The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-10-14
Townley's Former Private Secretary
and Personal Representative.
By ]. w. BRINTON,

BY J. w. BRINTON,
Copyrighted. All Rights Reserved.
In December, 1916, Townley was at
the height of his power. He was
flushed with victory and anxious and
alert for new accomplishments. He
was the hero Of the hour in North Da-
kota. His political victory was her
aided throughout the, country by
friends and foes, his friends singing
his praise and his enemies likewise
advertising him by denouncing him
from New York to California. But it
was not the Nonpartisan League that
was advertised. 1t was A. c. Town
ley. The power of the Nonpartisan
League was not recognized. 1t was
the power Of A. C. Townley. 1t was
not the farmers organization that
was given credit. It was A. G. Town
ley.
Hence it was A. c.. Townley who
was Immediately sought by self-seek-
ing politicians who wanted political
Jobs and favors on the one hand, and
promoters :. and commercial agents
who wished to use the Nonpartisan
League to assist them in their money
making schemes on the other hanf.
Some wanted to- start hog ranches,
some insurance companies; some
wanted to promote socialistic colonl--
cation projects, while others wanted
to become associated with Townley in
straight real estate, money-ma klng
enterprises. He was sought by oil
men, land men, men with patents and
men with dreams and ideas. He was
sought by men from New York, Cali
fornia, Washington and Florida. The
Florida man won.
Townley had been in big promo.
tons before as the writer has related
but he never had the backing, the
power nor the opportunity to put over
a real promotion that he now had in
his grasp. He didn't accept the first
proposition put to him. He had had
experience in promoting. He looked
over the projects submitted to nm
from New York, California and Wash
ington. He looked over the one from
Florida. He had been in Florida be-
fore he organized his farmer league.
He knew the state had great future.
He knew it would produce prize
oranges, grape fruit and other tropl-
cal products. He knew that land that
produces such crops in short time
would sell for $3.50, $500 and more
an acre. He knew what California!
had done. What the apple district OF
Washington had done. How men
bought land at $40, SIS and $25 per
acre and in three or four years re-
ceived 5000 to 5000 and more per
acre. Here was his opportunity for
money making = in sunny Southern
Florida.
A. c. Townley, the politician, gain
ed his power in November, 1916. A..
C. Townley, thep romoter, was taking
advantage Of that power and inf1u-
ence to make money in December,
1916, 30 days later. Townley, the
promoter, didn't lose any time. He
was ambitious. He was restless with
the power of the organization which,
he could now >use for the benefit OF
A. C. Townley.
Among the men, stock statesmen and
promoters, who had read OF a: z.
Townley was Edwin Lundeen Of Mia
mi, Florida. Lundeen had been pro-
moter selling orange and grape fruit
groves. He had operated in Chicago.
His company had failed. He became
ganized in Florida under the name OF
lOIlud TIulC dllu II 1UAC AOAP
It had not been success. He was
a sisai enterprise. While at Atwater;
Mimi, he learned of A. C. Townley.
Lundeen was broke. But that does
not hamper real promoter. Town
lev proved that. Lundeen had conf
dence in his ability to interest Town
lev in sisal, for was not sisal bread
and butter to the farmer and was
not Townley's organization farm
ers' organization
So Lundeen raised money at At
water, Mimi, upon his future pros
poets. He secured, as it developed
recently, $500 from August Broman
and S. B. Glader. "Mr. Glader and
myself said Mr.. Lundeen $3.50 each,
when he went up to North Dakota to
see the League about the sisal propo-
siticn, and he gave us written agree
ment to give Us 1850 shares each in
the new sisal company" wrote Mr..
Broman after he learned that Townley
had organized company. Like many
man who has helped promoter out
in pinch, Mr.. Broman was looked
for q return upon his investment.
Lundeen had been taken sick in St.
Paul and died and Townley had not
been informed of the Atwater prom
Uses.
In November, 1919, Mr. Broman
wrote to Bank Examiner Lofthus Of
North Dakota, who had officially in
spected and reported favorably+ upon
Townley's Florida enterprise:
Through the Minnesota Leader we
are informed that you have recently
!. been in Florida inspecting the sisal
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