The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-07-18
ton in open revolt against the national
Old Leader. Par. Company.

By general consent Kittredge became
the leader of the gold wing of the par
ty. AS the leaders Of both factions re-
sided in Sioux Falls, each made the
carrying Of this county personal mat
ter when 1t came to electing delegates
to the state convention at Huron,
which was called for the purpose Of
electing delegates to represent the re-
p0hl1cans of the state at the ST. Louis
convention. After one of the most bity
tee contests in the history of this or
airy other county in the northwest.
the county was carried by 2ettiErew.
WHO had not yet lost his popularity
with the republicans. The Kittredge
1action, however, was successful in
from the state, and controlled the
Huron convention. At first It was
planned to prevent Pettigrew's election
as enc Of the delegates to the St. Louis
convention, but upon Pettigrew pub
licly pledging himself on the noor 1f
the convention to support the p.:t-
form adopted by the st. Louis conyep-
ton, and more as a mark of -espe,t
to the oft1ce Of United States senator
Whlch ne held, than upon personal
grounds, Pettigrew was elected az one
OF the eight delegates to the national
convention
what happened at that convention is
now part of the political history of the
country: kfttredge, always far-seeing and
keen IN discernment. fully believed that
Pettlgrew would bolt" the national con-
Vehtion, and, when the expected hap
Pened, Pettigrew's alternate was on the
ground and had taken his place few
minutes after that celebrated walk out"
At the republican national conventions
of 1882 and 1896 Kittredge was elected as
the south Dakota member of the repub-
lican national committee. He resigned the
place before his last term had expired ami
had Charles N. Herreid, present governor
Of South Dakota, and the man who has
now elevated Kittredgc to the highest
place in the gift of the people Of the state,
selected to fill cut his term as national
committeeman.
He Il sphynx.
Many amusing stories are told Of the
unsuccessful efforts Of newspaper men to
interview Kittredge. He is always cour-
teous to the Qutll-drivers, but 1t would be
as easy a task to wiring information from
a telegraph pole as from him. He is one
of the most reticent men In the country,
and it is because of this that he has been
nicknamed the Silent Man.
He accompanied the train Of Senator
Hanna through the two Dakotas last
year and one of the eastern newspaper
men on the train; aware Of the interesting
SS'iIe lol OHlleu States senator Lnen
pending in the state. thought he would
ascertain the situation from Kittredge,
ard who would likely capture the plum
He approached Kittredge with notebook
IN hand and started in to secure the ma
terial for half column or column story
on the South Dakota senatorial situation.
Kittredge for some little time Invariably
answered his questions with Yes" ''No. -
or II don't know
The newspaper man finally realized the
hoplessness Of his task and switched the
subject by asking:
kota?"
Sioux Falls was the reply.
The interviewer then returned to his
comrades, who had been interested OBJ
servers Of his unsuccessful attempt at in
terviewing.
7 have been trying to get that South
Dakota mummy to talk" explained the
but after adding two words; Sioux
During the remainder Of the time Kilt
redge was on the train no further at
tempts were made to interview" him.
When Kittredge first came here he act
eo as correspondent for st. Paul daily.