USA > Montana > Yellowstone County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 35
USA > Montana > Park County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 35
USA > Montana > Dawson County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 35
USA > Montana > Rosebud County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 35
USA > Montana > Custer County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 35
USA > Montana > Sweet Grass County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 35
USA > Montana > Carbon County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 35
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The Sweet Grass and Park county boards of county commissioners held a joint session at Livingston March II and 12 to effect a settlement, and the adjustment made was mu- tually satisfactory. From the assessment books of Park county for the year 1894 it was found that the total valuation of all property in the new county that had been taken from Park county was $1,005.III, or 21.38 per cent
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HISTORY OF SWEET GRASS COUNTY.
of the total assessed valuation of the whole of Park county before the division. The total indebtedness of Park county 011 March 1, 1895, was $210,520. Sweet Grass's 21.38 per cent of this amount was $45,009.28. Deducting the value of county property still left in Park county ($2.334.38), there was left the sum of $42.774.90 as the in- debtedness to be assumed by Sweet Grass county.
Settlement was made with Yellowstone county at a joint meeting of the boards at Billings on March 18. It was agreed that Sweet Grass county should assume $6,857.32 of the indebtedness of Yellowstone county in addition to $750 for property and bridges and $52.68 as the new county's proportion of war- rants outstanding, making the total indebted- ness acquired from Yellowstone county $7.660.
On the first of April Commissioners Bailey and Logan met with the Meagher county con- missioners at White Sulphur Springs, at which time a satisfactory settlement was made. It was found that the assessed valuation of that part of the old county that was cut off for Sweet Grass county amounted to $216,000. For this territory Sweet Grass county assumed $7.508.77 of the debt of the old county.
This made a total of $57.943.67 assumed by the young county as a heritage. Warrants for these amounts were drawn on Friday, June 7. 1895.
The county's first assessment-that of 1895-showed the assessed valuation of the county to be $1.743.541, as equalized by the state board. Following was the result of the assessment as taken by the county assessor :
Real estate and improvements. .$526,113
City and town lots and improvements 169,474
Telegraph lines 13,000
Telephone lines 1,450
Irrigating ditches 9.831
Depots, etc. 6,125
Personal property 650,950
Total .$1.376,943
To the above figures should be added $123.361, the assessed value of railroad lands in the county.
In 1896 Park county brought suit against Sweet Grass county for the collection of $1,- 009.96, interest on the $42,774.90 for which the young county had given its warrant. In August of that year Judge Frank Henry de- cided in favor of Sweet Grass county. Park county appealed, and in April, 1897, the su- preme court handed down a decision reversing the lower court, and Sweet Grass county had that additional sum to pay.
The assessment of 1896 showed a total assessed valuation of $1.978,295-quite an in- crease over the year before. According to the figures of this assessment there were in the county the following live stock : 249,295 sheep, 1,21I work horses, 1,405 range horses, 7,851 stock cattle, 651 cows, 518 hogs.
Under the provisions of the enabling act Big Timber was to be the county seat of the county until after the general election of No- vember, 1896, at which time the electors should select the permanent county seat. As Big Timber was the only town of any size in the county at the time there was no opposition to that place at the election, although a few votes were cast for a number of other places. Big Timber received 321 votes, Melville 25, and the other votes were scattered among the different localities in the county.
The new county gained slowly but steadily in assessed valuations during the late nineties. The assessment for 1898 was $2.277.734.60, and on September 6th of that year the county commissioners raised the county to the seventh class.
According to the federal census of 1900 the population was 3,086. At that time there were only three counties in the state with smaller population-Broadwater, Meagher, and Dawson.
