The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-12-08
Beeono RIel

what was n Well, 7. G.. was
quietly given a $1,000 in the U. 81.
Land Office at Gregory, and was there
by gotten out of the county. Twenty
months later the astute BransOn Wit
messed the 400 stalwart majority4in
his home county converted. into as
800 insurgent majOrity--a change OF
700 votes.
An! give us Branson's judgment III
politics every time! 81
But, what about himself? In hist
younger days he held various minoE..
offices. In 1902 he was sent to the
state senate from Dawson county;
two years later he was reelected. In
1906 he was elected Mayor Of MITE
chell, and at the close OF: his. first
term he refused to become a candi-s.
date for his own successor. He was,
however. a candidate for Congress IN
1906. Early in the campaign, he
said: Our boys r going to l0se:s
I IN going to withdraw He with
drew. His prediction came true. The
boys with whom he had trained,
lost; but O. u. Branson had with
drawn in time to save himself for fu-
Iture days. He says he is out Of poli-
tics, except to repay his friends for
their support in the past.
Nonsense! A new story will be
written inside of ten years.
Biographical.
Mr.. Branson was born in White
side county, Illinois, Feb. 8, 1861
moved to Iowa with his parents who
settled at La Molle, Marshall county,S
in 1858. A few years later the fam
lily removed to Manning, in Carroll
county, where his parents still re-
lside.
His early days we're spent on a
farm. At the youthful age Of fifteen
he became a teacher in. the pubnc
SCHOOLS of Carroll county; and at
leighteen, he was elected principal of
the Arcadia schools. He held the
latter position for three years and
then quit to attend the state normal
iischool at Cedar Falls, Ia.
N 1885, he was elected cashier of
the Rawlin County Bank, in Atwood,
Kansas. This position he held for
four years. during which time he
spent his night reading. law, and he
was finally admitted to the Kansas
bar. He then removed to Osmond,
ting and in the practice oflaw.-- His
marked ability as a trial lawyer 500
won attention, and despite the fact
that he only used litigation as a side
line, his legal practive soon became
so large that it demanded all of his
time. At the high tide of his sue
cess -e left Osmond to come to .1lt-
!chell, South LakOta, where he-bought
the controlling interest Of the First
National Bank (getting some OF the
stock at thirty-fve cents on the dol
Ilarl, yet when he left Osmond he
turned over to other attorney for
trial twelve cases in federal court,
besides all of the smaller cases which
he had listed up. Had he remained
active in the legal profession he
would no doubt today be one of the
conspicuous legal lights of the coun-
try.
One of Mr.. Branson's leading
traits is his ability to make friends,
land to hold them. He is never too
busy to be interviewed and he is al
ways ready to shake hands. AS he
takes you by the hand you can in
simultaneously feel the p~ulsations
from his great heart-strings yibrat-
ing through your whole being. At
once you feel the magnetism of an
abiding friendship. When you start
to leave, he invariably accosts you
with the appeal, Don't be in a hurry!
sit down and stay awhile longer
Blessed-thrice blessed, is any man
with such a temperament,
I Enviable record! Noble manhood!
Illustrious statesman!-South Dako-
ia will ever be proud Of him!
Il rS