The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1920-10-02

And Axais To~nicy. the dr~s'a.
81. DRAINED sev DRAINS. Ne dr-sm-
I'd Of more material ~aicrpsisss. OF
eAaia Newspaper organizations. Of
chain banks. Of chain stores and OF
vast acr~ages Of isnd--And VI de-
vsiopnsn, and wealth which = poir.
veal organization could not give him.
The organization had grown into sew
sssi states. His membership grew
BY isaps and bounds. His publishing
Company showed Thousands Of sur
Plies farm subscriptions Of Lrsgsr
nsmb~rs-thc subscription being
compulsory and tho income auto
matte.
A promoter from Miami. Florida.
heard Of Towniey and his organisa-
iion. lie came to Fargo. North Ia.
keta. aad painted = glowing picture
Of Sunny Southern Florida. Of vast
plsatatioss Of orange erovea and
fruit orchards-sud Of sixal grow
iag-sisal 10 make twinc for the
farmers. lie pictured how the bin
der Irvine trust Vas robbiug tho
farmers: how easy Il would be to
get the farmers interested In such
IN enterprise. Townley. the dream
er and promoter. took possession n
rowniey. the boss politician. and he
entered into . contract with the
Florida gentleman. paid over money
asd sent the writer. then his person
81 representative. 10 Miami. Florida.
70 Inspect. Investigate and report.
Townlsy's old real estate promotion
aad development fever took posses.
sioa OF hin. He dreamed OF en-
siaes. the bieGsse the Case people
produced-like the one now stand
Ing o. bis 2s.eee-scrs FLORIDA tract:
be DRAINED Of SIS and Sc ~ acre
land being sold for fruit orchards 1t
see. S3se and esss per acre.
Townlsy. the dreamer. couldn't
walt for the necessary funds to pro-
note such an enterprise to come
from League membsrship subscrip-
lions. or dues. Townley. the pro.
moter. must have large sums Of
money. He must have banks. large
financial Institutions. many OF them.
aad he dreamed OF . 100000. geo
state-owned Institution. with all the
public money on deposit therein. TO
hnance and build up this chain OF
banks. And Townley. the dreamer.
dreamed on. He dreamed Of q chain
OF stores. = promotion scheme to
gather 10 more money and to get In
touch with the wealthy farmers OF
the Northwest.
But Townley. the promoter and
boss politician. knew that he must
keep his political organisation in
tact: he must keep control Of North
Dakota, the governor. Its prominent
ofiicials, It's blue sky commission
which already inspected and report
cd favorably his Florida enterprise.
under another name and proported
ownership. The time was not ripe
for the harvest. He must walt his
time. and in the meantime build up
a chain OF newspapers to support
and defend him from attack; to
keep his ofilcials in ONCE and to add
to his political power and prestige.
The control Of the legislative ses-
sion OF 1919 and the reelection of
his personally selected state ofIcial,
was gained after the most expensive
and vicious campaign in the history
OF the state. The big. new state
owned bank was created and $780,
100000 Of the public funds by law
vere turned over to II. under the
excuse that It was to be rural
credit bank as promised. A news
paper law was passed to subsidize
League papers already established
and others to be established. In the
meantime chain stores had been en-
tablished and over $1,000, 900 col.
lected for that enterprise; chain
banks were being organized by
Townley himself and state funds
were turned over to these banks and
then loaned out to enterprises Of
Townley's creation. IN harmony with
the dreams Of Townley. the dream.
er.
But Townley. the boss politician,