When Sweet Grass county came into ex-
20.4
HISTORY OF SWEET GRASS COUNTY.
istence the country on the upper Boulder river had not been surveyed, and, therefore, the lo- cation of the boundary line between the new county and Park county in that vicinity was uncertain. It was generally supposed, how- ever, that the line as defined in the act followed somewhere near the watershed on the west side of the Boulder, but the survey which followed located the line along the stream bottom, some- times on one side of the river and sometimes on the other. This was a very unsatisfactory condition and worked a hardship on the mine owners and others in the upper Boulder coun- ty. The wagon road to the Boulder camp neces- sarily followed the meanderings of the stream and was in both counties, the greater portion of the road on the southern end being in Park county. Much dufficulty was encountered in keeping the road in fit condition, and it was the general belief that if the road was thrown wholly in one county or the other the commis- sioners of that county would see that it was im- proved and kept in such condition as the neces- sities of the mining camp warranted. As it was, it was hard to determine just what portions of the road were in the respective counties and just where each county officer should perform work. The mix-up resulted in poor roads in that section.
To'remedy this defect, and at the same time to secure a slice of territory, the people of Park county interested themselves in the formation of a bill to be presented to the legis- lature of 1901, asking that the boundary line in that vicinity be changed so as to follow the crest of the mountain range that lies on the east side of the Boulder. At first there was no objection from the people of Sweet Grass county who considered that the measure was a meritorous one. But when the bill made its ap- pearance and it was found that quite a gener- ous slice of territory went with the road there was strenuous objections made by the people of Sweet Grass county. A mass meeting was
held at Big Timber, and the following set of resolutions was adopted and sent to the legis- lature :
To J. N. Kelly, senator, and Robert Brownlee. repre- sentative, Helena, Montana :
We, the citizens of Sweet Grass county, Montana, in mass meeting assembled, do protest against any change in our boundary line as at present constituted between Park and Sweet Grass counties for the pur- pose of correcting wagon roads.
We can see no necessity for such change. The fact of a wagon road laying along the line partly in one county and partly in another does not afford more excuse for change than does a bridge mutually owned by two counties across a boundary stream of water.
The county commissioners of the respective coun- ties can readily adjust between the counties the ex- pense of maintaining such a road, as they do of bridges in many counties.
We further hold that the natural and only outlet for the entire Boulder country is Sweet Grass county, and that any change in the boundary of the county should be to the west of the main Boulder river, thereby throwing the main Boulder in Sweet Grass county.
We request that you use every effort to defeat any bill that may be introduced that would take from us any part of our county or of said Boulder river.
Dated February 16, 1901.
Through the efforts of Sweet Grass coun- ty's representatives the bill was killed. The matter of straightning the line between the two counties was taken up at the next session of the legislature, and this time by the Sweet Grass county members, who asked that the line be placed to the west of the Boulder. Rep- resentative Brownlee introduced the bill in the house, and the committee to which it was re- ferred reported it favorably. Later, however, it was recommitted to the committee in order to give the Park county representatives an opportunity to be heard on the question. By the terms of a conference between the Park and Sweet Grass county representatives Mr. Brownlee withdrew his bill in consideration of the fact that all parties to the conference should agree to assist in killing all county di- vision bills at that session. So the matter has rested, and the original boundary lines of
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HISTORY OF SWEET GRASS COUNTY.
Sweet Grass county have never been disturbed.
There has been very rapid progress in wealth and prosperity during the last few years. The assessed valuation was $2.913,653 for 1905, while in 1906 it had advanced to $3,- 262,932. That year the total number of acres assessed, other than town lots, was 592, 197, at an assessed valuation of $1.371.917. Town property was assessed at $230,953; personal property at $1,611,646; and the railroads as equalized by the county commissioners and the state board, $914,366. The total amount of taxes to have been collected for the year 1906 was $90.794.77, or about $30 for each man, woman and child in the county. Of this sum the treasurer's books showed that only $880 re- mained delinquent, making Sweet Grass coun- ty in the banner list of the state.
Early in the year 1907 Sweet Grass county was called upon to make a fight for the pres- ervation of its territory. This was caused by an effort to create the county of Roosevelt out of portions of Yellowstone, Sweet Grass and Carbon counties. The bill for the creation of this county was introduced by Senator Annin, of Columbus, Yellowstone county, February 13. In the bill Columbus was named as the county seat, and it was provided that the new
county should be attached to the sixth judicial district.
