Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-01-08

owned most Of the Earlville MercuryA
Journal stock: and recently the Meri
Ecury-Journal had been giving away
Jardineres and eight-day clocks with
subscriptions in an endeavor to put
Inc News O of business. Old Thad
and Cal We're talking about 1t now and
some OF the county board were with
them. Thad had boosted five a e
that he would put that damned four
page rag on the dump" behind Cur.
al shop, but still the rag persist,
ed. somehow the county remembered
the day the elder Curran was stretched
senseless across the dingy desk by a
~copperhead mob.
Old Thad vas small and screw-headed
With a continually barring upper lin as
he talked, and his husky voice came
gut of a toothless cavern of a mouth
nal seemed quite able to close
It's gr1nning. Yet he had a certain clear
and stiEging way of stating facts, a
rugged horse sense" and profane hui
NOR mat accounted for much of his
a~olninahce IN the county affairs-that
ana mis- money n fighting qualities.
And he knew men. He knew Wiley
Curran. Wiley had an exa%sperating
idea that Old Thad, by some intui-
ton. had gagged year by year. month by
n Week by week, the. decay of the
NeWs-that he could forecast very
nearly how much longer the malcontenr
sheet would keep up it's barking
Morning. Mr.. Curran.": had turned
rem the board members as the editor
the court house steps. "How
IS o. very weakly these days?"
mat was a never failing banter Of
the county boss. The farmer members
were p to smile deprecatingly; and
the editor kept his temper. He wound
cred how the big boiled countryrnen
could tolerate the boss's grin-he al
them; Old Thad felt good this morning
Mne nao got his contracts for the creek
utSslslon and o culvert about
wnlch. the News had been pep
meinger. a pale eyed, Yellow beard
go farmer. had protested and
mumbled something about the News
charges that h Tanner uuarries we're
lhe ch1ef beneffciaries of the work.
Isl and Curry, the road commit
tee' ana amer men, had put through
me contracts without COMMENT was
tme USUAL a So now the quarry
BOSS thought he could badger the de-
Ieated News co~mplacently.
"Ihe honorable beard has lust voted
Tor the creek work, Mr.. Editor! You
might make q note of it. But sun
pose the News will be too filed this
week with politics. We hear you're
coming U against Jim Hall?"
Inc county men were looking at Cur
ran. Judge a Hart and the district
attorney, Jewett. a pot-bellied non
entlty, We're coming from the court
room. Hammer spoke urposely loud;
ne wanted to smoke out this Joke OF
The editors aspirations.
Il am going in the primary" said
Curran quietly. The group stopped
U from h boss, laughed. Jewett
rubbed his bald head. The News was
his aversion. Wiley had bounded him
as a prosecutor who never began ac-
ton against any one except bootleg
gers. drunk section hands and any sort
of homeless men. Jewett was noted as
a FAMOUS barbecue cook, and at Old
picnics and the like. white-aproned,
genial, good humored. he presided.
During campaigns he gave bullhead
breakfasts in the woods, where county
politicians. prominent lodge members,
influential farmers-any one who was
any one-congregated. and through a
night Of rough conyiviality-a vast
speeches-Jewett won his election.
Church folk and wives complained Of
these orgies, but Jewett offered his
cookery and his jokes with equal
facfHty to the church festivals and
quieted the talk. Curran never at
tended these bullhead feasts-they dis
gusted the esthete's taste in him, and
besides, with the ~unsureness Of the
nervous man. he did not care to face
the banter Of the county crowd at its
widest.
Old Thad waddled nearer to tap
Curran on the arm. young man, con-
gress is a sizable pill for you amt it ?
And don't you know there amt any
man gone to Washington in this dis
trict in 20 years unless he come to see
me about it,"
The country politicians laughed
briefly. Wiley watched them keenly.
II didn't know as the nomination was
yours to give out, Mr. Tanner. And
you know you can't fool all the people
all the time!"
The BOSS closed one pursy eye, grim
ming. Young man. that's never neces-
sary!"