The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-01-25
Livingstone. seven miles from either


town.
Eut both towns mistrusted this deal.
and after several meetings of the board
and great deal of wire pulling. the
matter was fought out nj the polls I'm
the fall of 1882. Miller winning by
small majOrity. ST. Lawrence at the
time claimed the election was won by
fraud in the colonization Of about
twenty five cowboys and tough charac-
tiers from Pierre and Fort Pierre, who,
ii was charged. had been held i'm Mil
Ter for a period Of thirty days so that
under the law they would become legal
voters.
1t might be noted here as a political
coincidence that Henry Miller. who To-
Gated the town of Miller. and G.. w.
Livingstone, as well as j. NJ. King. the
contending commissioners, were old
greerbackers in Iowa and Illinois. first
taking active part after coming to
Dakota i'm the councils of the Repub-
lican party, and all afterwards becom.
ing leaders in the Populst party. To
these active. brainy men. with their
ancient greenback teachings. is largely
due the fact that Hand county became
a vertable dollhouse for the propaga-
ton Of Populism and free silver.
Ran Into Politics.
But the first political activity of
these men was in an exciting county
fight i'm 1882 between two factions OF
Republicans, which each called Il coIn-
ty convention, one ut Miller AID the
other at st. Lawrence, the factions
sending "double-header" delegation
to the territorial convention at Grand
Forks. one for Senator Pettigrew. who
wanted reelection as delegate to
congress, aud the other for Hon. Geo.
III. Hand, after whom the county WAS
named.
The 1882 election which gave Mile
the county seat did not settle tn
question. however. Under the press
urc Of those early ''boom" days. when
every prospect in the land Of the Da-
kotas was pleasing and man alone was
vile. both towns grew and prospered.
st. Lawrence reaching population Of
over 500 and Miller GOO, both doing a
business equal to towns Of that man.
thousands back in the states.
The history of these rival prairie
towns. ever within easy sight Of each
other. is one Of contention and feu
in business, politics. fraternal soci".
ties. and even in the churches, up e
1883. when St Lawrence started on
with n petition to the board of county
commissioners asking it to call for IN,
other vote upon relocating the county
seat. A petition Of 1900 names o
Hand county voters was secured. aue
laid before the county board. Til
was followed by a remonstrance from
Miller containing about as many sign
crs as the st. Lawrence petition. hun-
dreds of men having signed both pa
pers, their signatures on the remcn
STRANGE representing men who Ia
changed their minds" about relocating
the county seat.
A county seat fight. aud there hayC
been n number of them i'm Dakota, is
the NEST intensely DlttCr contest tina.
men engage in. 1t Is a red-hot stat
capital fight drawn down and COZ
densed into the boundaries Of single
county. where men pass each othe'
with i'll -concealed anger in word or
look, and where single word may b.
echoed in rapid and earnest gun
play" and this one between Miller and
ST. Lawrence was no exception to tn
general rule.
Prominent Characters.
Among the prominent characters
taking part in this bitter feud was
Hon. A. ID. Hill Democrat and bank
er in Miller, afterwards appointed re
ceiver of the United States land otfic,
ut Huron by President Cleveland. ii
became a part owner of the town site
of Miller. but is now a resident Of
Seattle, Wash.
One of the most prominent worker.
i'm behalf Of st. Lawrence was Hon. J
III. Baldwin, state engineer Of irrlga
lion. under both Governor Nellettg
and Governor Sheldon. He is now 2
resident Of Miller. having moved his
buildings from st. Lawrence to- tbs
county seat For many years Mr.
Baldwin had charge Of the town site
affairs of 81. Lawrence. and was per-
haps The most persistent worker il
that towns interest.
Another prominent actor upon the
st. Lawrence side Of this contest was
Hon. II. +. Ives. brother-in- law Of f..
A. Driver. and who still resides in his
rleasant home on the banks Of the
Turtle. He Is the popular grand chap
lain Of the Masonic fraternity in this
state The St Lawrence lodge. by the
way, was removed to Miller some
time ago, after contest in the grand
lodge.
The legal phase of the last county
seat fight between Miller and st. Law
renee i'm 1855 before the county board
was handled by the ablest attorneys
to be had by both towns. The present
attorney general Of South Dakota
Hon. John J.. Pyle; Hon. w. Arnold
Huron. since congressman fror
Pennsylvania; and Hon. Frank Goody-
koontZ OF Mitchell. now deceased. rep
resented Miller. Hon. A. b. Melville,
then Of Huron. now Of Chicago. and
Hon. ]. ii. Baldwin, appeared for St.