THE VALENTINE DEMOCRAT
SUCCESSOR TO
CHERRY COUNTY INDEPENDENT
EOBERT GOOD Editor and PubMer
Official Paper of Cherry
iy Nebraska
lo4yFjes Year in Advance
ruBwanED ever Thursday
l Entered at tuc FostKiffice atValeatinc Cherry
County Nebraska as Second class matter
This paper will be mailed regularly
to its -subscribers until a definite order
to discontinue is received and all
paid in full
Adfertising jrat6st So cents per inch
per month Rates per column or for
long time ads made known on appli
1
cation tp this office
THURSDAY AUGUST 6 1896
WILLIAM JENNINGS UKYAN
Who was nominated by the National
j convention of the democratic party for
iPresidefit of the United States and
who was indorsed by the populist and
-bimetallism parties at St Louis
Democratic ticket
For President
WILLIAM JENNINGS BR YAtf
Of Lincoln Nebraska
For Yice President
ARTHUR SB WALL
-Of -Hath Maine
Wait for the Fourthof July at Val
entine in 1S97
A Bryan club has been organized at
Canton Ohio the home of Majah
McKinley
-
JDemoorot oo jaot joining
clubs as rapidly as was antici
pated by the disciples of a Chinese
wall tariff
Local politics are beginning to siz
zle -and soon the omnipresent candi
date will be buttonholing the inno
ceptffarmer -
It is rumored that Queen Victoria
intends resigning the throne of Eng
land Here is a chance forsome dis
appointed politician to obtain an -easy
job
Many papers credit Tom Watsou
with being the author of that famous
expression Where am I at Hon
E obboTuskogee Ala should
come out and assert himself ere he
loses his laurels as an originator of
that awful offense against English
grammar
The assessed valuation of this school
district is 118000 The district can
therefore legally issue 11800 worth of
bonds The proposed issue will
amount to only 10000 and the school
house will cost not more than 8000
Built of native stone and by local
workmen it means just 8000 more
in circulation in Valentine
The nomination of McKinley is not
meeting with the enthusiasm that was
predicted For two years republicans
have been going wild over the Napoleon
-who-was to lead them to victory but
just now it seems that the coming
campaign will be more like Napoleons
his trip to Italy
Next November will witness the re
treat of the republican hosts in much
the same manner as the French re
treated from Moscow
As was anticipated the Rushville
Recorder which nas been run as a re
publican paper for just one week
-divides the publishing of the proposed
constitutional amendments with the
Gordon Journal a stanch tried and
true republican paper whereat Bro
Xyon of the last named sheet is just
ly warm under the collar This shows
the straits to which the g o p is re
duced The Rushville Democrat sold
its nrinciple for patronage
dr
I 1 -
SUPERINTENDENT CORBETT
State Superintendent of Public In
struction Henry R Oorbett visited the
Cherry countyinstitute incidental ta
j his campaign tour of the state and
thereby hangs a tale
The school laws of Nebraska provide
that the state superintendent
institutes as far as practicable
July 21st he wrote Miss L U Stoner
our county superintendent saying I
shall go Valentine Sunday July 26
and be with your teachers at their in
stitute Monday July 27th This was
written and the -appointment made
without solicitation on the part of our
superintendent and the visit vwas
looked upon merely as the performance
of his official duty incidental as said
before to his campaign of the state
preparatory to the coming election
He came he visited he talked we
wont say lectured and he left but he
forgot to pay his board bill Instead
he left a polite note saying that if the
institute fund for lecturers was not
sufficient to pay his expenses he would
do so on presentation of the bill
Holy smoke Have things come to
such a pass that we have to pay the
personal expenses of our state officials
in addition to their salary for the per
formance of their duty This gentle
man even vent so far as to tell the
institute instructors here that he
would look out for himself while in
town He did but he left his hotel
bill This is a small matter figured in
dollars and cents but when principle
is considered it is a mountain and
how Supt Corbett can get over it is an
interesting problem
A LETTER FE03I OHIO
The Democrat takes pleasure this
week in giving its readers a letter re
ceived from Ohio by J H Quigley
The letter is written from Bellville
Richland county and is drited July 27
It says
The nomination of W J Bryan and
the adaption of a free silver platform
was just the the proper thing to do
I firmly believe that Brian will carry
Ohio by a very large majority over all
