”
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