Faulk County, SD History .....Chapter IV Nora Reppy 1909
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NORA REPPY,



a property owner residing near LaFoon, in an affidavit before J. M. Miles, clerk

of the district court of Faulk county, states at the time of Tibbits' visit to

LaFoon, as the representative of Gov. Ordway, she was asked how much of her land

she would give to have the county seat at LaFoon. She gave forty (40) acres,

being the southwest fourth of section 17, township 117, range 68, a deed for

which she executed to Tibbits and delivered to D. R. Miller, a banker of

Redfield, to be given to Tibbits when LaFoon got the county seat. She understood

that the land donated by herself and others was for the governor, and that

LaFoon's chances for the county seat depended on the amount of money and land

donated.



    The certified copies of the deeds on record in the office at LaFoon of J. H.

Bottum, register of deeds for Faulk count, Dakota, which accompany the

affidavits, show the following transfers:



    Louis Kneisel, Jr., to William B. Tibbits, 40 acres; consideration, $1. 



    Andrew Greenwald to D. R. Miller, 20 acres; consideration, $1. 



    Alexander LaFoon to D. R. Miller, 40 acres; consideration, $1. 



    Lee M. Sprowls to D. R. Miller, 40 acres; consideration $1. 



    James P. Rathbun to D. R. Miller, 20 acres; consideration, $1. 



    William T. Hensley to D. R. Miller, 20 acres; consideration $300. 



    Lawrence W. Hensley to D. R. Miller, 20 acres; consideration, $1. 



    Darius S. Smith and Adelia M. Smith, his wife, to D. R. Miller, 60 acres;

consideration, $1. 



    D. R. Miller and Delia B. Miller, his wife, to William  B. Tibbits, 380

acres; consideration, $2,800.



    The description and amount of property conveyed by Andrew Greenwald and

others to D. R. Miller correspond with that of the property conveyed by Miller

and his wife to William B. Tibbits, except in one instance, where twenty acres

are deeded by Miller to Tibbits in lieu of the forty acres deeded to Miller by

Alexander LaFoon. The other twenty acres may have been allowed Miller, who is a

Redfield banker, as his per cent for negotiating the transaction. The lands

deeded to Tibbits, included the forty acres given by Nora Reppy whose deed was

not recorded.



    The value of  the sixty acres  immediately joining the town site may be

estimated at $1,500. If LaFoon has a "boom" this spring, this land can be

platted and sold so as to bring anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. The value of the

remaining 300 acres is about $3,700, ranging from $10 to $15 an acre, the latter

figure applying to 140 acres, situated within a radius of half a mile from the

town site. The value of the one-half interest in the 160 acre town site proper,

which Tibbits received according to the affidavit of Thomas H. McMullin, cannot

be less than $10,000 to its owner, if he will handle it properly. It is

extremely probable that $15,000 will be realized this year by the owner of that

one-half interest. "



    That Gov. Ordway, if not entirely responsible for the whole transaction, was

hand and glove with George L. Ordway and Tibbits, was so evident to the people

of the territory, as to call forth the following from the territorial press and

the Chicago Inter-Ocean.



    Campbell County Courier: Poor Governor Ordway wails to the Secretary of the

Interior because the task of organizing new counties is imposed upon Dakota's

Executive. He also wails because the law does not give the executive power to

remove or suspend the commissioners whom he has appointed, or their appointees

as county officials. The Governor also intimates that designing men aim, through

organization, to gain control of county politics. No one in Dakota remembers of

Ordway, in his annual message to the legislature, saying  anything about being

relieved of the task of organizing new counties. Why did he not make this wail

to the legislature, instead of the interior department, if he wanted any action

taken upon it. But to protest because he cannot hold the official ax over his

appointees' heads, thereby dictating their acts, is simply kicking because his

political power is not extended, instead of contracted.  "Oh! consistency." 

Ordway has evidently been asked to give some explanation of his delay in

organizing counties, as his wails are a sort of appendix to his report, and he

has dished up something which may satisfy congress, but not Dakotans—they know

he does not want to be relieved of the task of organization, and that his report

about designing men is nothing but another blow at our people, whom he delights

to defame. That there are some designers, is not to be denied, but Ordway

generally sees that only his friends, or those designers who make it an object

to him, succeed in their designs. He does not consider the wishes of the people

whom he should aim to please.



