The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1912-12-05

young men on the road before O'CLOCK
In the morning" +"
"What did you read In the Giobe?''
"The vanity Of men: read. Mr.
Dunmeade will undoubtedly make q
strong candidate The entire county
wants him 1t will have him 1t reads
like a patent medicine advertisement
doesn't it: How does It feel to be
wanted by an entire county. Mr. Dun
meade"
1T H." he confessed. rather pleas
anti true Who are you?"
And suddenly, with laugh. she was
gone. amid CHATTER of hoofs
Alone he addressed the morning
''6he said Am strong I wonder, an,
! strong strong pnough?" And. search.
ing his soul for the answer. he heard
no negative
This chronicle. we neglected to state.
begins ut the beginning of the end of
an epoch The epoch has been vari-
ously styled golden age. a period of
prosperity. an era of expansion. 1t was
oil of that--to a few. For others,
though they did not see 1t. 1t was a
recession. n truce in the struggle. old
a. life itself. between the many and
the strong
William MurcheIl was distinguish
ed member Of class whose climbing
prorlfvitieS are not Subdued by the in
c1dent of a lowly start. He was born
in the obscure hill town of New Chel
sea soon after Andrew Jackson and
his contemporaries promulgated and il
Illustrated the immortal doctrine, ITO
the victor belong the spoils" In the
fashion made popular by Abraha m Lin
coin and other great men he secured
an education and on the day he attain
ed his majority was admitted to the
practice of law in Benton county
About the same time he entered the
broader profession Of politics. being
then a lukewarm Wing.
His military services are perhaps
best dismissed with tie mention of a
certain gold medal struck In his honor
by special act of congress, for gallant
conduct on the field Of battle The in
v1dious have made much Of this deco
ration. However. it probably required
q finer courage to resign from the colo
nelcy Of his home guard regiment on
the eve Of Gettyshurg-thi indeed was
the fact-tO accept the less exposed of
fee of aid to the governor at the CAPT
tai than to face the hail of rebel bul
let's. There are many ways Of express
ing ones patriotism. Later he served
his country as prothonotary for Benton
county. Afterward he passed through
many gradations Of political prefer
ment. as representative in the general
assembly of his state. as state sep|
tor, as state treasurer and finally as
United States senator. which exalted
office he held until--but we anticipate
our history He became in addition
leader of his party organization. all
euphemism employed by those who oh
jected to the term boss"
William Murchell's creed was thai
Of a respectable but practical man.
He was a teetotaler and a Presbyte
rian elder and believed In the doc.
trine of generalization and In literal
scriptural hell for those not numbered
among the elect he believed devout
~ In the avowed and tacit principles
Of his party, although be was not big
oted and would on occasion take a Sc
czot hand in the affairs Of the opposi
tion. lie had more than once read
out Of the party foolhardy young men
who ventured to oppose his leadership
He lived during at least two months
Of every year in the town of his birth
either In the square. white fran"
house on Maple street or at the farm
three miles west. which he let ION
shares" New Chelsea was a quaint
old fashioned town lying at the head
Of the Weehannock valley. quite con
tent with its population Of 5000 and
with the honor Of being the county
seat. which Murchell's influence had
prevented from being moved to Plum
Vile, that thriving little factory city
fifteen miles away.
Down Main street one fine June aft.
ernoon he was walking with that air
Of abstraction which sits 80 we'll on
the great.
He has big possibilities. Uncon
sciously the senator spoke aloud.
His companion seemed to under
stand the reference. Hes all right"
be answered. State Senator Jim
sheehan was big. fat gentleman with
furtive. twinkling eyes. modicum of
coarse good looks and rolling. cock
sure gait bred of no misfortune. He
was q son of power. Fifteen years be.
fore he had gone to Plumville to work
In the mills. an nncouth. unlettered
Irishman. who could tell a good story.
bold unlimited quantities Of liquor and
was not unwilling to work when mon
ey could not be had otherwise.
But not long for him had been the
CRIME and roar and muscle racking OF
the mills. Money could he had more
easily. PIumviIle was booming There
were streets to be graded and paved.
public buildings to be constructed Jim
went into politics and because he was
q good vote getter' and mad a Ger.
tain rough talent for the game acquir.
ed power. He opened saloon and ac-
CURED more power. He became con