the other condidates The change
from all the other parties here to the
support of Bryan is simply wonderful
We have very few democrats in cen
IralOhio who will vote the gold bug
ticket if one is nominated by the dis
affected capitalists of the east Do
not think for a moment that if there
is one nominated that it will strength
en the McKmley party When -the
republicans met at Zanesville and en
tered into a contract that Bushnell
should be governor Foraker should be
senator and McKinley preside nt they J
did not consult the people outside of
this state I think you will be perfect
ly safe in saying that McKinley will
never get the electonal vote of Ohio
There are hundreds of men in this
county who never voted the demo
era tic ticket who are earnestly sup
porting Bryan Men of influence in
the republican party are on the streets
every day more enthusiastic for Bryan
than many original democrats
J E Howard
Coming from the hotbed of McKin
leyism this may seem strange but
it is nevertheless -true as the editor of
this paper can prove He is an orig
inal Buckeye and was in Ohio while
McKinleyAvas gavernor Where the
joss is best known he is least liked
The Democrat this week publishes
the proposed amendments to the con
stitution and wishes all its readers to
study them carefully between this date
and November third Tiie Democrat
is not a republican paper and though
some supnse may be manifested at the
publication of these amendments in
this paper the editor wishes to assure
his friends that the amendments were
secured without a sacrifice of princi
ple or a promise to support the repub
lican ticket This paper always tries
to keep its readers informed on hap
penings of interest even though it oc
casions considerable expense anaSextra
effort Its reward is the many kind
words spoken of for and to it by these
who appreciate enterprise
When W J Bryan was named for
president by both the silver and popu
list conventions at St Louis last week
a deed for freedom was done The
man who will lead the American peo
ple out of bondage was chosen All
reform elements now rally around the
standard of the uBoy Orator of the
Platte and he will be carried into the
White House by a majority which will
forever put an end to John Bulls reign
over this country Stromsburg Head
light
The populists of Cherry connty
showed great wisdom when they in
structed their delegates to the stale
convention to vote for Miss Stoner for
state superintendent
The republican party has become a
party of calamity howlers with a venge
auce They will1 ruin the credit of the
country It is about time the republi
cans were taking a tumble to them
selves Ainsworth Home Rule
The suit of Mrs Geo Clark against
the city of ONeill was compromised
last Tuesday by a board of arbitration
and the city will pay the plaintiff 200
for injuries sustained by reason of a
defective sidewalk Broken and de
fective sidewalks are -an expensive
luxury for any town Stuart Ledger f
According to Mark Hanna the only
issue in the present campaign is How
to Elect McKinley1 orThe Mandates
of the Corporations vMust be Obeyed
On the third day of November the
sequel to tne above win he written as
follows Bryan is Elected or The
People Have Triumphed
There are now but two parties in
the field -worthy of note The popy
crat and the republican Those who
believe in neither can take their choice
or not vote at all The democrats are
nob doing business at the old stand as
usual this year Their turn will come
in four years hence after the country
has tired of the lay out now clamoring
for recognition Alliance Gfrip -
The Standard is informed that a
gold standard club was organized in
Rushville on Saturday evening and
that it will be known as the McKinley
Club A great effort -was made to
start it off with a boom but oiminfor
mant says there were just 25 persons
seen to leave theedurt house hall the
place of meeting andthey were not all
residents of Rushville McKinleyism
is deader than a mackerel in this part
of the country Rusliville Standard
Every possible influence will be
brought to bear on individuals this
fall to -make them fall into line for the
party of monoplies and trusts headed
by Wm McKinley These same cor
porations and trusts paid off McKin
leys debts a few years ago and are now
looking alter their pay it they sue-
ceed in their efforts they are assured
of a return of their investment with a
great interest fund added Chadrofa
The Ainsworth Star Journal is a
McKinley organ Likewise it is sup
posed to be in favor of a gold stand
ard But Prof Berkley got rattled
last week and made some of the best
argu ments in ravor or tree coinage
