Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-18
WHO WILL BE WINNER q?
THE ALL-ABSOREiNG QUESTION
ON THE STREETS.
The Scenes In and Around The Gazette
Building in the Evening-The Votes
Came Rolling In-At the Close.

The city department of TIE GAZETTE
| was not in yesterday, or even ~ Sunday.
People had no time to think of sy<h trivial
matters as news items: they wanted
| TO know who was ahead, and made the re-
porters lives weary burden, nOtwith-
standing they were earnest i'll their Ell
beavers TO make the eager ones understand
they knew nothing about it,
Bets We're freely offered by the friends
of the various candidates that their
favorite would win, and some in
stances were known where three
to one was offered OF the fayorite against
the field. Others bet on the number OF
votes the winner would receive. these vary
ing all the way from $4,000 to 200
000 The principal feeling seemed to be
that the race lay between Misses Carrie
Dickson and Maydelle Drake, but others
were confident Miss Weltman would come
under the wire an easy winner. Still
Minnie Butts had strong reserve fund
hidden away by the drummers, which
would appear in the secret ballot.
As the sun dropped down the western
sky the contest became warmer. RumorS
were atioat that the Alaydeile Drake club
had received reinforcements. and that
contributions to the fund to the
amount of $500 had poured in by
mail and wire from the railroad boys all
over the state. This rather daunted the
Carrie Dickson club for amOment, but they
rallied their forces, and the battle of the
ballots was on again fiercer than
ever Enthusiastic workers on both
sides had many wordy encounters, and IN
some instances It looked for a time rs
though fists would be called into requisi-
ton to settle the argument. but the clouds
We're soon dissipated and sweet peace again
broOded Serenely over the scene.
But the going down OF the sun did
II
At O'Clock the crowd began
gathering in front OF THE GAZETTE
Office, and every moment some one would
rush in and deposit his vote in the
box. At $40 the street in front
and the counting room, outside
the railing, We're jammed with an
eager throng, and as the time drew near for
the ballOting TO close, the excitement grew
more intense. Friends of the leading can
didates were rushing around rUstling
up votes, and when the polls
closed at 9o'clook it was impossible to get
in the door of the business office. The
Denver came in during the evening with
lG5, 900 votes for Maydelle Drake, and as
soon as this became known it was gener-
ally conceded that the railroad girl was the
winner, though no one can tell until all the
votes have been opened and counted.
All night long the boys worked faithfully
in the effort TO count the ballots SO the an
nOunceinenJ could De MADE TINS morning.
but the task was too great for them, and
they We're forced to give it up
THE GAZETTE does not know this morning
who the winner is or who is likely to be the.
winner. No such contest has ever been
known in Texas, and returns from presi-
dental election were not as eagerly looked
for as the returns from The GAZETTE's
scholarship contest. The railroad men, the
drummers, the eX-Confederates, the
police and the fremen were in
it and proved themselves tstayers''
The railroad boys TO man stood by
their candidate, and wherever car
wheel turned in Texas there was
champion for Miss Drake The
ex-Confederates rallied around the
bannor of Miss Weltman and did noble
service in her cause. Miss Dickson friends
We're also at w0ri, and they fought until
the last ballot had fallen. Politics is not in
it beside THE GAZETTE contest for interest
and excitement.
AT o'clock this morning the tally sheet
showed Miss Drake was several thousand
ahead.