The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-01-08

owned most OF the Earlville Mercury
Journal stock; and recently the Mer-
| cury-Journal had been giving away
jardineres and eight-day clocks with
subscriptions in an endeayor to put
| the News out Of business. Old Thad
d Cal We're talking about 1t now and
some OF the county board were with
them. Thad had boosted five years s
| 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
the day the elder Curran was stretched
senseless across the dingy desk by a
copperhead mob.
Old Thad was small and screw-headed
with a continually barring upper lip as
he talked, and his husky voice came
out or a toothless cayern of a mouth
that seemed never quite able to close
Its Srlnning. Yet he had a certain clear
and s5iEging way Of stating facts, a
rugged horse sense," and p~rofane hui
NOR that accounted for much of his
dominance in the county affairs-that
and MS money and fighting qualities.
And he knew men. He knew Wiley
Curran. Wiley had an exasperating
idea that Old Thad, by some intui-
ton. had gauged year by year, month by
month, week by week, the decay OF the
News-that he could forecast very
nearly now much longer the malcontent
sheet would keep up its barking.
Morning, Mr.. Curran.'; Thad turned
from the board members as the editor
mounted the court house steps. How
is our very weakly these days?"
Ihat was a never falling banter Of
the county boss. The farmer members
We're apt to smile deprecatingly; and
the editor kept his temper. He wound
cred how the big boiled countrymen
could tolerate the boss's grin-he al
WAYS was so C1ra nf hirncn1P -o-5
them: Old Thad felt good his morning
he had got his contracts for the creek
diversion and DAD culvert about
which the News had been pep
pering the board. Only Burt Hem
neinger. a pale eyed, yellow beard
mumbled something about the News
charges that the Tanner quarries We're
the chief beneficiaries of the work.
Boydston and Curry, the road commit
tee, and Tanner men, had put through
the contracts without comment-it was
boss hough he could badger the de-
feated News complacently.
The honorable board has just voted
for the creek work, Mr.. Editor! You
might make a note Of it. But 1 sup
pose the News will be too filled this
week with politics. We hear you're
comin out against Jim Hall?"
The county men were looking at Cur
ran. Judge Van Hart and the district
attorney, Jewett. a pot-bellied non
entity, were coming from the court
ann spoke p~urposely loud;
ne wanted to smoke out this joke of
the editors aspirations.
Il am going in the primary" said
Curran quietly. The group topped
c%uriously. Cal Rice, ever taking his
cue from the boss, laughed. Jewett
rubbed his bald head. The News was
his aversion. Wiley had bounded him
as a prosecutor who never began &C.
ton against any one except bootleg
gers, trunk section hands and any sort
a famous barbecue cook, n 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 a
night OF rough conviviality-a vast
glut Of eating, drinking, songs and
speeches-Jewett won his election.
Church folk and wives complained Of
these orgies. but Jewett offered his
cookery and his jokes with equal
to the church festivals and
the, talk. Curran never at
these bullhead feasts-they dis
the esthete's taste in him, and
besides. with the unsureness of h
nervous a he did not care to face
the banter OF the county crowd at it's
widest.
Old Thad waddled nearer to tap
Curran on the arm. young man, on
gress is a stable pill for you amt it?
And don't you know there amt any
gone to Washington in this dis
trict in 20 years unless he come to see
me about it,"
The country politicians laughed
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 mar, that's never neces-
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