A generous slice of this new county was to have come from Sweet Grass county (508,- 800 acres), extending along the whole eastern side of the county.
Sweet Grass county people naturally fought the dismemberment. A mass meeting was held at the court house in Big Timbe. Saturday evening. February 9, to discuss the matter and to organize to fight the bill. There were present people from all parts of the coun- ty. A. G. Hatch called the meeting to order and E. O. Clark was elected chairman. The question was discussed in all its details, and the sentiment was unanimous that the bill should be defeated. Two committees were appointed-one to circulate petitions and ob- tain statistics, and the other to solicit funds to carry on the campaign.
A lobby against the bill was sent to Helena. February 19 there was a hearing before the senate committee on towns and counties and arguments were heard from both sides of the question. Later the committee reported against the bill, but Senator Annin was suc- cessful in getting the bill printed. That was the last heard of the bill, and on March 8 the legislature adjourned without taking further action.
CHAPTER III
POLITICAL.
One of the arguments put forth by the people of the east side of Park county when the matter of the formation of the new county of Sweet Grass was being discussed was that they were being taxed without having repre- sentation in the government of the county. The point seems to have been well taken, for we find that when the new county was finally
created in March, 1895, although the parent county had given up fifty per cent of its area and thirty per cent of its taxable wealth to the new county, not a single office holder of Park county was legislated out of office by reason of his place of residence ; there was not a single Park county office holder in the east half of the county. Yellowstone
206
HISTORY OF SWEET GRASS COUNTY.
county, on the other hand, although it gave of its territory only about three per cent to the new county, lost one of its commissioners, whose home was within the boundaries of this three per cent segregation.
The first officers of Sweet Grass county were selected prior to the formation of the county in a mass convention, attended by all citizens regardless of party politics. The names of the men so selected were embodied in the enabling act, and with the exception of one change they became the first officers of the new county. These officers were mentioned in the preceding chapter.
Now the constitution of the state of Mon- tana provides for the filling of vacancies in the board of county commissioners by appointment by the judge of the district court and of other officers by appointment by the county commis- sioners, so after the bill had become a law, the question was raised as to the constitutionality of that part of the act that named the county officers. The matter was taken up to Attorney General Haskell, who held that this section of the constitution applied to the officers of new counties where no provision had been made for their selection by election. To remedy this alleged defect, Judge Henry, on Monday, March II, appointed to the offices of county commissioners the men who had been named in the bill. The county commissioners in turn appointed to the other county offices the men who had been selected and named in the act creating the county. Thus everything was arranged to the liking of the lawyers, and the men above named served until their successors, elected in November, 1896, had qualified.
The first political convention held in Sweet Grass county convened at Big Timber May 9, 1896, when the Republicans selected dele- gates to the state convention at Butte to select delegates to the national convention which nominated William McKinley for the presi- dency. The Sweet Grass county delegates chosen were J. E. Barbour, R. B. Briggs, J.
N. Kelly and C. T. Busha, with Walter Ait- ken and M. W. Hatch delegates at large.
The Democrats met at Big Timber June 13 and chose deligates to the Butte state con- vention, which in turn named Montana's dele- gates to the national convention that nomi- nated William Jennings Bryan to the presi- dency. The delegates chosen were Harvey Bliss, Jake L. DeHart, W. A. Harrison and Sydney Fox.
The Republican nominating convention was held at Big Timber September 5. J. N. Kelly was chosen chairman of the convention; P. L. VanCleve was temporary secretary, and E. M. Hall was permanent secretary. There were contests for nearly all the offices. The convention declared in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of silver, in direct opposi- tion to the Republican national platform. Delegates chosen to the state convention, which nominated the state ticket, were as fol- lows: R. B. Briggs, C. T. Busha. R. M. Fry, Chas. McDonnell, W. E. Youmans and P. L. VanCleve.
