The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1899-08-30
OVER IN RENvILLE.
Preliminary Skirmishes On the
County Seat Fight.

The Renville county commission
ers have been drawing per diem
ever since last Wednesday. The
county seat row is on. It bids fair
to stay on for an indefinite period,
but the chances were at the time
that this side of The GAZETTE went
to press on Saturday that the COM
missioners would either adjourn to-
day Saturday, or Monday, at the
latest. There is no telling, how
ever, what board of county COM
missioners will do in a county seat
contest.
The scrap commenced at about
2 o'clock last Wednesday. One
o'clock was the time set for the
Olivia galaxy of legal and military
talent, headed by ex-Captain Sam.
Miller, did not put in an appearance
until o'clock. and in the meantime
the Bird Island lawyers and crowd
of boomers were hobnobbing with
the commissioners to the extent of
getting some admissions from the
officials that made the Bird Island
ers laugh all over, and later on,
when Lieut.. Gov Smith commenced
making his points the Bird Island
ers laughed commissioners or
most of them, ditto.
There was just an even dozen
lawyers present when the court OF
commissioners was called to order.
Olivia had five-Lieut. Gov. Smith,
Senator George w. Somerville, Capt.
Sam. Miller, and Messrs. Freeman
and Gage. Bird Island must have
had the same number, headed by
McClelland & Tiff of Glencoe, lead
ing counsel, and three others who
were donating their time and SER
vice in Olivia's interests. County
Att orney Rieke was there, while D.
A. Stuart of Window, formerly Of
this place, was there for Beaver
Falls. David did mt have to say
much. The other fellows were do
ing the fighting and Dave was sort
of acting as referee, and incident
ally catching on to a whole lot Of
county seat points that he might not
have known. When the other at
torneys stated that they would leave
certain points for Dave to argue
before the board, and when they
cashed in their arguments on ques-
tons before the board, Dave was
sharp enough to tell the board that
the questions were closed so far as
! Beaver Falls was concerned. And
the other attorneys were wrathy
because Dave wouldn t talk.
The crowd was mild-small quiet
and attentive, and as illustration CT
their quietness you could hear Capt
Sam. Miller wink, Maj. Bowler
snore as he was doing through the
dull proceedings. Hans Gronnerud
breathe at odd spells, and the
whispers of attorneys communicate
ING some horrible secret to col
leagues during arguments. From
,fo could hn lponl tho din Of po
almost disabled guns of Hamlet,
fair Hamlet, the fairest of all Olivia
boomers. as she family attempted to
touch the fuse for Olivia. Maybe
the rain did it, or maybe something
else-anyway, it was quiet, and not
a word or fist fight occurred. Even
the lawyers refrained from calling
each other bad names.
Lieut.. Gov. Smith opened the ball
by saying that he appeared on be-
| half of OLIVIA He then said that all
| petitions were prematurely circulat-
ed, that Bird Islands petition was
prematurelv filed, that there was nc
legal or sufficient publication of no.
tice to warrant the county auditor
in calling special meeting of the
county board, that affidavits made
by the publishers were irregular,
etc.
Mr.. Stuart said that he repre-
scented Beaver Falls and was will
| ing that the other attorneys con-
t tinue, and then County Attorney
Rieke laid down the rules that the
board had adopted for governing
the legal windjammers Of the differ
, ent boomers. Arguments were
allotted to ten minutes, and only one
attorney on each side was allowed
| fn inf