The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-10-14
A. C. T0WNLEY, DREAMER,
PROMOTER .B0SSP0LlTICIAN.
Townley's Southern Florida Sisal En-
terprise

plantation ow under the control Of
the Nohpartisan League. Some Of
the people oft his place bought stock.
This stock was purchased from T..
Lundeen, promoter Of the business,
and bought at the time that he went
to Fargo to meet representatives Of
the Nonpartisan League"
This brings US to Fargo, North
Dakota. To a room in the Gardner
hotel, with Edwin Lundeen, of Miami,
and A. c. Townley, the promoter,
present; and incidentally, the writer,
then Townley's private secretary and
personal representative. 1t was there
that A. C. Townley, the boss poll
tician, surrendered to A. c. Townley,
the promoter. 1t was there that Ed
win Lundeen walked the floor and
painted a picture as only promoter
can paint. A picture of Sunny South
ern Florida; picture of groves of
oranges, grape fruit and tropical
plants. A picture of vast acreage
of land-the best that God has pro-
duced-in perfect climate that will
produce millions for those who get it
before the boom sets in.
The Florida gentleman was at his
best. He had already sold stock at
Atwater, Mimi, in Townley's future
Florida enterprise. He must make
good. He painted another picture of
a vast sisal plantation, Of a cordage
plant and Irvine for the farmers; how
the great farmer-leader could get
financial assistance, if necessary,
from the farmers of North Dakota.
Townley, the promoter; also walked
the floor. Townley, the dreamer, then
took possession of Townley, the pro-
moter, and Townley, the politician,
was entirely forgotten in that room
in December, l916-and the farmers
of North Dakota and the terminal ele-
vator was forgotten with him.
On that day, in the Gardner hotel,
a deal was closed. Townley paid Lun-
deem $3.50 to bind the deal whereby a
sisal enterprise was to be promoted.
Lundeen went back to Florida happy
man. Townley was to send an in
vestigator and if his report was favor
able great activities would be the re-
suit in Dade county, Florida.
California at the deathbed of his wife,
received a telegram from Townley, his
Femployer. 1t said: when can you
leave for Florida? Lundeen getting
anxious" The writer had been select
ed as the investigator. A sight draft
for $500 was drawn on A. C. Townley
through bank at Norwalk, Cal, and
on April 10, 1917, we left over the
Southern Pacific for Miami, "by the
sea-" with visions of sisal fields, negro
wage slaves and non-union cordage
plants, for we were in the employ then
Of A. c. Townley, the promoter, and
not Townley, the farmers friend and
union labor advocate.
| In due time we arrived at Miami,
in Dade county, one of the most Won
derful spots in the good U. S. A. We
have travelled in 40 states. Dade
county, just recently according to the
federal census, took the record for the
largest growth Of any county in the
United States. 1t certainly was at
! tractive. We registered at the Majes-
tic hotel as 81. w. Brown" for rea-
sons given us by our employer. For
it was not we'll at that time, with
thousands Of northern tourists win
tering there, to have it known that
the North Dakota political boss had
his private secretary in Florida. He
was supposed to be interested in
North Dakota and the farmers and
their marketing problems not in
Florida land, sisal and promotion
schemes.
And so -. w. Brown" Investigated,
drove Ford car purchased by 81. w.
Brown" with funds wired to ~. W..
Brown" by A. C. Townley, the pro-
moter, at St. Paul. Since Townley,
the politician, now deems it wise. to
disown the acts Of Townley, the pro-
moter, we will state for the benefit Of
those who doubt that, the Western
Union office at St. Paul and Miami
will show money remittances in April
and May, 1917, to, ~. W. Brown.
The records in Dade county will also
show Ford car owned by -. w.
Brown" bought and registered in
April 1917. %. w. Brown" rode in
the Townley Ford, inspected and in
vestigated. We visited the sisal plan
tations of Cuba. We wired for funds
to come home, but Townley, the pro-
moter, wired back: "Stay two weeks
longer and make more thorough in
vestigation," and also funds-again
to -. w. Brown.
So we stayed two weeks longer.
We enjoyed everything that was to
be enjoyed in Dade county and Ha-
vana, Cuba. Finally we came back
to St. Paul, but ~. w. Brown" ceased
to live when we took the train at
Miami, and when we stepped off at
St. Paul we were again ]. w. Brinton,
private secretary and personal repre-
sentative Of A. c. Townley, the po-
litical boss. And we made our re-
port. A true report Of the wonderful
opportunity - to make money - in
Florida, in land, in development and
! in sisal. Since that report men have
made fortunes in Dade county and
fortunes are still to be made.
i Townley, the promoter, made no