Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1904 — Where Bill Butted la. [ARTICLE]

Where Bill Butted la.

Of all those who went from Rensselaer to register for the Rosebud land Will Woodworth was the only one who succeeded in registering at Yankton, the others all having to go to Chamberlain, 200 or 300 miles further. Men would stay in the line at Yankton all night and all day, and then see the door of the land office closed before they got in. Will, with but the use of a little of the ready nerve he usually has on hand, got in and registered before he had been in town an hour. He strolled along up towards the head of the line, near the doors, and while standing there two meh got in a quarrel about their places, one of them having tried to butt in. The other man declared the place belonged to him, and Will slapped him on the back and told him he was right there, old man, for he had been standing right ahead of him all day, and knew the place was his. At that the butter-in was butted out, and taken way back to the foot of the line, while vVill quietly took a place just ahead of the other party to the quarrel, and only a few feet from the door.

His heart was in his mouth for fear some one would recognize him as a butter-in, and just as he passed into the door he heard a man say “that fellow dont belong there, put him out” but he had got so far inside that no attempt was made to put him out, and he made his registry all right.