The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-06-05
AN OLDITIME ELECTION.

CnlS sccIlon VI the country HIty years aSO'
when be was voting man of thirty. he
Is now quite as vigorous at eighty as most
men are at sixty; has rosy, full face, and
bright eye; and has been known on &C,
casiOns to go out into the harvest field and
help his grandsons to get in the wheat. 1t
is easy to see from his massive form and
limbs that he must have been athletic and
powerful in his youth; and the very few
who still survive, who were his neighbors
then, say that he was as strong as horse,
fleet as deer, quick as a panther, and
brave as lion. But when Enoch Page
first came here and commenced to clear Q
patch Of gIoiind, all this was not SO well
known to the people as it was afterward
i am writing now Of times half a century
past, when instead OF all these flohrishing
cities and villages, these productive farms
| and orchards, and these railroads and can
ais, there were dense forests, few little
settlements at the crossings of roads, and
the roads themselves few in number and
indifferent in condition. The population,
sparse as it was, had buried itself in the
woods, and by judicious and energetic use
of the ak, was fast solving the first prob
lem of civilization. =. But the people were
coming in rapidly, and at Blunt's, which
was central point, the settlement was fast
increasing to the proportions Of a village.
This was the condition of things when
the first election in the new, coiln-
ty took place. 1t was held at Blunt's !;
and, being novel occasion, it called out
q large crowd. Several hundred voters
| were present, besides many who were not
veters. The election was for sheriff, which
great importance. 1t was felt to be doubly
important here, for threatening element
/ Of scoundrelism had lately been added to
the population, which could be suppressed
or held in check only by firm and deter
| mined administration of the laws. The
election was by ballot; but there being no
printing press within hundred miles the
ballots were all written out.
The candidates, by common consent
(for there were no caucussesl were two
Col. Walton and DIR. Reed. The former
| was, perhaps, the most substantial man in
the county, possessing education, expert
ence, and integrity, and was supported by
| the best men, those who were anxious to
have law and order prevail. The latter
| was quiet, inefficient person, wholly un-
fitted by nature and habit for the office {;
but he had been put forward by clique
| of idle, dissolute fellows, who considered
| it decidedly for their interest to get man
elected who would not execute the laws.
And knowing that they could not CON-
| mand sufficient votes to elect one of them
selves, they .did the next best thing in
| putting up man who they knew they
could control if successful, and for whom
they hoped to catch some respectable
| votes.
The ringleader of this precious set was
one Ham Perkins, great brawny ruffian
who delighted in affrays and cOmbats of
all kinds; and he rallied his peculiar fol-
lowers on election day, and they all put
forth a united effort to elect Reed. The
votes of this gang were all in within two
hours after the opening of the polls, and
ism over respectable voters. Many who
detested them were compelled to vote for
their candidate merely from fear of per-
sonal violence or injury to their property;
and so many there were who were willing
to pursue this weak course, that at noon
one of Perkins party, who had kept a
tally, announced that Reed was then five
ahead. The intelligence was received
with whoop and a yell of exultation,
and the rowdies became more insolent
than ever.
The leaders of the Walton party were
in anxious consultation, which seemed as
hopeless as it was anxious; and affairs
bore this aspect when Enoch Page, who
had just arrived on the ground, came up
to vote. As he approached the window,
a ballot was handed him by one of Colonel
Walton's friends. He took it and read
the name, nodded approval to the man
from whom he had received it, and step.
ped up to deposit it.
Ham Perkins had witnessed the Incl
dent, and Familiarity accosted the young
man as he approached.
II say, my boy, you've made a mistake
in the paper you've got there in your fist.
This here is the ticket you want.''
He held up the Reed ticket toward
Enoch, who, without paying the slightest
heed to the paper or the man who offered
it, stepped past to the window. Perkins
started and scowled, and then laid his
brawny hand on Enoch's shoulder.
didn't you hear what said, my lad?"
he inquired in a high and menacing key.
"That amt the name we're voting her to-
day; you take this one and put it right in
Enoch shook off the hand from his
shoulder, and returning the ruffian's bully
ing look with one of undaunted firmness,
replied. *
II Delleve ala not ask your ADVICE on
this subject. l shall vote for Colonel
Walton. Stand out of the way if you
please.n &
1t was the first manly opposition that the
bully had met that day, and the words
were spoken in tone that told him he
was dealing with brave and determined
spirit. But Perkins had welded his pecu-
liar power too long to brook such defiance
20 Sy,f hn Of h,,rI
men, who were now gazing at him to see
what he would do next.
"HO! putin on airs, are We, lad?" he
vociferated, while his face Redeemed with
anger. Now, say We shan't vote that
ticket-s0r"
With the words he reached out his hand
and snatching the ballot from Enoch, tore
| it to pieces. With prOmptness that
amazed the crowd, and with an audacity
| that made them hold their breath with
fright, Enoch seized the bully by the nose
and tweaked it vigorously, and then, with
his flat hand, smote him on both sides of
his face with a noise that sounded like the
crack of muskets.
The young man took two steps back and
planting himself against the building,
gathered his muscle for the onset that he
knew would follow. 1t did follow imme-
diately. Smarting with pain, and fairly
bowling with rage, Perkins made head
long rush, like wild beast springing on
its prey. The spectators shuddered, ex-
pecting to see Enoch strangled in the
grasp of the Infatuated ruffian. But he never
reached him; terrible blow from Enoch's
fist, delivered with all the force that could
be thrown into it, fell full on his breast,
with sound like the beat of a great drum.
Perkins threw up his arms, and with a
loud groan fell in a heap at the young
mans feet. Some of his friends raised
him up; they saw him gasp once-and
then all was over.
us he dead!" Enoch coolly asked.
"Yes-you've killed him-you've killed
him!" one of his late adherents ex-
claimed. ,.5
The Reed party carried off their fallen
chief; and SO thoroughly cowed were they
by his tragic but merited fate that they did