On September 26, 1879, the mining town of Deadwood, Dakota Territory, was destroyed by fire. A month later, the Bismarck Tribune reported two stories about the Bismarck Stage Line, the main line into Deadwood. In one story, the Railway Age accused the Bismarck Line of profiteering from Deadwood’s crisis by raising its freight charges – which the stage line denied.

The other article countered, quoting the Black Hills Times: “This line, since the fire especially, has been taxed to its utmost capacity, and with almost superhuman efforts they are unable to keep up with the daily demands made upon them. [. . .] Their coaches are loaded to their utmost capacity all the time, in and out, so far as passengers are concerned, the outgoing passengers being principally business men going out for goods, and but few of them leaving the Hills to stay away. This is emphatically a Western enterprise, originated, owned and managed by live Western men, and no tenderfoot arrangement, and the result is no more or less than could have been expected.”

By Merry Helm

Source: The Bismarck Tribune. 21 Oct 1879: p4.

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