St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-17
For Nearly Five Hours Mime
apoliS Park Board Members
Wrote Ballots.
Democratic Efforts in Favor
OF Notwithstanding
Couldn't Stop 1t.
D9plorable Condition OF the
Mother Of One Of the
Wreck Victims.
New Caps for University Stu
dents--Curling Club En-
thusiasm Rising.

thuSIaSm Rising.
The park board met yesterday after
noon to hold its annual election, and
althoug no difficulty was found in sup
plying the offices OF president, vice
president, secretary and superintend-
ent of parks, a snag was struck when it
came to agreeing upon an attorney for
the board and Il wrangle arose which
several hours of ballOting failed to dis
pei and which has not been settled yet,
it being found necessary to adjourn at
Sis, after the tifty-frst ballot without
sI election. When the meeting was
called TO order, shortly after p. m,
there were present President Haugan,
Commissioners Allen, Demeules, Dahn,
BOardman, BradiSh. Loye, Staff, Ridg-
way, Lawrence, Northrup, Ryan and
Acting Mayor Gray. Some ques-
Aid. Gray to vote Aid. Lawrence
claiming that the charter gave him no
authority to do SO. The question was
referred TO Attorney Redwood. who
held that as acting mayor in the absence
Of Mayor Winston and President Potter,
Of the council, Aid. Gray had full power
30 vote. This ruling was accepted, but
aid. Gray did not take advantage of it
until the election of officers was taken
uD. After few small items of unfn-
shed business had been disposed of
President Haugan vacated the chair,
and the election of a president was
aiken up. An informal ballot gave
Commissioner Boardman ten votes,
Commissioner NorthrOp one vote, and
Commissioner Haugan two. The last
isSSd gentleman explained that he
vas not = candidate, and would not ac-
sapt the Office for another term, and
formal ballot was then taken.
This settled the business and resulted,
As was expected, in the election of Com
missioner BOardman, he receiving IL
FOtes, and Commissioner NOrthrup, the
)ther one. EXPresident Haugan then
.etired in a well worded speech avow-
ing undiminiShed interest in the park
system, and turning the gavel over to
President BOardman with best wishes
.or the future.
Jacob Staff was then unanimously
elected vice president, and the election
of a secretary was taken 10. An in
formal ballot resulted unanimously in
favor Of the reelection of Wallace g.
Nye, and this choice was confirmed by
formal ballot. The selection of an at
tOrney came next on the programme,
the candidates being G. f. lockwood.
the present incumbent; Benjamin 3.
Clay, Fred c. Cook and Henry Gjertsen.
From the first it was evident that al
though the hard wire-pulling of Gjert-
sens friends during the past few days,
Gnd the caucus or Friday night had not
had the desired effect, matters had GER
taiDly been somewhat complicated
thereby.
Another caucus in Giertsen's favor
was held yesterday at Aid. LOye's har-
ness shop on Washington avenue, but
with nO more satisfactory results to
those who engineered it than that of
the preceding evening, there being
sufficient number Of Republican men,
bers who refused to have GjertSen
stuck down their Threats to make his
election extremely doubtful. When it
was announced that an informal ballot
on the attorneyship would be taken,
there was a general show of interest
throughout the room. Mr.. lockwood,
who had vacated his seat next the preSi-
his mustache and anXiously watched
the tellers as they proceeded
about their work. Fred Cook sat quiet
ly in the back of the room, but did not
lost track of what was going on. and
Henry GjSrtSen flood in the door of the
anti-roOm. thanked by Aid. Rand and
several other friends and taking notes
from time to time OH the back OF an old
envelope.
Commissioner Lawrence placed Ben
jamin B. Clay in nomination, stating as
he did SO that this action was not the
result of any caucus, as he considered
that the park board should be removed
from all political influence as much as
the library board and the judges of our
courts, and would therefore not partici-
pate in any caucus. He nominated Mr..
Clay as personal friend, whom he
knew to be the peer of any attorney the
board had ever had or ever could Sc
cure.
The informal ballot resulted as fol-
lows: Clay, 4. lockwood 3, Cook 2,
Gjertsen 4.
This was a very fair index to the fifty
one formal ballots which followed it,
for, although votes were changed from
time to time the. general sentiment re-
manned the same.
1t would be difficult to say just what
che result OF the election would have
been had there been full attendance
OF the board, but the presence OF Aid.
Gray in place of Mayor Winston,
ers Brown and FOiwell made
considerable difference in the general
aspect of the body. Clay'S four votes
undoubtedly represented the four Dem
Ocratic members present, and he re-
tanned them almost through the entire
fight, only falling below that number on
three ballots. and had Mayor Winston
and Commissioner Brown been present
1t is but fair to presume that they would
have fallen in line also, and that Clay
would have been elected.
GJertson's four votes, which are gen.
orally supposed to have been cast by
commissioners Demeules, Haugan, Love
and Bradish, made their appearance in
nearly every ballot, although at times
he fell short and at other times exceeded
that number. However, although he
several times secured six votes he was
not strong enough.
The voting on the other two candi-
dates was rather uncertain. and
although both of them showed I'D we'll
at times the votes continued to scatter.
The lockwood men are supposed to be
Commissioners Boardman and Allen.
Commissioner FoIwell, who was absent.
Is also known to favor him.
The first ballot resulted: Clay 4.
lockwood 3, Cook 2, Gjertsen 4. The
tifty-frSt ballot resultsd: lockwood 4,
Clay 4, Gjertsen 4. One vote cast fol-
John Goodenow.
After the twenty-fourth ballot and
again after the fortieth Commissioner
Lawrence renewed his motion to post.
pone, but it was lost both times by the
lame vote-SiX to seven. A motion by
Commissioner Ryan after the fortieth