There was a bad split in the Republican party over the question of silver, and some of the members of that party in Sweet Grass county determined to put a separate ticket in the field. Some of the leaders of that faction gave notice of the bolt as follows :
Those Republicans who favor the free and unlim- ited coinage of silver by the United States, without waiting the consent of any other nation on earth, and who are refused representation on the ticket recently presented lo the electors of Sweet Grass county by the gold-bug element of Sweet Grass county, are re- quested to meet on Saturday. the 12th day of Sep- tember. 1896, at ten o'clock a. m., at the office of O. M. Lanphear, Esq., in the town of Big Timber, for the purpose of considering the advisability of putting a silver Republican ticket in the field.
HENRY NICHOLSON, JOHN M. DODGE, A. G. HATCH, L. F. DOUTHETT, WILLIAM M. IRVINE. SIDNEY SANNER, Committee.
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HISTORY OF SWEET GRASS COUNTY.
The silver Republicans met on the 12th and decided to nominate a joint ticket with the Democrats.
The Democratic nominating convention met in Big Timber on the same day. A. C. Logan was made chairman and W. A. Moore secretary of the temporary organization, and a committee was named to confer with the silver Republicans with the object of accom- plishing fusion. In the permanent organiza- tion Harvey Bliss was made chairman and W. A. Moore secretary. The conference commit- tee reported that the silver Republicans would unite with the Democrats and work for the interest of the whole ticket if the new party were given the naming of the officers for representative, clerk and recorder, clerk of the district court, one county commissioner and superintendent of schools. The Democrats acceded to these demands, and proceeded to the nomination of the other officers. The ticket was named without many contests. The convention declared for free silver.
For the first election the county commis- sioners, on September 8, created the following election precincts, named the polling places and judges of election :
Big Timber-Busha & Bailey's hall. T. T. Prather, C. T. Busha, T. K. Lee, N. Budd, S. A. Perrine.
Grace Park-Logan's ranch. A. C. Logan, Chas. Meigs, E. C. Baxter.
Swamp Creek-Swamp Creek school house. A. Anderson, John B. Morris, W. E. Youmans.
McLeod-McLeod school house. G. B. Loasby. Frank McLeod, George Muncaster.
Gillette-Toolhurst's ranch. Branson De- Hart, Jas. Reed, Jolın K. Davis.
Boulder-Perkins' ranch. Wm. Perkins, Adam Troutman. Jake Miller.
Upper Stillwater-Jeff Balenger's ranch, W. H. Hibbert, W. H. Balenger, G. D. Pretton.
Lower Stillwater-W. E. Anderson's ranch. W. E. Anderson, Thos. Flanagan, Ed. Buck.
Merrill-Mathew Miller's ranch. Olof Lavorsen, F. A. Austen, Jacob Kroft.
Reeds Point-Reeds Point school house. A. T. Irwin, Jos. Lay, P. L. Hicks.
Grey Cliff-Grey Cliff school house. W. L. Shanks, J. M. Wadsworth, Richard Cosgriff.
Savcet Grass-School house. B. L. Ryan, Eric Solberg, Fred Bartels.
Melville-Melville hotel. Kerschel Frank- lin, C. P. Thompson, John Rye.
Fish Creek-R. Andrews' ranch. Robt. McClatchie, J. C. Farrington, Robert Andrews.
American Fork-Parberry's ranch. A. E. Hopkins, Joe Shutz, Ed. Vesey.
Jarrett-Jarrett school house. C. W. Westfall, Spencer Jarrett, John Fryer.
The campaign preceding the election of November 3, 1896, was an exciting one, ow- ing to the excitement over the free silver ques- tion and the breaking up, to a greater or less extent, of party lines. The free silver advo- cates carried the county for Mr. Bryan for president by a plurality of six votes out of a total of about six hundred. The Republican candidate for congressman carried the county by 12 votes, while the Republican candidate for governor had a plurality of 116. On the county ticket where there were contests the fusionists elected their candidates for senator, one commissioner, county attorney, sheriff, assessor and superintendent of schools ; the Re- publicans elected representative, clerk of the district court, two commissioners, clerk and recorder and treasurer. Following was the official vote :
Presidential electors-Democratic, 298; Republican, 292 : Prohibitionist, I.
