The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-01-08

owned most 1of the ECarivilie Mercury
Journal stock and recently the Mer-
curry Journal had been giving away
~jardine-es and eight-day clocks with
subscriptions In al endeavor TO put
the News out OF business. Old Thad
n Cal were talking about 1t now and
some OF the county board were with
them. Thad had boasted five years ago
that ne 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 vas stretched
senseless across the dingy desk by q
c0pperhead mob. s.
Old Thad was small and screw-headed
with q continually barring upper lip as
ne talked, and his husky voice came
out OF q toothless cavern OF a mouth
that seemed never quite able to close
its grinning. Yet he had a certain clear
and stiEging way Of stating facts, q
rugged horse sense, and profane hui
NOR that accounted for much of his
dominance in the county affairs-that
his money and fighting qualities.
Ana ne knew men. He knew Wiley
IDEA that Old Thad, by some intui-
ton. had gagged year by year. month by
month week by week, the decay OF the
NeWs-that he could forecast very
nearly how much longer the malcontenr
sheet would keep up its barking.
Morning, Mr.. Curran."; Thad turned
from board members as the editor
the court house steps. How
ID our very weakly these days?s f
That was q 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 countrymen
ould tolerate the boss's grin--he al
Ways was so sure Of himself--and
-h had got his contracts for the creek
aversion and road culvert about
which n News had been pep
pering h board. Only Burt HEM
meingsr, q pale eyed, yellow beard
60 FARMER, had protested and
mumpled something about the News
charges that the Tanner Quarries were
the chief beneficiartes Of the work.
Boydston and Curry. the road commit
tee and amer men, had put through
u!Qe contracts without comment--it was
q usual program. So now the quarry
boss thought he could badger the de-
teated News complacently.
THE honorable board has Just voted
Tor n creek work, Mr.. Editor! You
mlght make Q, note Of 1t. But I sup
pose n News will be too filed this
week with politics. we hear you're
coming out against Jim HallT"
The county men were looking at Cur
ran. Judge Van Hart and the district
attorney, Jewett, q p~ot-bellied non
entity were coming from the court
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~urtcusly. 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, drunk section hands and any sort
q 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
prominent lodge members.
farmers-any one who was
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
and his jokes vita equal
1aclllty 10 the cnurcn FESTIVALS ana
the talk. Curran never at
these buIlhead ~feasts-they dis
the esthete's taste in him, and
besides, with the unsureness Of the
nervous man, hs did not ARE TO face
the banter of the county crowd at its
widest.
Old Thad waddled nearer to tap
Curran on the arm. young man, con-
is a sizable pill for you amt it2
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 itT" ...
The country politicians laughed
Wiley watched them keenly.
II didn't know as the nomination was
yours to give out, MI. 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 W neces-