Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-02-21
An American in Politics
APPOINTED TO OFFICE.
BY ERNEST M'GAFFEY.

formed mental resolution, instant
ly, that no matter at what personal
sacrifice. would serve the public.
! entered on my duties In this ON.
cial position, and the CONSERVATION
in the ward, among my enemies, was
complete. had no friends there, az
friends really go, although there were
couple of men there whom nearly
trusted.
What was the chief emotion which
thrilled me over this appointment
The confidence of the mayor in me
felt deeply; the honor Of the position
esteemed sensibly; the difference
1t made in my income-the opportu.
nifty 1t gave me to Square up" few
debts and carry out some long cher.
ished plans-all these were factors in
the matter which weighed percep.
tibly in the scale. But the chief par.
ticular delight l took in it, the emo.
ton which warmed the very cookies
of my heart was the thorough
come back" which 1t gave ME on the
fellows of the ward who had plotted
to throw me-" and on whom my re.
venge was complete. If you have
never repaid treachery with retribu.
tion, you have never lived.
For time at last sets all things even.
And If we do but watch the hour,
There never yet was human power
Which could evade, If unforgiven,
The patient search and vigil long
OF him who treasures up wrong"
Getting beaten was all right, but
being bought out of a nomination.
rather "riled" me.
AS member of the board Of local,
improvements, wish to remark, and
my language is plain, that was mo.
dead-head in the enterprise" Habits
of early rising and diligence en-.
abled me to be at the city hall at
few minutes before ten o'clock
a. M. and we often did not get
home until six or seven p. m. We
worked at least eight or nine hours
day, and we did our work con-
scientiously, and without fear OF
favor.
The opposition papers to the admin.
istration Jumped us" with ghoulish
glee In their columns, but we did not
mind that any more than the gibber-
ing Of apes by the Dead sea. Oppo.
sition papers of all parties invar.
iably hammer" the appointments of
the mayor of the opposite party. How.
ever, we were simply reviled as .
bunch OF incompetent numb-skulls;
no suggestion was ever made that we
grated"
In looking up streets for repaving,
we first sent out notices, after an in.
spection of the territory, and q day
was set for the residents of the street
to come in and choose their material.
That was done when the board start.
ed the improvement. When the resi-
dents OF street did not want the
street improved. particularly if it had
only been paved once, with csua1
block, and from IL to II years back,
they would come down In force and
almost start small-sized riot in the
board rooms.
One instance of this kind recollece
wildly. We had ordered street
paved with the cheapest grade Of
granite-top macadam paving, our
cheapest material, the locality being
In the western part of the city. This
street was really navigable for skiffs
at all times except during the win.
tetr, when it froze up. II It had been
little further out in the country the
residents could have thrown out de.
coys in this street." and shot ducku
In the spring and fall, for it was
simply water-course and nothing
less.
We set the day, and the inhabit.
ants poured in to protest Our presi-
dent explained the plan. It was re-
sisted vigorously. One old lady in
particular was loud in her denuncia-
ton of the "villainy of it," as she ex-
pressed it. Our president at that
time was an Irishman, in his late
forties or early fifties. A finer man
never wore shoe leather. Rigidly
honest. warm hearted, able. and G
man Of wide culture and reading, he
commanded the respect and enlisted
the affection Of all who came to
know him.
He tried to show the old lady that
the Improvement was meant for the
actual health as well as the comfort
OF the neighborhood, but she was oh.
durate.
4 believe you're in league with the
aristocrats." she shouted, pointing her
finger at him.
NO, madam" replied the president
PoprAf f,o11v hut l,a~SS..