The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-10-14
.A.C. TOWNLEY
DIR E A NJ E II
Continued from page p


so he dreamed. He dreamed of the
Consumers United Stores company.
And he organized it. With capital
of 81 200. 700, 7OS held by his personal
attorney, William Lemke (his bank.
ruptcy proceedings still prevented
Townley from holding anything in
his own name), he sold in less than
a year over one million dollars of
memberships" at 500 each to
League members. Thus, through his
attorney, he controlled million dol
lars paid him in money and notes.
He secured these funds through
League organizers who carried Gre
dentials signed by Townley, the pro-
moter, which stated that the company
was being formed ''under the aus
pieces of the National Nonpartisan
League" This company was orga-
nized along the lines of the League
with all the control in Boss Townley's
hands; with an agreement with each
member that greater portion of the
membership fee" could be used in
the head offices of the company. And
it was used.
Townley, the promoter, had a
Financial secretary" young man
who later gave the political boss
more trouble than a boy gets into
when he runs amuck in hornets
nest. This t'fnancial secretary" was
one of those young men who would
make Rufus Wallingford turn green
and Ponzi wonder in amazement when
it come to financial transactions.
That's why Townley, the promoter,
chose him. He was, if not clever, am
bilious and daring as Townley's
Florida transactions will later show.
This man was made trustee for
Townley as president of his stores
company, while the writer was still
acting as personal representative of
the political boss. In short time
the Financial secretary" was, as if
by magic, vice president of string
of banks and was organizing others
at a rapid rate. 1t developed that
as Financial secretary" and president
of thep Official boss stores company,
he had control Of the stores company
funds. 1t was but a promotion step
take the funds and buy bank,
second bank and a third one. The
politica boss refused to buy merchan-
disc warehouses or employ merchan-
disc men. That was unimportant.
Only small stock was purchased for
each local store while thousands were
used for banks, newspapers and po-
litical campains. Itg was then that
the Financial secretary" took charge
Of Townley's sisal plantation.
Before closing this article, and TAX
ing up the sisal plantation enterprise
in the next, let me record here a de-
tense of Towney, the boss politician.
This was his greatest mistake, all his
close associates admit it and Townley,
the political boss, now denies the acts
CT Townley, the promoter. But let
me say that there was an excuse for
the Florida venture. Every man has
his weakness, and Townley, the pro-
moter, has his. His activities leading
up to the formation Of the Ncnparti-
san League show that he had a weak
ness for big things, for big promo
tions, for big developments, and as
we related in the preceding article,
Townley, the promoter, became inter
ested in the Florida sisal enterprise
because of its wonderful promotion
possibilities.
Binder Irvine is made from sisal.
Binder Irvine sold in North Dakota for
10 cents per pound, when Townley
started the League. When Edwin
Lundin, of Miami, Florida, induced
Townley in the Gardner hotel in
Fargo, North Dakota, to invest money
nj Florida, Irvine was selling for
double the price. 1t was only a mat
ter of getting a plantation started, as
Townley the dreamer dreamed, when
Townley, the promoter, the great
farmers leader, with his organization
and his employees and "officiap
papers, could go out and promote and
put over one Of the biggest promotion
schemes and money-making enter
prises ever attempted by man with
out capital. Irvine was bread and
butter to the farmers, Florida was far
enough away to keep his initial &C.
Invites a secret. And it was attrac-
tive to Townley, the promoter. It was
attractive to others. A prominent
writer on the Country Gentleman,
writing of the enterprise, said:
"The Florida story that will cause
the blood Of the visitor to Jingle and
make him take stronger grip on his
pocketbook is not the orange story or
the vegetable story. It relates to
sisal. In summarizing this story as
it is told in Florida - by intelligent
and agreeable gentlemen from the
north occupying elaborate Offices =
quote literature they distribute"
The writer on the Country Gentle
man didn't know that he was talking
to "ntelligent and agreeable gentle
men" in the employ Of A. G. Townley.
He didn't know that it was Townley's
money that fitted up the elaborate
offices. And he didn't know that
Townley when he heard the Florida
story about sisal, forgot to "take
tighter grip on his pocketbook" and
the treasury Of the Nonpartisan Pub
fishing company. That's where Town
ley, the boss politician, made his mis-
take-and that's when Townley, the
promoter, got the best Of Townley,
the politician. Our next article will
begin here-the story Of Townley, the
promoter, and his sisal enterprise.
Authors Note: The agreeable gen.
tlemen from the north" who prepared