Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-10-13
A. J. Olson Is
Popular Candidate
for Commissioner

A. j. Olson. a pioneer farmer and
business man II the Homestead vi
entity FIR - years, will on Tuesday,
November !. seek election to the
office # county commissioner far
the south district Of Sheridan coun-
ty- Mr. 0is9n has the endorsement
Of both Republicans and Democrats
a a candidate of the Taxpayers Ec-
onomy League and received the no
~nsinatian in the Primary election
WITH j splendid vte from all sec
tionS Of the county.
The only opposition To Mr.. OLSON
viii Be n the Communist and Lib
erty ticket. The radical group hope
= elest a second commissioner on
the board an thereby throw the
management # the county into the
hands Of the Reds with commits
sioner Carl Hansen cracking the
whip at the bidding of Salisbury and
Taylor. The Liberty party candidate
i Peter Glein Of the Quitmeyer pre-
cinct. who has saught office before
IN TINS county bur with little success.
Their was considerable talk of
Frank French. filing as an Indepen-
deHt eandid.e. but he decided
against such action and according
. party leaders. Medicine Lake will
back 4. ]. Olson.
Andrew j. Olson was born in
Goodhue County, Mimi, in the year
1874. His parents emigrated from
Norway IN 1871 They resided there.
working on farms and renting land
until 1856 when the Red River reser-
vatsan was opened for settlement.
Dir. Olson filed on a homestead
there, where his 93-year old mother
still resides. His father died in 1918.
Mr.. Olson lived with his parents on
the homestead while attending pub
nc school and helped grub and clear
land, As much of the country was
covered with brush and timber.
When Is Mr.. Olson was employed
as q helper in a grain elevator in
EassteH- He heIIdd this position for
several years and was then made
manager Of an elevator in Lengthy.
. ne remained until he moved
to Montana During this time he had
an interest in logging and the man
uIacfurlng of lumber.
Tn the spring of 1910 MIR. Olson
moved to Froid4 Montana, where he
and his brother, Filing, became en-
gagged in the hardware and nipple
ment business. His brother died in a
very short time and was succeeded
in the firm by Dwight Lohn, now
treasurer { Roosevelt county. AT
ter Is years the business was sold to
the Froid Mercantile Co. They car
ried on a heavy credit business with
farmers. held many second mortgag-
es en- real estate and personal prop
erty which were depreciated to a
great extent when the value of
things dropped in 1920. They were
also farming quite extensively in the
homestead district in Sheridan
ty where they now live. From the
many losses taken Mr.. Olson has
never forced collections in a single
instance. He found that people were
anxious and willing to pay, but con-
diti0ns and circumstances made it
impossible for many to do so.
Mr.. Olson has always taken an
active part in community affairs,
He WAS Lengby's first mayor and
also served on the school board. He
was a member Of the school board in
Frold when the present school build
ing was planned and constructed.
lie served On the city council while
living at Froid, and is now on the
school board in Homestead. He has
never been a candidate fer any coun-
ty office, and has never been defeat
ed for any other
MIR. Olson was raised a Lutheran.
He was one of the charter members
to organize and build churches in
Lengthy, Mimi. and Froid, Montana.
He is now a member of the Home
stead Lutheran church. He was mar
ried in the year 1899, is the father
of IL children, six sons and five
daughters. All are living with the
exception of one daughter who died
at the q OF seven. All are at home
with the exception of Clarence, who
is employed in the Customs office
at Sweet Grass. Montana; Gladys,
the oldest, who has been employed
in the Clack Oil Co, at Havre, the
past four years; and Hardin who
will graduate from West Point next
June.
What the people think Of Mr. OIL
son in the locality where he has been
known and has done business for
the past 20 years was best shown
in the primary election when he re-
ceived all but 3 votes out of the to-