Congressman-Chas. S. Hartman, sil. rep., 261 ; O. F. Goddard, rep., 273.
Governor-Robt. B. Smith, dem. and sil.
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HISTORY OF SWEET GRASS COUNTY.
rep., 232: Alexander C. Botkin, rep., 348. Senator-William J. Hannah, dem. and sil. rep., 317; C. T. Busha, rep., 277.
Representative-Jolın M. Dodge, dem. and sil. rep., 226; J. N. Kelly, rep., 316.
Judge Sixth Judicial District-Frank Henry, rep. and sil. rep., 491.
Clerk District Court-Sydney Sanner, dem. and sil. rep., 211; C. N. Skillman, rep., 369.
County Commissioners-Thomas Flana- gan, dem. and sil. rep., 357; Henry Nicholson, dem. and sil. rep., 276; William Nelson, dem. and sil. rep., 217; J. W. Bailey, rep., 366; Matthew Miller, rep., 216; R. J. McConnell, rep., 303.
County Attorney-Sidney Fox, dem. and sil. rep., 389; E. M. Hall, rep., 209.
Clerk and Recorder-Geo. F. Hudson, dem. and sil. rep., 292; J. H. Moore, rep., 304.
Sheriff-Jake L. De Hart, dem. and sil. rep., 342; B. F. Lamb, rep., 272.
Treasurer-Thomas K. Lee, dem. and sil. rep., 291 ; E. O. Clark, rep., 311.
Assessor-Waborn A. Harrison, dem. and sil. rep., 307; B. O. Forsythe, rep., 283; Fred Tritinger, 10.
Public Administrator-E. C. Hale, rep .. 376; Lige Fowler, I.
Coroner-Harvey Bliss, 2; Phil Crossing, I; Geo. Muncaster, 4; Thos. K. Tolhurst, I.
Superintendent of Schools-Bessie H. Marieless, dem. and sil. rep., 372; L. C. Olm- stead, rep., 213.
Surveyor-D. J. Walvoord, rep., 324; Sol. Craft, I; John F. Simmons, I.
Fusion between the Democrats and Silver Republicans was attempted again in 1898, but was not accomplished, and all three parties had tickets in the field. Some candidates of the Democrats and Republicans were endorsed by the Silver Republican party, but there was no fusion, in the general acceptance of the term. The Republicans were generally suc- cessful, electing the whole ticket, with the ex-
ception of the nominees for treasurer and sur- veyor. There were 620 ballots cast at this election, about the same as at the preceding election. Following was the official vote:
Congressman Thomas C. Marshall, rep., 324; Albert J. Campbell, dem., 189; Thos. S. Hogan, sil. rep. and pp., 51.
Representative-W. W. Beasley, rep., 317; W. P. Franklin, dem. 196; L. F. Dou- thett. sil. rep .. 79.
Sheriff-A. T. Kellogg, rep. and sil. rep., 310; J. L. De Hart, dem. 293.
Treasurer-A. Whitney, rep., 288; A. E. Snook, sil. rep. and dem., 307.
Clerk and Recorder-John H. Moore, rep. and sil. rep., 498; Peter Wormser, I.
County Attorney-E. M. Hall, rep., 342; Sidney Sanner, dem., 155; A. G. Hatch, sil. rep., 90.
Assessor-C. O. Hathaway, rep., 289; John Prutting, dem., 99: O. M. Lanphear, sil. rep., 184.
Superintendent of Schools-Eva L. Dana, rep. and sil. rep., 342; Mary Frawley, dem., 254.
Surveyor-D. J. Walvoor, rep. and sil. rep., 253; Solomon J. Craft, dem., 313.
Coroner-Albert Stubblefield, dem., 12; Scattering, IO.
Public Administrator-A. G. Yule, rep., 358.
J. W. Bailey, who had been elected county commissioner in 1896, resigned the office July 16, 1900, and Judge Henry appointed New- ton Budd to fill the unexpired term. Mr. Budd resigned the following spring and J. A. Hall was appointed to the place. W. J. Hannah was also appointed to fill a vacancy as county commissioner in September, 1901, and served a short time.
