The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-03-04
THE machine" of one Of the pc

m he 'macnlne VI Ohe VI NNS PNS
ical parties of Butte County was
- at work. The wheel-horses OF
the organiza ton were in executive SEES
sion and the manufacture of slate
for the ratification of the county con-
vention was In progress. Everything
had been settled without friction up TO
a certain point, but here the making OF
candidates came to a full stop. Some
one must be selected to run for Super
intendent of Schools, and some one else
must be found who was disinterested
enough to stand for the place of County
Surveyor, with the nominal emolu-
ments pertaining thereto. This latter
problem was settled, after brief dis
cussion. by the powers insisting that AL
Wood, the incumbent, who was present,
must stand for reelection, whether he
liked it or not: but duly qualified can
dldate for Superintendent Of Schools
was not so easily found. The man who
had held that position for two years
past had the bad taste to give up his
office and his grasp on life at the same
time, only two weeks before, thus leav-
Ing his party In quandary for candl-
date to succeed him. OF course, there
were plenty Of asprants for the NOM
/ nation. but most of them were unayail-
able for reasons political, and the can
didate must be person who was pop
ular with the voters of the county.
Jimmie" Van Vert, the handsome
young assayer Of the Spread Eagle
Mill, had been sitting in dark corner
of the office in which the conference
was being held, smoking quietly and
saying very little until now; but hi
finally put In his oar long enough tC
suggest that professor" Striker, thu
young principal Of the local school
would make good man for the office.
"Ya-as," assented Judge Bullock, tn
venerable Justice of the Peace, blu
they don't know him out In tn kentry
an we got t. have some Teller th't CT
ketch tn aoutside vote. Now, Jimmie
look yere. What's tn matter with 20
runnln' FIR Superintendent y'rselfT
Don't get me mixed in on dea
: like thatp' calculated Van Vert, fel
: yently. Il don't want any old otfic'
I I've got troubles enough now"
But Judge .Bullock's suggestion m'
with unanimous approval on the pa
of all the others present, and, yer
much against his will, Mr.. Van We
: was slated for the nomination, al
duly placed in nomintion by the conye
= ton a few days later 1t was tV
weeks before he found out what so
of an opponent he was to have, az
. then, much to his disgust, he learn'
that the other party had nominated
girl.
This was almost enough to make hi
throw up the canvass. The Idea or &
Is other fellows thinking that he could
% beaten by woman. Then he consol
n himself with the reflection that perha
> they knew they couldn't beat him, a
20 had merely put up this Miss Smith
l. act as a forlorn hope. Thenceforth
l. did not put much activity into his ca
e. yass, but attended to business pref
Is much as usual, serene in the belief IL
N the voters Of Butte County were l
90 vet arrived at the stage of progressi
p when they would permit woman
I'd hold office. And all this time, be
IN known, this heretofore unknown a
mysterious Miss Smith was becoml
known to the voters of the county, a
what was more, she was winning
good deal of support from sources al
which Van Vert confidently counted
1t lacked only about ten days Of e.
=. ton day when Van Vert, with S
den shock, came to his senses. Two
10 three things had occurred to detr
from his overconfdence. Among th
was the avowal on the part of sew
personal and political friends Of Il
ry intention to support Miss Smith, Civ
as their reasons that she had a &
say record as an educator and was with
ase doubt well qualified for the office;
her her she wanted the office, and was mai
inn a hard fight for it; and that Van v
I'M didn't want it ana didn't need 1t.
Use top of this he was Informed that
NV opponent had been out in the ''cow
tricts," and had the cowboy vote pr
ars well "clnched." This cheering
on nouncement came from two or thre
the bosses who called on him to
. II he didn't think 1t worth while to
out and save his political scalp by
Ting" like the rest of the candldi
W We'll have the committee fix S
dates for you to speak, and you've
to fill EN-. Jimmie; II you don't "
IL u gone goose" said they.
So, with the inward fear tina
uT might, after all, be defeated, Van
~ began in earnest the effort to save
VI self. He did not care for the office
Mt he dreaded defeat at the hands
woman, being one of the kind of
who do not believe the gentler sex
Il any business In politics He pic'
~ Miss Smith as a big, gaunt, red-ha
self-assertive person, with large
hands and snappy way of speak
Gs and was quite surprised to learn
. she was really a very ladylike
0S. woman, tipping the beam at abou
0. pounds.
sthod IL lacked but four days of Gle
oil. ~, r;o,s candida too
thou DAY, anu tue NaIlous eauulu"'eS
ublic putting in every hour possible In
re S ing speeches and seeing their &C
hine, uents and other people. Van WeT
put in some very telling work IN So
&C places where 1t would do the most
...s but in two or three precincts Il
Pre-. found that a strong sentiment In