Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-02-21

As an experience, 1t mad very nu-
morous angles, and the antics Of "the
leader" who directed my ante-conven-
tton campaign (meaning "ante" in
the nature of before, had not of "giv-
ing up anything prior to the con-
vention) were really side-splitting.
He was not so chagrined at the buy
ing of the delegates by the opposition
from a point of morals, but he hated
to have the opposition checkmate him
at the eleventh hour by such an oh.
viously easy move on the political
chess board. Like most trainers of
a loser, he also looked askance at my
political future. At that time, to bor-
row from Artemus Ward, this seemed
to him to be at a considerable dis
lance behind me. But brighter days
were to come. In all of my talks with
the ward leaders" l had not begged
for the aldermanic nomination. Ihad
been simply in the receptive mood,
and at the convention, when l knew
the game was up, had smilingly as
serted that was perfectly satisfied,
as had better thing than that.
This was partly in the way Of q
retrospective glance at my profess
sion, and other means of livelihood,
which would net me at least the sal
airy Of an alderman, say, $1,000 a
year. 1t was also partly in the ma
ture Of "four-flushing."
However, the front" put up about
the matter was destined to give me
the reputation later, of the subtlety
Of serpent. 1t was not only to make
good my proud boast, but it was to
lead some of the ward boys to al
most believe that had bribed my
own delegates to vote for my oppo-
nent, so as to be in situation to &C.
cept the very flattering official posi-
ton to which was very shortly aft
er appointed. No one would believe
that did not know all about this
impending appointment. It seemed
absolutely incredible that should be
ignorant of such cataclysm to be.
My enemies therefore figured it out
that had been laughing in my sleeve
all the time at them, and that I had
given them the double-cross" with a
vengeance. As a matter of fact, was
as innocent Of guile about it all as
the babe unborn, but it was joyous to
insist that I had not known the ap-
pointment was coming, which was
strictly true, and at the same time
give the lie to this statement by a
smile. or a wink, thus causing my
foes exquisite agony of mind.
Ny appointment came about this
way. An act providing for a board,
known as the board of local improve
ments, had been recently passed by
the state legislature. It gave the ap-
pointive power to the mayor to select
four members Of the board, and the
fifth member Of the board was an
afrable and entirely able gentleman,
who was under civil service, and al
ready in the employ of the city; and
who helped get up the bill, not over
looking any bets about his own con-
nection with the board. If he had
been careless as to this, he would
simply have been lobster, and he
did not belong to the order of crus-
tacae. The salary of a member of
this board was $1,000 a year.
Shortly after this act had been in
cluded in the session laws I received
a letter from the mayor informing me
that with my consent he would ap.
point me to position on this board.
l was strictly under the impression
at the time Of receiving this commu.
nication that the appointment was
solely in the nature of a non.salaried
position, like the school board or H.
brary board. As an honor of that kind.
or Of any kind, at the hands Of the
mayor, l appreciated 1t, ard resolved
to accept it. The letter came late
one Saturday afternoon, and I saw
my brother, . city hall man, next day
and told him of the offer, languidly
inquiring IL there was any salary
whatever attached to the Office. He
gazed at me In childlike wonder and
then murmured brokenly: only
four thousand . year.
Talk about the Greeks when they
first caught sight Of Manchester.by.
tho Sea; talk Of the Hebrews when
Moses led them out Of the wilderness:
talk Of your shipwrecked sailors
taken from naked spars in mid-ocean.
after being months without bite or
sup. really, now, .confldentially. I
might say. this was going some."