Williams news., 1906-10-06
TO THE VOTERS OF
 COCONiNO COUNTY

AS there are great many new corners in the county that l am not likely to see, and thinking that l may be able to place this article before you through the newspapers I take this method of explaining to you a few of the reasons why l think I am entitled to your vote for Sheriff of COconino county at the next election. As there are a great many who do not know me nor how long 1 have been here, 1 will start from March, 1881, when I pulled up to the old spring where the old Flagstaff was, with a six horse load of freight from Coolage, N. M., for Ed Whipple. Coolage was the end of the track of the old A. & P. By, and at that time settlers were few and far between. At that time there was the Clarks, Ashurst and family and McMillan Then going west to where Bellemont is I found w. J. Hill, Dow and Grey, old MT. Hall and his boys, Sam Ball, MT. Pitman and family. c. T. Rogers, John Vinton, Mr. Crowell, Wm. Stewart, MT. Doug las and Mir. McCullom. Outside of a few scattering settlers these were all of the people living with in a radius of over fifty miles. At that time, on account of the alkili dust on the road I quit freighting, sold my team, went to Pitman Val ley and went into business there 1 was postmaster until the office was discontinued, then in 1884 l came to Williams.
 I was the second Justice of the Peace in this precinct, then l was Deputy Sheriff under Buckley O'Neif during his term in Yavapai county. Then came county di- vision. c. E. Boyce and I, with a committee from Flagstaff, went to Prescott. Any of them can tell you the time we had establishing county lines and agreeing upon them. After getting everything agreed upon we returned to Flag staff and upon the unanimous vote of the committee 1 accepted the recommendation that I be appoint ed the first sheriff of the county. The committee was over two-thirds democratic. I did not ask them for it. I was recommended as was all the first officers for appoint ment.
 We'll along in the summer of 1892 Andrew Drake and l were talking over school matters, (we were trustees at Williams) and MT. Drake made the remark that this Territory needed Reform School for some of the children. Shortly after l met friend; he says: "why don't you run for the council?" 1 got to thinking it over and having plenty of money at that time, con- cluded I would try and if they elected me would try and surprise them, which I think I did by get ting the only Territorial Building that has ever been gotten away from the southern part of Arizona The reason I have for writing this is because others have claimed credit for what, I spent my time and money to get. If you don't stop to think, it may seem easy to go into a legislature and get an appropriation, even after you have the building. Ask some of the others who have been there since. They have an idea what l had to go through and what it cost me. 1 am only mentioning these things for the information of those who were not here at the time and know nothing about it.
 There is one more point I wish to call your attention to and that is, how did we come to get the rail- road from here out to the Canyon. I will tell you what started it. Along in 1891 my father located
 IL