Faulk County, SD History .....Chapter IV Nora Reppy 1909 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 7, 2005, 3:55 pm 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/sd/faulk/history/other/gms11chapteri.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/ File size: 10.4 Kb