The Ely miner., 1915-06-11
TEN COUNTIES GO
DRY; z STAY WET
BLUE EARTH AND oLMSTED, TWO
LARGEST COUNTIES, GIVE
WET MAJORITY.
NOTABLE VICTORY IN TODD
Drys Win Battle Carrying County by
200 Votes-Homes of Governor
Hammond and William e
Lee in Arid Column.

Minneapolis, Minn.-Ten counties
were added to the dry column and
two decided to remain wet in the
county option elections just held
Blue Earth and Olnsted. the two
largest counties, gave the vets the
majority. The counties voting dry
were: Todd, Watonwan, Renville
Traverse, Dodge, Redwood, Pipestone
Ottertail, Kandiyohi and Murray.
The result In at least two OF the
counties was so close that slight In
accuracies in the count might place
them in the wet column. Pipestone was
reported to have gone dry by ma
jority of IL votes and the Redwood
county dry lead was 30 votes.
Twenty-Five Counties Vote Dry.
There. are now Is counties in the
state that have gone dry under the
county option law. Four counties that
have held elections have voted to re
main wet, Lincoln, Jackson, Blue
Earth and Olmsted. Approximately
"a saloons will have to close doors
as the result Of the latest election
The largest number were in Todd
county where % saloons are doing
business.
| While the vets won victories IN Blue
Earth and Olmsted, where Mankato
and Rochester, two large cities are
located, the drys won a notable vic
tory in Todd county, the real battle
ground in the fight. 1t was estimat
ed that Todd county had gone dry by
200 votes There are % saloons
most of them in Staples and Long
Prairie, and two breweries that are
affected In Todd county.
The homes of Governor Hammond
and of William E. Lee, Republican
candidate for governor at the last
election, went dry. The formers
home is at st. James in Watonwar
county and Mr. Lees home is at Lone
Prairie in Todd county.
Oppose Option Program.
Strenuous opposition to the county
option program developed in Blue
Earth, Olmsted, Todd, Watonwan
Redwood and Pipestone counties. Man
kato and Rochester were the centers
of the wet activity in Southern Min
nesota and Staples and Long Prairie
| In Northern Minnesota. In TodC
county the wet and dry campaign has
been going on ever since the legisla
ture passed the county option act.
The wet majority in Blue Earth
county was about ESQ votes
Bitter Fight in OImsted.
The same situation developed II
Olmsted county, the vets getting bis
vote In Rochester. The majority II
Rochester for the vets was 326. one
of the largest ever pOlled. The we
lead in Olmsted was estimated a
261. Over 5000 votes were cast. The
fight was one of the bitterest ever
held in Southern Minnesota.
Much interest attached to the figh
In Todd county, the home of William
f. Lee, Staples and Long Prairie have
many saloons and there are two
breweries in the county. Long Prairi'
went dry by "a votes. Staples wen
wet by IS votes.
Contrary to the general rule so far
the country vote in Pipestone wa
wet, and the town vote was dry. Th'
villages and towns themselves gave /;
dry majority, Pipestone giving thI
drys lead of AZ votes.
Watonwan county proved somewha
of surprise. A strenuous fight wa
waged there. With one precinct t
hear from the drys were leading b.
223 votes.
Large Majorities for Drys.
Ottertail and Kandiyohi countie
polled the largest majorities for tn
drys. In Ottertail county the dry ma
jority will be about 1000. Perham
normally a wet town, but now havini
no saloons on account of being includ
ed in the Indian territory. gave tn
vets q vote of 142 to 26. Fergus Fall
went dry by the largest vote eve
polled, namely, a majority of 195.
Kandiyohi will give the drys ma
jority of considerably more than LOO
votes. In 21 out of 81 precincts tn
vote was 1,402 for the drys and 49
for the vets.
Drys Carry Murray by $50.
Renville county gave the drys
majority of $50 votes Olivia went DIR
by IA votes and Renville went wet b
four votes.
The dry lead in Murray county
estimated at $50. In Ia out of 21 pre-
cincts the drys had q majority of IL
votes.
Traverse county, the home of Sar
Y. Gordon, leader of the county OF
tionists in the lower house Of the lei
islature, went dry by 173 votes.
Out Of $500 votes cast In Redwoo
the drys received a majority OF 3
votes.
Dodge county went dry by a con
Portable margin. In Dodge Center th
vote was dry. t25; wet. 101. Th
same ratio held good in West Concor,
Claremont and Patten.