Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-09-12
CONVENTION Of THREE'
Bull Moose Held Tame Affair Last
Thursday
LACKED TEDDY ENTHUSIASM
Four Sleepy Spectators Look On While Conven-
ton of Three Does the Work

Were you aware that on Sept 5
in the G.. A. X. hall ot this city a
Bull Moose county convention was
held? 1t is not strange that you
were not. for when the political his
tory of this county with all its splen-
dor is written, there will be one small
paragraph so dead that cake OF ice
will loom up as a new born world in
comparison And that paragraph
will be written upon Gratiots Nat
ional Progressive county convention
of 1912.
The convention was called to or
der sometime between one and two
o'clock in the afternoon. The re-
porter was asleep at the time for the
quietness as of the night beckoned
him into the livelier land of dreams,
Anyway Chairman George Irish
arose and called the convention to
order and then this remarkable affair
commenced One of the remaining
delegates, George Abbott was chosen
Secretary, which left one more,-
there were only three delegates pre-
sent, the fourth could not attend on
account of pressing duties, to per-
form the duties of teller, making the
nominations and motions Bird
Wells was the third delegate. Thus
the convention sat, elected sixteen
delegates to the state convention to
be held at Lansing some time during
the first of October,-that was as
near as anybody at the convention
knew,-and selected a county COM
mittee.
The temporary officers were made
permanent and then Rev. G. H. Carl
administered the oath of office. Six
teen times then did Bird Wells arise
and place in nominations the names
of Bull Moosers for delegates to the
state convention, sixteen times did
Chairman Irish put names before the
convention of three and sixteen times
did the three say, AYE" in response.
Thus were the delegates named. But
it was not as easy task as that.
The first five or six came easy but
the last ten were like pulling teeth
for it required the combined genius
of the three in convention and the
four interested onlookers to think of
enough Bull Moosers to fill out the
delegation. Finally after many sus-
picions that this and that man would
vote for Roosevelt the sixteen fol-
lowing men were selected to go to
Lansing: George Abbott, Alma; c.
c. Gerber, Arcadia; Daniel Speice,
Middleton; Earl Kuhlman, Arcadia
Leo Wood, Forest Hill; George Irish
Arcadia; John Knoertzer, Alma; Rev.
G. H. Carl, Alma; John A. Gray, Al
ma Henry Brewbaker, Alma; Roy
Leonard, Forest Hill; Joseph Sell
mayre, Middleton Homer Dunham,
Alma; G. B. Porter, Alma; Clinton
Nelson Alma; Joseph Ray, Alma
Allen Burgey, Alma; Otto Hawley,
Alma.
By the same process, the follow
ing county committee was elected
Chairman, G. H. Carl, Committee
men, Henry Miner and George Alb
bott.
AS for enthusiasm, it more resem-
beld the death than the birth of a
party. The nearest thing to the far
famed Teddy Roosevelt enthusiasm
were two battle rags of the new party
in the shape Of red bandanas with
pictures of the most worshipped one
in the center and watch fob also
bearing his photo. One spectator
wore the bandana carelessly draped
over his shoulder with anything
that's good enough for Teddy is-good
enough for me air The other was
used by another spectator to brush
away the sand man from his eyes
and cover up the ever present yawns.
After the convention adjourned, a
few humorous remarks were made
One gentleman told of the enthus-
iasm of the democrats for the new
party and how they were continually
patting him on the back TO push the
party into this county Another said
that it was the general opinion that
the new party in this county would
be swallowed up within a year but
that the party that did the swallow
ing would find it big pill Other
remarks conveyed the knowledge that
at present there were thity-hve
members signed up for the Roose-
welt Club in the county and the lead
ers hoped for at least hundred be-
of re election.
Besides the convention of three
there were present as spectators, Rev
c. II. Carl, candidate for State Rep
reesentative on the new ticket Henry
Minor, candidate for the office OF
Register of Deeds on the Bull Moose
ticket; John A. Gray c. C. Gerber
and the Record representative.