The election of November 6, 1900, was a hotly contested affair, resulting in a victory for the Republicans. The Silver Republicans ele- ment did not put a ticket in the field this year, and the contest was fought out between the
209
HISTORY OF SWEET GRASS COUNTY.
Democrats and Republicans. Four years be- fore Mr. Bryan had carried the county; now Mr. Mckinley had a big majority, as did the other Republican candidates for state offices. The Democrats carried the county for their can- didate for district judge and elected the clerk of the district court and superintendent of schools. There was a gain of 154 votes in the number cast-774 being the total vote. Fol- lowing is the result of the 1900 election as of- ficially canvassed by the board of county com- missioners :
Presidential Electors-Republican 460; Democratic, 287; Prohibitionist, I.
Congressman-S. G. Murray, rep., 447; Cardwell Edwards, dem., lab. and pp., 276; C. F. Kelly, ind. dem., 8; Martin J. Elliott, soc. dem., o.
Governor-D. E. Folsom, rep., 435; J. K. Toole, dem., pp. and lab., 305; T. S. Hogan, ind. dem., 12; J. F. Fox, soc. dem., I.
Judge Sixth Judicial District-W. H. Poorman, rep., 361 ; Frank Henry, dem., ind. dem., lab. and pp., 393.
Senator-J. N. Kelly, rep., 452; W. J. Hannah, dem., 304.
Representative-Jake L. De Hart, dem., 345 ; Robert Brownlee, rep., 418; W. W. Beas- ley, ind., 8.
Sheriff-Oscar Fallang, rep., 390; Thos. K. Lee, dem., 384.
Clerk and Recorder-J. H. Moore, rep .. 409; M. S. Bryant, dem., 362.
Clerk District Court-B. F. Mjelde, dem., 387 ; C. N. Skillman, rep., 370.
Treasurer-W. A. Harrison, dem., 298; J. W. Geiger, rep., 460.
County Attorney-A. G. Hatch, dem., 358; E. M. Hall, rep., 400.
Surveyer-D. J. Walvoord, rep., 493 ; S. J. Craft, dem., 13.
Superintendent of Schools-Stellah Wal- ker, dem., 402; Edith Marieless, rep., 361.
County Commissioners-Francis Irwin, rep., 379; O. B. Nevin, rep., 456; R. J. Mc-
Connell, rep., 454; Harvey Bliss, dem., 358; Peter Michaels, dem., 351; C. P. Thompson, dem., 231.
Assessor-C. O. Hathaway, rep., 528; Albert Haak, dem., 230.
Public Administrator-A. G. Yule, rep., 392
The general election of November 4, 1902,. resulted in a complete victory for the Repub- licans, that party electing every candidate on its ticket. This was the first election in the county at which the dominant party had car- ried the ticket from top to bottom. There was a falling off of the vote, the highest number of votes cast for any one office being 631. Never in the political history of the county had there been so many "split" tickets. The official vote :
Congressman-J. M. Dixon, rep., 376; John M. Evans, dem., 200; Geo. B. Sproule, soc., 5; Martin Dee, lab. and pp., 7.
Representatives-Robert Brownlee, rep., 393 ; E. H. Cowles, dem., 224.
Sheriff-O. A. Fallang, rep., 435; Geo. M. Briner, dem., 196.
Treasurer-J. W. Geiger, rep., 389; Chas. A. Bailey, dem., 239.
Clerk and Recorder-Harry Allen, rep., 319: J. W. Cochran, dem., 31I.
Assessor-Ralph Jarrett, rep., 340; Pros- per Tessier, dem., 283.
County Attorney-E. M. Hall, rep., 316; A. G. Hatch, dem., 309.
Superintendent of Schools-Mrs. S. G. Webster, rep., 353: Rose Maupin, dem., 276. Surveyor-D. J. Walvoord, rep., 366; S. J. Craft, dem., 239.
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