that we have had the opportunity of
reading in many a day In an article
directed to Senator Stewart Prof
Berkley says
Cant you understand that if you get
freedom of access to the mints with
your train loads of silver the dollar
will be full valued dollars regard
less of their value in exchange They
may be worth 50c or 40c or 60c of
the present standard but whatever
they are worth they will still be full
valued dollars Do you imagine that
it will take a long time for people to
get their business down to a silver
basis You surely must have forgot
ten that this is a nation of railroads
and telegraphs
The foregoing needs no comment
Prof Berkley has been converted
Theres no use denying it and next
week the world will expect to see the
name of Wm J Bryan at the head of
the Star Journal editorial columns
THE EASTERN QUESTION
In his lecture before the Cherry
County Teachers Institute last week
Chaplain O J Nave made the remark
able statement tbat the Armenian
trouble was not due to religious fana
ticism so much as to Russias inordi
nate desire to extend her possessions
and gain control of Constantinople
and the Bosphorus He contends that
Russia maintains a corps of emissaries
in Armenia and other Turkish depen
dencies for the purpose of siirring up
stife thus getting Christian nations to
denounce the Turk in the event of
whose overthrow the Armenians would
naturally turn to Russia for protec
tion
The chaplain ought not upset our
pet theories in this manner For
years Christians have been sympathiz
ing with Armenia and cursing Turkey
and to have to look upon the latter as
the nation imposed upon by Russia
causes a destinct shock to our feelings
The poor Turk is the one to sympa
thize with He has nowhere to lie his
head All nations are against him
and even the followers of the Prince
of Peace advocate his annihilation
The subline porte has pr sympathy
tkW Preston
best one years subscription for the
fourth and six months subscription
for the fifth hest solution
SYNOPSIS
Chapter I Introduces the Iieroine Isabel
Preston the only daughter of the wealthy Ne
braska ranchman Henrv Preston with whom
three cowboys Charles Thompson Will Powell
and Edward Leiden are in love Ghapter n
The Preston Mysterv Alter supper Will Powell
and Isabel take a stroll Will declares his love
and is assured that he is loved in return As the
lover bemhrto kiss his sweetheart a shot is fired
from the bushes and Isabel sinks to the ground
shot through the breast Chapter III A Vain
Pursuit Ranchman Preston hears the shot and
calls the cowboys together They visit the river
but Isabel and Powell haro disappeared Dis
covering tracks of horses they follow them and
almost overtake three horsemen who escape in
the darkness Chapter IV John Preston of
the TJ S Secret Service arrives at the ranch
It is found that Edward Belden ami Charles
Thompson have left the ranch A partyof cow
boys find the body of Isabel and led by Dick
Jones swear to avenge her murder
CHAPTER V
A Broken Heart
When the cowboys left the ranch
with Preston John Preston begged
leave to accompany them but his
uncle would not allow him to do so
as he was unused to rough riding -so
the young man reluctantly stayed -behind
to comfort his aunt
-The sight of the dead form of her
lovea daughter proved too -much for
the already unnerved mother and she
fainted away All night the poor
woman raved in delirium calling the
nameof Isabel
At daybreak Jones who was judged
the best rider on the ranch was dis
patched to overtake Prestons party
and at nightfall the jaded band came
back
What a change had come over the
features of the griefstrieken father in
the past few hours His hair which
had been of a raven blackness was
actually turning gray in places
Entering the house reelingfrom side
to side with fatigue he sank with a
deep sob by -the dead form of Isabel
It was a terrible night A great
storm arose at midnight the thunder
crashed a gale tore madly around the
silent prairie home and the rain pour
ed down in heavy sheets as if to drown
the sorrows of the wretched mortals
iwithin I
Toward morning Mrs Preston rais
ed iierself on her couch and called
faintly for her husban d He was at
her side in an instant She had sunk
back and was breathing heavily
What is it Margaret are yon ill
dear wife asked the ranchman ben
ding tenderly over her I am dying
Henry she answered faintly and I
am glad God is so good to me Soon
will I be The
voice was growing fainter
Oh Margaret -moaned the unhap
py man leave me not dear wife ray
nearc too is oroicen i cannot lace a
double grief alone
But the end had come With a
faintly murmured farewell the weary
