The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-03-11

influence it has eXerted on the destinies
Of the nation in one way and another.
We hear stories now and again of the
winning and losing of fortunes, and
sometimes how large estates and min
ing properties have been staked on the
chances lying between two hands. And
every lobbyist in the country is familiar
with the old device of losing large sums
in q friendly game with legislator
whose vote is desired on one side or the
other. Such things, naturally enough,
sway public interests as well as private
to no small extent, but l have seen u
seat in the United States senate lost
on four queens"
"Of course, you are not talking seri
ously," said one of the party.
"But l am" was the answer, "seri-
ously and literally. 1t happened in
Minnesota soon after the war. Poiit-
ical conditions in that part of the west
were very different to what they are
now, and in fact all other conditions
were, too. 1t was at about the begin
ming of the real growth of the north
west. The value of the wheat fields had
been learned, but the Swedish and Nor
wegian immigration was in it's infancy,
and the lumber industry, that after
ward grew to such enormous proper
tions, was then making comparatively
few men rich. Minneapolis was small
town on the south side of the river, and
st. Anthony was town OF the same
size on the other side. Now it's all one
city, but then nobody dreamed of St.
Paul being eclipsed in size or impor-
tance.
~ was knocking about late one sum-
mer at that period, and had made many
friends around St. Paul and Minneap-
oils, some Of whom were state officials,
and had heard much talk of the strug
gle there was to be in the next legisla-
ture over the election of a senator. Two
men were in the race, and as they were
both popular the contest was likely to
be close one. Party questions did not
enter in, for the state was strongly re-
publican, and no democrat stood a
show. But which of the republicans
would carry the Legislature was mat
ter of great doubt, and l saw bets made
on the issue as early as the first of Sep
tember. AS the time of election drew
near, it was evident that the choice for
senator was going to govern the NOM
nation of candidates for the legisla-
ture, and as both the senatorial aspi-
fNNtc 1NrCr of hand voI n lnn,r
Of purse they were using all the in
huence they had in the county conven-
tons which were to be held early in
October.
Right here was where the Importance
Of the lumber industry came in. The
money on which the lumbermen in the
upper counties lived came to them most.
" through Minneapolis and st. An
thony, and the perfectly legitimate
business relations between them and
The business men cf those two cities
naturally gave the latter much infiu.
ence among the former. There was q
foshcking, happy -go-lucky man in Min
Leapolis whom everybody called Doc
Martin, for no reason that l could dis
cover except that he wasn't doctor
lie was part owner of a sawmill, anG
spent the most of each winter in the
woods with his men. He was credited
With being as influential as anyone there
was, among voters, but he had a riva
IN another man named Gilmartin, who
was a logger himself, but had for {
oozen seasons been foreman of on,
gang or another. Martin was a ricl
man, but Gilmartin was seldom flush
excepting in the spring, when he hat
ofawn his winters pay. These two
"en were known to be strong partisans
ene favoring one of the would-be sen
s'ors and the other the other, and i
was generally thought that they wouit
oo'h 60 electioneering when the count,
sohVentons We're held.
The week before that would happe,
was one OF party Who drove from
Nsasapells to = road house Oh tb