Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-04-19
Col. JOlley Tells Henry Cooper
About Early Politics.

About Early Politics.
Henry Cooper returned from Yer
million last Friday where he went for
a visit with friends and his son, Floyd.
a student at the University. He says
joyed a pleasant visit with Col. Jolley
one of the pioneers of Vermillion and
an old settler who enjoys a review of
the good old days when DR.. Burleigh,
Judge Brook ings and Solomon Sphinx
were the political giants who stump
ed the country and accused each other
of everything mea outside the
church. He loves to tell OF the poll
tical scraps from the time Sphinx bolt
ed the territorial convention in Lee q
Prentis hall in 1870 and held a 0 n
vention of his own in the little log
school house in the gulch, down to
took the stump for Brookings in 1872.
and that was a stump campaign
over which the Colonel can laugh
better than any old timer in the
country, yet the Colonel has it in for
the editor OF the LEADER to this day
for some humorous reflections he pub
Iished about Judge Brookings and his
champions.
We imnocently remarked one week
in the old Dakotan, which we were
publishing at Yankton, that the Brook
ings campaign consisted of three
cripples and a id fool" Brook
yers who were supporting him had
each a wooden leg, and the other gen.
tlemen referred to was never named,
but Col. Jolley has always had a sus.
picion that we referred to a then
prominent young lawyer In Neffnil-
lion, who was nameleSs then and shall
forever remain so, SO help US, because
we don't want to die ahead of time.
Well, the gallant Jolley, and there
Is not a more genial gentleman or a
more brilliant lawyer in the state,
got friend Cooper into his legal sane
tum and told him Of those good old
chief campaign attractions, and how
DR.. Burleigh turned the Indian cat
tie loose for the settlers to feed upon
and how Judge Bseekings kept tUt.S
grand jurors in session from month to
month on $3 a day that the boys |
might look upon his candidacy for
congress with favor, and how our old
friend Solomon Sphinx carried wagon
grease around to serve to his friends
when the wheels got dry, and how
Colonel Moody lost his Jim river sheep
in a blizzard and had them fed to
Santee Indians Is refrigerated NUT
ton, and how Armstrong got into the
game and blowed in $40, 200 that he
had saved out of government surveys,
and how the boys had to tie the chair
man OF the Burleigh-Spink territorial
convention to the chair to keep him
from running when the fun began.
All this and much more the genial
Jolley told our friend Cooper, and it
was 4 question who enjoyed it most,
but every INT in a while the three
cripples" would fit across the Colonel's
vision, then Linn would catch it for a
a time, hut we have forgiven the Col
onel years ago for harboring a politi-
cal suspicion against a friend who
helped to ride him on a beautifully dec
fair bride reached Vermillion from
their eastern wedding trip, and we
have been ready to support him for
congress ever since Judge kidder
brought harmony to the party" at
Elk Point when S many gallant
heroes met defeat, including Campbell
Lawrence, Wallace, Moody, Hughes
and a few others.
There is no old timer In the state /,
today who ear tell OF those times so
Interestingly as Col. Jolley and II it
wasn't for the ''cripples" we would
rather spend a day with him than
visit the Jamestown exposition. Ii
he will send us up a box OF good cigars
an emblem Of peace we will raise
the white flag and nail 1t to the flag
staff.
Henry Cooper said he never had a
jOllier visit in his life, and that's
what all say who find the Colonel TAT
home.
Speaking of Col. Jolley's wedding re-
ception calls for an explanation. The
writer happened to be on the train
out of Sioux City one beautiful sum-
mer day in 1873 the first year the cars
made connection between Yankton
and Sioux City, and when VermilliOn
was reached it seemed that everybody
miles around had come down to
see the cars, but as soon as Colonel
JOlley appeared Il great rouSing che er
went up and then we knew something
had happened. There were not many
carriages in the territory those days
but the reception committee didn't
about that as a III planter or
was more fashionable and twice
as valuable hence the Colonel'S friends
had the handy bit OF machinery efe-
gantly decorated with flags and evid-
of local wealth and to q seat on
this vehicle he was escorted while
hrs. Joiiey was taken to her new
home by a special committee. We
left the train and joined in the
march and no Roman
cOnquerOr ever had a more enthusiasts
tic reception. 1t was a great day In
Vermilli0n and the hero was worthy
the honor and he has been worthy OF i
ever since.