Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 240, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1915 — WHY CLERK GOT A RANCH [ARTICLE]

WHY CLERK GOT A RANCH

Wealthy Retired Farmer Deeds Land to Man Who Owned the Winning Rooster. Lyman, Neb. —Gus Stephens, a wealthy retired fanner, has deeded one of his ranches containing a section of land to Walter DeWitt, a clerk in a grocery store here. Stephens’ act was the result of a rooster fight. Both men had been boasting for months as to whose rooster was the better fighter. Stephens purchased his fighter in California last winter, and DeWitt owned a Nebraska product. , Stephens told DeWitt he would give him a ranch if the Nebraskan rooster crowed last. A fight was arranged, and a large crowd gathered under a big apple tree in the city park. At last the birds were turned loose. They went at each other viciously. At first they appeared to be evenly matched. After battling for almost half an hour Stephens’ rooster showed signs of being exhausted. It was not long until he fell to the ground defeated.