Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-10-08

i
ahead with their plans.
fancey had come home from the
Spanish-American war a hero. Other
men from Usage had been in the
philippines. One had even died there
| tdysentery and ptomaine from bad
timed beef. But Yancey was the
towns Rough Rider. He had charged
up San Juan hill with Roosevelt.
Usage. knowing Yancey and never hav-
Ing seen Roosevelt, assumed that Yam
/ cey cravat-the Southwest Cimorran
had led the way. an ivory-and-siIver-
mounted six-shooter in either hand,
the gyeat buffalo head lowered with
such menace that the enemy had fed
in terror
His return had been the occasion
for such celebration as the town had
never known and never would know
again, they assured each other, be-
tween drinks. until the day when
statehood should come to the territory.
He returned captain. unwounded.
but thin and yellow. with the livery
look that confirmed the stories one
had heard Of putrid food. typhoid. dvs-
EMERY. and mosquitoes more deadly.
IN this semi-tropical country. than bull
let's or cannon.
Poisoned and enfeebled though he
was. his return seemed to energize the
crude little town. Wherever he might
he he lived in swirl of events that
drew into its eddy all that came With
in its radius. Hi, Yancey! Hi, Clint
He shed the khaki and the cooked hat
and actually appeared again In the
familiar white sombrero. Prince Al
bert. and high-heeled boots Usage
hreathed a sigh Of satisfaction. His
derellctinn was forgiven. the rumors
about him forgotten--or allowed to
subslde. at least Again the editorial
columns OF the Oklahoma Wigwam
hlazed with hyperhole.
II was hard for Sabra to take Sec
ond place Tor to appear to take second
place. In The office OF the Wigwam.
She had so long ruled there alone.
Her word had been law to the waver-
Ing Jesse Hickey and to the worshiping
Cliff Means. And now to say. You'd
better ask Mr.. Cravat.r
He says leave it to you. Hes went
out"
Yancey did good deal OF going out.
Sabra, after all. still did most OF the
work OF the paper without having the
satisfaction OF debating its policy.
A linotype machine. that talented iron
monster. now chartered and chittered
and clanked In the composing room OF
the Wigwam. 1t was the first OF Its
kind In the Oklahoma country.
Sahra was proud OF the linotype ma
chine, for 1t had been her five years at
the head of the Wigwam that had
made II possible. II was she who
had gone out after Job printing con-
tracts who had educated the local
merchants to the value OF advertis-
ing. Certainly Yancey, prancing and
nrating, had never given thought to
these substantial foundations on which
the entire business success OF the
paper rested. They now got out with
ease the daily Wigwam for the Usage
townspeonle and the weekly for coun-
ty subscribers.
Five years had gone by--six years
since fancey's return. Yet, strangely
enough. Sabra never had feeling OF
security. She never forgot what he
had said about Wichita. Almost Ave
years In one place. That's the longest
stretch I've ever done. honey" Five
years. And this was well into the
sixth. He had plunged head first into
The statehood fight into the Indian
territory situation. The anti-Indian
action was bitterly opposed to the
plan for combining the Oklahoma ter
-itory and the Indian territory under
he single state OF Oklahoma. Their
slogan was THE White Mans State
or the White Man.
"Who brought the Indian here to
he Oklahoma country in the first
'laceg shouted Yancey In the edi-
orial columns Of the Wigwam. white
men. They bounded them from Mis-
ouri to Arkansas, from Arkansas to
outhern Kansas, then to northern
Kansas to northern Oklahoma, to
outhern Oklahoma You white men
old them the piece OF arid and barren