Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1895 — SEEKIN' THE MAN. [ARTICLE]

SEEKIN' THE MAN.

First Time on Record Where the Office Found Its Occupant. “Did you ever,” asked Major Hotchkiss, “hear about the best joke concocted in Frontenac County, Dakota? A semi-political joke in which the Democrats andßepublicans can take an intellectual pleasure, but which ought to make the mugwump fairly shout for joy. “Weil, here are facts: In 1881 there was the usual county-seat fight between rival towns. One got it by ballot, but the other went after it by mule. Got it, too, and took it home. The court house was a small, light building, almost the only weight about it being the bullets fired into it by ths citizens of the town it was taken from, and eight spans of lusty territorial mules handled it easily. “It was a dozen miles to the other town, so it took three or four hours. Of course, most of the county officers were left behind, since they sympathized with the town which was abandoned. The little party in charge of the building was talking over who would probably occupy the various offices now vacant, when they were suddenly hailed by a man who came out of a small ‘claim shanty,’and shouted: ‘Hi, there 1’ in peremptory tones. The driver, who was Mayor in the town they were approaching, drew up, and the man came in and took his seat on the stool at the desk formerly occupied by the Country Treasurer. He waived his hand and said:

(** ‘Gentlemen, allow me to announce that from this moment I am Treasurer of Frontenac County. Drive on.’ “The man was recognized as a not particularly popular settler of no [ political importance. “ ‘What does this meant’ demanded the editor of the Prairie City John L. Sullivan, a local sheet “ ‘lt means just this,’ said the man, vigorously, ‘that I have long wanted this office, but have never made a move to get it because I’ve been following the preaching of your paper that the office should seek the man, not the man the office. When I saw you coming down the road I says to my wife: “There comes that office a-seeking me at last, and I’ll just go out and accept it.” Gentlemen, those of you that owe taxes will please walk up and settle.’ “It was considered so good a joke that the man was allowed to keep the position. He held the place two years, cleaned out the safe one dark night, and went to South America.”