xaother sank into a sleep that knows
no waking A smile rested on the
pale features of the dead woman No
more would earthly griefs trouble the
kind old mother
Long did Preston gaze stonily upon
his dead wifes features then sinking
by her side he moaned What have
I done to deserve such sorrow I
care not to live longer All I held
dear on earth is gone Alone must I
face my grief but not for long - God
give me strength to hunt down the
murderer ot my child then I am
ready to go
Next morning a double grave on a
little mound near the river received
the remains of Isabel and her poor
mother while with uncovered heads
the cowboys stood sadly by
When the mound had been smooth
ed above his loved ones Preston knelt
beside the grave with bowed head
Long did he kneel there as if in silent
communion with his dead then he
arose and went a broken hearted
man
CHAPTER VI
An Extract
In the Omaha Weekly Hornet of
June 25 18 appeared the following
article headed
A NEBRASKA MYSTERY
A story comes to us from the cat
tle country a story the full details of
which are as yet enveloped in deep
mystery
On the evening of June 10 the
beautiful daughter of the well known j
Nebraska ranchman Henry Preston1
rrrmri
Mystery
ByLEROY LEACJJ
Author of The Advetfturesof Don Enrique Romero etc etc
CopIglit1890 ly the Autfaor All rights reserved
Tiie Democrat offers a prize of
500 for the best solution of the mys
tery on which this story is based A
prize of 300 will be given for the
tnextbest solution 200 for the third-
left home for
company
with
an evenings
the ranch
stroll in
foreman
Will Powell A little later the family
are startled by the sound of a pistol
shot in the direction of the river
Hurrying to the river bank the ranch
man and his cowboys discover a pool
of blood and the imprint of hoofs in
the soft sand but not a trace of the
foreman and the girl A thunder
storm arising soon after all chance
for following the trail of the horsemen
is lost
Next morning the cowboys dis
cover that two of their number are
mi8sing Edward Belden and Charles
Thompson respectively and they are
suspected of having murdered either
-or both the foreman and the girl
The surrounding country has been
thoroughly searched but to no pur
pose
Later The body of Isabel Preston
was discovered several days since
where it had been lodged ashore in a
bend of the Niobrara A pistol wound
was discovered in the left brest which
had evidently caused instant death
Three horsemen were met riding
swiftly westward on the night of the
murderiby John Preston of the U S
secret service who was journeying on
foot from where the stage had left
him to his uncles ranch but nothing
has since been heard of them The
tragedy is shrouded in complete my
tery
We understand that tho shock
caused by her daughters awM death
resulted in the death of Mrs Treston
John Preston Henry Preiton and
Richard Jones who found Isabels
body have started to trail down the
cowardly murderer The Hornet hopes
to hear of the early capture and con
viction of the murderer or murderers
of this sweet young girl
The Preston mystery was the chief
topic of the times for quite a period
but at last as time passed and nothing
further was heard concerning it it
was dropped and became a topic of
the past shrouded in a mystery as
deep as that which surrounded the
-Iron Misk
CHAPTER Yir
The Silver Three
The scene of our storv is now
ried to a town that at the time
stonr opens was one of the
car-
our
most
lively on Nebraskas frontier North
Platte In its brightest days when
the Denver trail was the great over
land route of the plains the road for
teamsters gold seekers and adventur
ers North Platte was as busy a place
as could be found anvwhere on the
numerous
bands of frontier outlaws overrunning
the surrounding country gamblers
and toughs of -every description within
the town times were anything but
quiet and peaceful for its inhabitants
Within the brilliantly lighted saloon
of the Perry House on the evening of
the day we mention May 1st 18
almost a year after the happininn of
the thrilling events recorded in our
former chapters two men might have
been seen seated at oue of the card
tables conversing The face of one of
these men that of the elder of the two
is worthy of more than passing men
tion It is deeply seamed and his
hair which is of a silvery whiteness
falls in silKy waves over his broad
shoulders In the piercing but sunken
grey eyes grief a grief that has
wrecked his life is plainly shown
neis watching the crowd of cow
boys gamblers and teamsters who
come and go but all are strangers he
sees no familiar face
The younger man who seems to be
