Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-05

lot farming. He bought a big traction
Iengtne to do his blowing. He plow-l
led for others and dreamed of greater
activities in blowing. sowing and
lreaping.
attracted his attention. One real es-
tate man. with engines. had put in
Ia 2,000-acre crop and Melted $4,000
lproht In q single year. Townley, the
dreamer. wanted to do more. He
knew the real estate men wanted
their lands developed. q Townley,
the promoter. Joined with them and
their acres He bought engines and
machinery, oil and seed. He plowed,
sowed. but he did not reap,
He was a failure in his first at
tempt, but the game was attractive
to Townley. the dreamer, and tasci-
mating to Townley. the promoter. He
made new deals with other zeal es-
Wells Colorado. With others he &C
QuiredS another vast tract Of land at
q very low price and then to attract
buyers at q higher price he and his
associates planned on great Develop
ment and grain growing activities.
While statesmen were bringing land
seekers to cheyenne Wells, T6wnley.
S40 PAOAE0SCAs OOA6AS a< 006AA4O0 tG AZ
machinery, seed and oil. He plowed
and he sowed but again he did not
4 reap. His dreaIa proved a night
mare and his promotion scheme q a.
inancial failure.
He returned to Beach, North Da-
kota, and there entered into another
promotion with real estate men-this
time larger than ever-like the pro-
moter and gambler he is-doubling
II hio hat nuoru Elmo hoE 1nof Thio time
Townley and his new real estate as
sociates planned on q 12-000-acre f1a1
crop. And again Townley plowed
and sowed-and again he failed to
reap. His failure was so great this
time thai he was unable to a new
! attempts as q pow~er-farn1er and real
estate promoter. Townley. the pro-
moter, for q short time lost his cum
ming and his ability to get new asso-
ciates. His failures had been too nu-
merous. His activities had attracted
attention and drew pages In the wild
| est-read publications In America-his
, jplowing and sowing-not his failures
But he had not gained his ambition
money. So he turned his failures
over to his creditors and moved.
1t was then that Townley. the
: dreamer, became active again. Town.
) ley, the promoter, had been q failure
He had for a time lost interest ir
: real estate promotion. He 10Y
dreamed of politics and the powers
of the politician. and. incidentally nj
doubt, Of the easy money always a
> the command Of the political boss
: Townley, the dreamer, forgot. hi
l debts.S Debts never worry a politi
! clan. They didn't worry Townley.
! Following his financial failure h
j became a candidate for the state leg
> fislature-on the socialist ticket. II
his early life-like many dreamers-
: he had read Carl Marx and others o
that school and was now a. pronounc
ed socialist. He did not know then
but ~later-realized he could never b.
a boss politician following the Car
Marx school Of politics. He was de
: feated but his ambition to enter poll
;tical life was only sharpened. H
dreamed not only OF being elected t.
1sthe legislature butNor confronting til.
Legislature Of North Dakota
. In January, 1915, he went to Bis
3 marck and attended the Legislative
session as q visitor. There q bite
!. fight was being waged between tw'
t factions of the legislature, one de
: imanding the passage of a law, am
9 the appropriating of money. to bull,
a state-owned terminal elevate,
: similar to the terminal at New Or
t 1eans-and those in Canada It ha,
been voted upon by the people, bu