The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-31
POKER FOR A CoUNrY's NAME.
A Great Game Which Ended With a
Lucky Draw.

i Lucky Draw.
Bismarck Correspondence Globe-D emocrat.
Fifteen years ago. when Mckenzie
county, on the extreme western border of
North Dakota, was organized, there was
lively squabble among the county COM
missioners over the name There were
two residents of the county who were
popular, and their influence with the
board of commissioners. that consisted of
four members, was equally divided These
two men were Henry Mckenzie and Olin
Fltttie The former was brawny. good
natured Scotchman; the latter was a de-
termined Swede. When the commits
sioners took the first vote on the adoption
of a name, the result was two for McKen-
zie and two for Elittie. All one afternoon
the four men balloted and schemed for a
ma GRITTY, but the result was always two
and two The board finally adjourned
two days.
The story of the deadlock was soon in
circulation among the settlers, and when
the board met again there were large
number OF people present. During that
session talk was plenty and cheap The
queens English and parliamentary rules
were ruthlessly assaulted and shamefully
mutilated, AS often as every fifteen min
utes the commissioners balloted, but the
result was always tie.
All day the ar yuing and the threaten
ing and the balloting went on. but neither
Mckenzie nor Flittie could win. One ex-
asperated friend of Mckenzie suggested
that the two members who were friends
of Flittie be thrown out bodily
This started a row. and a free
fight followed The disturbance was
finally quelled and another ballot taken.
There was no change in the result.
"A he, ot1f Of he
dilemma, and 10th parties were showing
signs of WEAKNESS and disgust, when
John VIM, o young settler from down on
the little Missouri, jumped up on chair
and said that he had a scheme for set
thing the question of name.
WINS PROPOSITION.
He was told to explain it. Everybody
was attentive 10 Winns proposition,
which was that four men, to be named b.
the persons there assembled, w were
known to be good card players, and who
lived in the northern half of the territory
be employed to play game of draw poker
to decide the contest. Two of the players
were to represent the Mckenzie element
and two would stand for the klittie party.
No money was 20 be usei. The betting
capi al of each player was to be SEQ white
chips. with a supposed valuation OF -
apiece. The proposition was that the
game be played at some point of easy ac-
C IS TO the players, who were to be per
sons in no wise interested in the ahairs Of
Mckenzie county.
In conclusion. VIM suggested that
Judd La Moure, of Pembina county; A.
w. Edwards, of,Cass; Enos Stuttsman,
of Botteueau, and Alexander Mckenzie
of Burleigh, be chosen to play the game
which. in his opinion, should be contested
at Steele, in Kidder county, on the line
of the Northern Pacific railroad The
proposition contemplated the paying of
the expenses OF the players to and from
Steele and a compensation OF 81 ,C0) 70
each player. There was to be no break
in the game until one side or the other
was defeated. If the victory went to a
representative of the Elite faction, the
name of the county was to be t'littie.
IL the Mckenzie party won, Mckenzie
was to be the name of the county.
The prosposition was unanimously APP
proved by those present, and as about
every ablebodied man in the county was
there. the commissioners didn't feel ex