of about twenty five years of age is
also closely scanning each new arrival
as if expecting to see a face he knows
As he turns his head to address the
elder man we see the pleasant features
of John Preston
Well Uncle Henry for almost a
year we searched the entire western
portion of Nebraska in vain it is dis
couraging but somehow something
tells me that we will finally here find
the key to the Preston mystery
You remember Uncle continued
John when we met the weird old
woman hobbling along the Dismal
valley when after our consenting to
have our fortunes told she said that
we three were trying to solve a great
mystery the key of which was a silver I
TVi TTnrr
j - y uuiiij
I j
Bmmmtmmmetamammmmmmm
3 and that we would Snd it in
North Piatte you scoffed at the idea
and for that matter so did I but
something causes me to believe that
this night will not pass without giving
into our hands the mystcrionB 3
God grant you may be right John
I grow weary of life of the chase it
self I sometimes wish that death
would end it all I live only to clear
up this gsat mystery
The ald man bowed his head and
gave a weary sigh
At this moment a man seemingly of
about middle age approached John
He was dressed inisual frontier garb
and heavy spurs clinked on the heels
on his handsome top boots as he ap
proached
Good evening pards was his
pleasant greeting as he halted near
them What say you shall we have a
game of cards
With pleasure sir replied John
I will play with you My uncle I
suppose does not feel like playing
No John I will stroll about while
you play with tho gentleman answer
ed the elder Preston rising and walk
ing away
Doesnt the old gentlemen feel
well asked the stranger as he deftly
shuffled the bits of pasteboard
He is dying of grief stranger re
plied John I suppose you remem
berthe mystery of the Preston ranch
The man nodded
He is Henry Preston the father of
my murdered cousin Isabel
1 remember hearing something of
the story last year said the stranger
carelessly I imagine a grief such as
his must be would have killed me long
ago
Several games were played m si
lence the stranger losing steadily At
last he arose to go As he did so he
held forth a packet to John who gazed
wonderingly at thetnan as he took it
You aslced awhile ago if J remem
bered the Preston mystery I ido
That packet will tell you something of
it Mi Preston and will if I mistake
not aid you to unravel the mystery of
the Niobrara Open it and read its
contents
John hurriedly untied the packet
As he cut the twine that bound it
something fell from it to the floor
striking with a metallic sound Pick
ing it up and holding it to the light
John gave a gasp of astonishment It
was a piece of silver of perhaps half a
pound in weight cast in the shape of
a figure 3
The key of the witchs prophecy
almost shouted John How came
this in your possession stranger he
asked turning
But the man had disappeared
What have you there John asked
the voice of his uncle who had in the
meanwhile strolled up
The long-sought-for key Uncle
The stranger handed me this packet
before he left and this paper I found
within the package I will now read
entire western frontier With Sioux its contents
1 -ii ti jm t iii i I
lllll Oilier UHllrHl tnueS tO OOlll the Proctnn Tlanp rr
- tutwij jyiUi J4L
north and southward -the
you would solve the mystery which
envelopes the tragedy of the Niobrara
follow implicitly the directions herein
set forth
Near the mouth of the Minneka
duza river in northwestern Nebraska
can be found a round topped hill with
sides of unusual abruptness Go there
mount the hill and by digging in the
exact center of the top you will learn
more of the mysten
Press the ring at
silver 3
the end of the
No Name
Thank God murmured the grate
ful Preston at last we have found a
clew
Pressing the tiny ring which projec
ed from one end of tMc u3 the queer
looking figure flew open from its
points like an ordinary locket and as
it did so a tiny paper fell to the floor
John instantly seized it and on open
ing it found that it contained the fol
lowing written couplet
He who finds the proper 3
Solves the Preston Mystery
TO BE CONTINUED
We want a correspondent in every
precinct in Cherry county who will
send us the news of his or her locality
at least once a month oftener if pos-
sible We offer inducements to
spondents Write us about it
A rumor has gained ground that an
independent candidate for commis
sioner from the second district will be
in the field this fall
Ainsworth ha3 organized a bimetal
lic club with a membership of almost
one hundred voters
The Democrat per year
A-
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