    Cavour Independent:—Governor Ordway is receiving scourgings on all sides and

not without abundant provocation. It is one of the bitter things that

accompanies territorial government that we must call our own Uncle Sam to help

us out of this shameful predicament. We're of age and able to take care of

ourselves, Uncle—admit us and see how deftly we will shift (Ordway) for ourselves.



    Mitchell Capital:—Register McCoy, of the Aberdeen district, is at

Washington, attending a meeting of the National Republican convention which

assembled in that city on Wednesday of this week. While there he will be able to

check-mate some of Ordway's schemes, opposing the endorsement of McCoy's

appointment.



    Press & Dakotan:—Delegate Raymond has introduced in congress a bill to

establish the territory of North Dakota by dividing the present territory on the

forty-sixth parallel. Mr. Raymond has taken early opportunity to carry out his

promises, and to occupy an open position against the schemes of the Ordway clan

to retain Dakota intact. He has taken this action in accordance with the wishes

of ninety per cent of his constituents.



    Andover Gazette:—The appointment of T. C. McCoy as register of the Aberdeen

land office was confirmed on Tuesday. This is good news for the people of

southern Dakota, but a "bad pill" for Governor Ordway.



    Press & Dakotan:—C. T. McCoy has won in the fight against Ordway. McCoy's

nomination as register of the Aberdeen land office was made to the senate by the

president Tuesday night. This is an open vindication for McCoy. Ordway has been

charging him for a year or two past with complicity in Douglas county matters of

unsavory repute, but this false accusation has fallen to the ground, and the

object of his venom is clearly the winner in the contest. Charges of dishonesty

are Ordway's weapons of offense and defense, but in this particular instance the

means employed are liable to assume the size, proportions and pecuilarities of a

boomerang, Mr. Ordway himself may be called upon to explain his suspicious

connection with the original organization of Douglas county and the mysterious

disappearance of Walter Bown, chief witness in the case. Mr. McCoy's success is

a subject for congratulation. He is an old resident of Dakota, a capable man and

one worthy of the place bestowed upon him.



    Exchange:—The next popular prairie song will be entitled, "The Old Man's

loosing his Grip." Not the grip he carries his county seat deeds in, but the

grip he had on the powers in Washington. The McCoy appointment indicates that

things are slipping through his fingers.



    Faulkton Times:—A petition to the President to remove Governor Ordway, the

robber executive of Dakota, is being circulated in every county. As none feel

more deeply the tyranny and exasperating conduct of this barnacle upon our body

politic than the people of Faulk county, it is hoped and believed that said

petition will be unanimously signed by our people, and by none more gladly than

those so outrageously bled by him in connection with his Redfield deal in

organizing the county.



    Chicago Inter-Ocean:—Popular disapproval of the acts of Governor Ordway,

which has been noted from time to time in the Dakota correspondence of the

Inter-Ocean, has at last taken the shape of a pointed petition to the President,

embodying the prayer of a people for the removal from office of an executive

who, it is claimed in general terms, "is not fitted for the place by education,

experience, or qualities of mind, heart or character." This move of an

intelligent, law and order loving people for the removal of their Governor,

whose present administration is alleged to be scandal to Dakota and upon the

public service, is made the subject of correspondence in another column, and

should certainly receive the attention of the country, and be given careful

consideration by the President, to whom the appeal is made. There may be more

things charged to the account of Governor Ordway than can be substantiated, but

it is not to be supposed that the people are signing the petitions in every

county in the territory, without some reasonable measure of just provocation.

Affidavits bearing on Governor Ordway's acts in relation to the organization of

new counties and the capital commission scheme, are to accompany the petition.



    At the present day it is impossible to form the least conception of the

scorn and contempt in which Governor Ordway was held, and the wrath and

indignation aroused against him throughout the territory. It was not alone in

the County of Faulk that his system of bargain and sale was set up. Hand, Hyde,

Potter and other counties were victims of his system of plunder. At last he was

brought to the bar of justice. A United States grand jury found two indictments

against him. On a plea of lack of jurisdiction the case was thrown out of court,

and what all the people believed to be a consummate scoundrel, escaped the just

penalty of the law.



Additional Comments:
From:



HISTORY OF

FAULK COUNTY

SOUTH DAKOTA

CAPTAIN C. H. ELLIS



TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS



ILLUSTRATED

19O9





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