Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-05-01
spirator, Wilbur Vlandingham, have

'sNo.''
"Well, I'll tell you. Two-thirds OF
the qualified voters of Goodwill coun-
ty have signed and presented petit
ton to the county commissioners,
praying that the county seat be re-
moved to Harmony, and the commits
sioners have ordered a special cleo
ton to be held for the purpose Of
voting upon the question. This,
mind you, is in direct violation OF
the law!" The Colonel brought his
clenched fist down on his desk with
vim that made the ink leap out OF
it's stand and FRUSTRATED the pen
rack. what say the statutes?' he
demanded. 'They expressly stipulate
that the peoples will, with respect
to changing the location of county
seats, shall be learned at the general
election directly following the pre-
sentation of the petition praying for
such change. Now they have called
special election. A sandbag game,
sir! Robbery, rank robbery"
eff it's illegal, why can't it be
stopped?" asked Guy.
The ColoneFs Indignation dropped
away and he smiled indulgently.
''This is Dakota, my dear young
man. The Commissioners are under
the thumb of Vlandingham. But you
wait. Archibald Keever is to the fore
and the Blizzard lives! Well beat
them, tell you"
''How?"
The Colonel tapped his brow sig
nifcantly.
at requires a two-thirds vote to
capture the county seat away from
u.s." he replied. 81 have arranged
matters so that Harmony will never
be able to roll up sufficient major
ity." The Colonel arose and walked
to the window. "Come here, Mr.. Her
BERT Guy passed over and stood
beside him. Behold my confidence
with a sweep of his/arm.
What Guy saw was a ten-by-fifteen
building in process of construction.
At least dozen men were working
upon it and even a novice like Guy
could see that they were very much
in each others way.
"a lot of carpenters for a small
house like that" commented the
young man.
ST should say So" chuckled the
Colonel. "Those men were brought
in from Jimtown and they're voters,
every mothers son of them. I've got
others building roads and repairing
bridges" He closed one of his murky
little eyes, slowly and slyly. They'll
vote as I tell them to, Mr.. Herbert,
and there'll be enough of them to
kill Harmony too dead to skin" He
threw up the window. Hello. there,
Jordan!" he called to man who was
working languidly with saw. "You
fellows are getting along altogether
too fast. Take lay-off this after
noon.' Instantly all work ceased,
tools were left wEere last used and
body. The Colonel closed the win
dow and beamed upon Guy compla-
Gently. "That's the courthouse
they're building" he added.
Rather a small courthouse, isn't
ftp"
"Oh, it will grow, it will grow"
"Where does the money come
from?" inquired Guy, anxiously.
Don't worry about the money, my
boy. I sold batch of lots to ten
derfoot a few weeks ago, and it's
his money that's doing all this"
cit doesn't seem just right to rush
voters in in that way. Col. Keever."
"Anything's right that's successful
up in this territory. This is my lit
tie plan and of course Harmony isn't
LAYING back on it's oars and waiting
for me to grab the persimmons.
Vlandingham and his lieutenants,
Dingle, Harp, Blue and Boomer, are
going to do something, but just what
remains to be seen. They have
town meeting over at Harmony to-
night to discuss ways and means for
getting ahead of mel" The Colonels
smile faded into a look of trouble.
''Pd give a hundred dollars" said he,
to know what kind of a scheme they
hatch up at that meeting. They'll
have lynx-eyed men on watch, how
ever, to make sure that no Concord
fellows get in"
The Colonel turned and wandered
refectively about the office. Guy sat
down again and watched him
thoughtfully. Finally the Colonel
halted, thrust his thumbs into the
arm holes of his vest and declared:
Herbert, you're the mani"
"The man for what?"
''To run over to Harmony and take
in that meeting. You're stranger in
this section, and they won't know you
from Adam. Be careful, though, and
don't give yourself away. Feeling is
running high and both sides are ex-
ceedingly bitter. If you were to be
found out you'd have a rough expert
ence. Ever carry revolver?"
''No."
"Then get one. haven't anything