"It looks like Rushville had lost out." Riggs asked how far it was hehind Hay Springs and was told, "about 200 votes." Riggs is said to have remarked that he guessed he would have to go back to the ranch and get some more votes.

The facts are that the returns from Hunter precinct gave 226 votes for Rushville. The canvassing board consisting of Abel Hill, clerk, and James W. Loofbourow and William Watterman, refused to count the extraordinary vote, but by some process of selection did count forty-two of the votes, and rejected one

Sheridan County Court House, Rushy

of which were the railroad towns of Gordon, Rushville, and Hay Springs. Rushville had a clear plurality, but no place had a majority of all the votes cast, which required a re-submission of the question.

Rushville and Hay Springs were the contestants in the finals, and there was the usual bitterness that accompanies such contests. On the face of the returns Rushville had 919 votes and Hay Springs 839, a majority of 80. But a story had come in that Hunter precinct, which was for Rushville, had voted a lot of illegal votes : that the ranch had voted its payroll for years gone.

After the lapse of years, it will do to tell the story, which may or may not have any foundation of fact. It was stated that John Riggs was bringing in the returns from Hunter ranch when he met a friend and stopped to talk.

hundred and eighty-four. This action gave Hay Springs 839 and Rushville 735.