



Produced by Cathy Maxam, Glen Fellows and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)










[Illustration]




  The Conquest

  _The Story of a <DW64> Pioneer_

  BY THE PIONEER

  1913
  THE WOODRUFF PRESS
  Lincoln, Nebr.




Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1913,
  by the Woodruff Bank Note Co., in the office of the
    Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D.C.

First Edition, May 1, 1913




_To the_
_HONORABLE BOOKER T. WASHINGTON_




_INTRODUCTORY_


_This is a true story of a <DW64> who was discontented and the
circumstances that were the outcome of that discontent._




INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS


                                      PAGE

  Became number one in the opening      56

  Everybody for miles around had journeyed thither to
    celebrate      113

  Made a declaration that he would build a town      128

  Although the valley could not be surpassed in the production
    of grain and alfalfa, the highlands on
    either side were great mountains of sand      133

  On the east the murky waters of the Missouri seek
    their level      140

  The real farmer was fast replacing the homesteader      145

  Everything grew so rank, thick and green      160

  Had put 280 acres under cultivation      177

  Bringing stock, household goods and plenty of money      192

  Were engaged in ranching and owned great herds in
    Tipp county      209

  As the people were all now riding in autos      241

  A beautiful townsite where trees stood      251

  Ernest Nicholson takes a hand      256

  The crops began to wither      289

  The cold days and long nights passed slowly by, and I
    cared for the stock      304




LIST OF CHAPTERS


                                              PAGE

        I Discontent--Spirit of the Pioneer      9

       II Leaving Home--A Maiden      18

      III Chicago, Chasing a Will-O-The-Wisp      24

       IV The P----n Company      34

        V "Go West Young Man"      48

       VI "And Where is Oristown?"      54

      VII Oristown, the "Little Crow" Reservation      61

     VIII Far Down the Pacific--The Proposal      67

       IX The Return--Ernest Nicholson      72

        X The Oklahoma Grafter      74

       XI Dealin' in Mules      79

      XII The Homesteaders      86

     XIII Imaginations Run Amuck      91

      XIV The Surveyors      94

       XV "Which Town Will the R.R. Strike?"      104

      XVI Megory's Day      108

     XVII Ernest Nicholson's Return      117

    XVIII Comes Stanley, the Chief Engineer      123

      XIX In the Valley of the Keya Paha      126

       XX The Outlaw's Last Stand      132

      XXI The Boom      134

     XXII The President's Proclamation      140

    XXIII Where the <DW64> Fails      142

     XXIV And the Crowds Did Come--The Prairie Fire      148

      XXV The Scotch Girl      153

     XXVI The Battle      164

    XXVII The Sacrifice--Race Loyalty      168

   XXVIII The Breeds      175

     XXIX In the Valley of the Dog Ear      182

      XXX Ernest Nicholson Takes a Hand      186

     XXXI The McCralines      193

    XXXII A Long Night      201

   XXXIII The Survival of the Fittest      208

    XXXIV East of State Street      216

     XXXV An Uncrowned King      233

    XXXVI A Snake in the Grass      241

   XXXVII The Progressives and the Reactionaries      251

  XXXVIII Sanctimonious Hypocrisy      265

    XXXIX Beginning of the End      273

       XL The Mennonites      280

      XLI The Drouth      284

     XLII A Year of Coincidences      294

    XLIII "And Satan Came Also"      297




The Conquest




CHAPTER I

DISCONTENT--SPIRIT OF THE PIONEER


Good gracious, has it been that long? It does not seem possible; but it
was this very day nine years ago when a fellow handed me this little
what-would-you-call-it, Ingalls called it "Opportunity." I've a notion
to burn