Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-01-16

oner's political career spoiled slmus-
ia neously that week. Old Mowry had
been shufflicg around the court house
trying to collect his fees from every
succeeding county board, but always
the ghost of that colored citizen haunt
ed him. And every monthly board
meeting Father Doyle drove over from
E~arlyville to see if Mowry's claim had
been allowed. Mowry was the sole
Catholic in Rome, but the only time he
would contribute a cent was when he
had buried a Protestant in good stand
ing. And one of the undertaker's
grievances, always aired in the News
office. was that county dead should not
figure In the good priests calculations
ne couldn't collect his fees. anyhow,
out of this %gol-durned board Mr.. Cur
ran listened patiently. The priest was
his good friend. So was Mowry. SO
seemed all the anne ducks of the COM
munlty-and no one else. He wondered
now, In his new found ambitions, why
all the representative men seemed
afraid of him; n why all the monde
scrip humanity of the town attached
Itself to i'm. Mowry was the first to
spread the news abou the court house
mat week that Curran was going to
run against Jim Hall in the congress
sional primaries. Mr.. Curran, when
ne made his usual round of the county
building for the batch of items, reaped
an unexpected harvest.
He met Thad Tanner and his sonin-
law; Cal Rice. of the First National
bank, in the corridor. Cal Rice's wife
journal stock; n recently the Mer-
cury-Journal had Deer giving away
Jard1neres and eight-day clocks with
subscriptions in an endeavor to put
the News out Of business. Old Thad
and Cal We're talking about it now and
some of the county board were with
enem: Thaa had boosted five years ago
that he would put that damned four
page rag on the dump behind Cur
rams shop. but still the rag persist
ed. somehow the county remembered
he day h elder Curran was stretched
senseless across the dingy desk by a
copperhead mob.
Old Thad was small and screw-headed
with q continually barring 70 lip as
ne talked, n his husky voice came
out % q toothless cavern OF a mouth
.llat seemed eve quite able to close
l and ss s Yet he had a certain clear
Gnu s!lEglng way of stating facts, a
rugged horse sense" and profane hui
NOR that accounted fer much Of his
dominance in the county affairs-that
ana his money and fighting Qualities.
ana ne Knew men. He knew Wiley
w ASy 44dO iii oX1SDGTA 1fn0
Idea that Old Thad. by some intui.
slon. a Eauged year by year. month by
month, week by week, the decay of the
News-that he could forecast very
nearly how much longer the m%alcontenr
sheet would keep up its barking.
Mr.. Curran."; Thad turned
from the board members as the editor
mounted the court house steps. "How
IS u very weakly these days?"
u was a never failing banter Of
The county boss. The farmer members
were apt to smile deprecatingly; and
Tue edltor Kept his temper. He wound
could tolerate the boss's grin-he al.
Ways was SO sure of himself-and
them: Old Thad felt good this morning
Mae nao got his contracts for the creek
M alTeIslon and road culvert about
n Mli the ne News had been pep
meinger. a pale eyed. yellow beard
ed farmer, had protested and
something about the News;
charges that h Tanner quarries we're
the chief beneficiaries of the work.
n Curry, The road commit
Tee and Tanner men. had put through
the contracts without COMMENT was
me Usual program. So now the quarry
boss thought he could badger the de-
feated News con1placently.
The honorable board has Just voted
TOT the creek work. MI. Editor! You
might make a note Of it. But I sup
pose n News will be too filed this
week with politics. We hear you're
coming o against Jim Hall?"
Inc county men were looking at Cur
ran. Judge Van Hart n the district
attorney. Jewett. a pot-bellied non
room. Hammer spoke purposely loud:
ne wanted to smoke out this Joke of
the editors aspirations.
Il am going in the primary" said
Curran quietly. The group stopped
c%uriously. Cal Rice. ever taking his
cue 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
Home Week festivals, Old Settlers'
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 9
glut Of eating. drinking, longs and
speeches-Jewett won his election.
Church folk and wives complained Of
these orgies, but Jewett offered his
cookery and his jokes with equal
facility 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 u~nsureness of the