Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-02
Orr. N. D.. Jan. 81, 1917.

The frst caucus / ever attended
was the largest one that I ever at
tended and suppose 1t would seem
a little novel ut this day. There was
doubt very much If hal. the voters
had the slightest idea what that word
meant. 1t was held in small field
near the birthplace OF Henry Clay.
There was an old vacant house in the
little field and a narrow path leading
out to the road. The two factions
stood on either side of that little
path facing each other. 1t was easy
to see that the better element stood
the east side of the path stood the
molly rabble. the unwashed and the
uncombed. There was a barrel OF
whiskey in the rickety Old hoaae that
was supposed to he free to all that
would stand on the east side OF that
little path. and there was an un-
broken stream to that house, fed
from the bunch on the east side Of
that path. 1t has been many years
number at five hundred. remember
that there was big red faxed sa-
loonkeeper who was the governing
spirit on the east side Of the path
and that he ran across the path and
pulled a very shabby looking man
across to his side OF the path and
that cheer went up from that side,
and voice from the west side said
"1f you see any more over here like
that, come over and get them" We
were then marched in single file
through the little front gate and
counted. The whiskey barrel rabble
had won the day. and as far as
know 1t went thus over the state. 1t
was the hottest caucus by far I ever
attended and what wrs 1t that fur
nished the heat? Something like fifty
beautiful and elusive rainbow of
socialism, the rainbow had vanished,
but her debts had piled up and were
still there. Paw day had come. This
was the morning after. She was a
bankrupt. A batch OF politicians were
lifted to high places on the crest of
the wave, but many proud head
represented by that element which
stood on the west side of that little
path near the home of Henry Clay
in old Hanover county, bowed In
lowiy shame when they saw the fair
name of the Old Dominion made to
act the mop-rag on the filthy floor
of reputation.
I came west about that time and ae
| I sat at the table In Ojata-end of
track then-there were two other
men at the table with me. I remem-
, ber that one seemed very much e1-
cited and said something like this:
Eyes. sir. that was not right. I paid
my good money for those bonds. and
those bonds said for value received.
They did not say for value 1 may
receive II my business prospers and
! that I will pay them II my business
prospers. No sir! They said moth
Ing Of that kind! They said for
value received promise to pay and
then placed the broad seal of the
are they worth? They are not worth
repudiated those bonds will not allow
me to light my pipe without paying
for the match" He left the table
in a very agitated mood and noticed
that he had drunk only about half
Of his coffee and had not touched his
stack Of cakes. I asked the gentle
man who remained at the table with
said: II know that fellow. He did
get hard deal on those bonds like
he said. You see Minnesota thought
she was pretty smart and issued
bonds to build railroads or some
thing, but there was gang that was
awake when she was asleep and they
did her up so bad that the legislature
repudiated the bonds. 1t does look
to mo like they hung the wrong man
I suppose that the boys in the legis-
lature were SO mad that they thought
they had to hang someone"
Some years later / read our con-
| stitution and noticed that we were
prohibited from going into big busi-
ness. and thought that the parties
that got that in there had the cate
o? North Carolina, Virginia and Min
nesota in their minds and said that
glad that our people drove it to the
head.
leave my front yard and 80
straight north to the first spot whore
Mr.. Public has been doing a little
business and 1 find two bridges and
culvert across the same coulee. SSusr
a mile apart. ask II culvert was
ample at one point why were bridges
Of good length put at the other TWO
to the first spot where Mr.. Public
did business. 1 find three bridges of
coed length and one culvert to ac-
oommodate the same stream. I ask
il the culvert was ample in one place,
why were pile bridges put at the
other three places? 1 then go south
to the first spot where Mr.. Pubic
cid business and find here two cu!-
vert., one about twelve feet to let The
water scross the road and another
about three feet to let it back. There
are some of the spots where Mr.. Pub
ilc mas been doing business near my
place. I will now ccme nearer -
yon. Mr.. Editor:
Several miles west Of your city, on
the south side of the main line of the
Great Northern railway, was g pile
bridge about 240 feet long and about
eight or 10 feet high, to accommodate
ern furnished a culvert three feet
high and about eight feet wide. That
bridge is not there now-only a piece
Of it. suppose Mr.. Public got asham-
ed Of it and took 1t off and hid It.
But wish had hundred photo.
graphs of it with the railroad and its
little culvert as background. would
send them to Bismarck to some gem
tlemen that they might see how Mr..
he gets on his high horse and thinks
no one is looking. asked gentle
man how such a bridge happened to
be there. He said that the county
surveyors. the county commissioners
and the bridge contractors were part
ners. and that there was more money
in big bridges than there was in small
cuiverts 1t might be interesting to
mention that this same gentleman a
few years later became q county COM
missioner, and forthwith county
bridge contractor. A few years later
he ceased to be commissioner and
also ceased to be a bridge contractor.
I now enter your city, but hope, Mr..
Public will not be alarmed. for I am
not talking about anything that is not
IE STATE.