How Many Votes Did Nathan Get?

My great-grandfather, Nathan Elias Albertson, ran for office in Sherman County Kansas in the November 1902 election. It was fun to read about this in the local newspaper, The Goodland Republic, which has a number of issues on-line at the Library of Congress website, Chronicling America.

Nathan's first wife, Mary Magdalene Hockett had died 10 Jul 1901 and he had remarried to a widow, Mary Victoria (Smalley) Morey 26 Jan 1902. Each of them had received a homestead, so together they had a large farm. But each had sons who could help with the work.

Nathan ran as the Republican candidate for county commissioner for the First District. At that time Sherman County had three commissioners which were paid positions. Apparently they had three year terms, but some were elected each two years so either one or two of them were hold-overs. When the votes were counted his opponent from the Democratic party, incumbent D. W. Dillinger, had 62 votes and Nathan had 70, so he had won. He took office in January of 1903 for his four year term. The newspaper reported the expenditures for the county and in April he had been paid $40.70 for salary and mileage. Similar amounts were paid each quarter.

Nathan was the hold-over for the 1904 election, so when two new commissioners took office in January of 1905, as senior member, he was elected board chairman. I enjoyed seeing his name often in county legal notices.

At election time in November 1906, Nathan ran for reelection. When the votes were counted, Nathan again had 70 votes, but this time his opponent, G. A. O'Neal, also had 70 votes - it was a tie. This is how the newspaper described what happened when it was agreed to break the tie by flipping a dollar, two best out of three. "Mr. Albertson took 'heads,' and Mr. O'Neal 'tails,' and the dollar went up for the first time, coming down with heads up for Albertson. The second time it showed tails up--one apiece. It was sent up the third time and rattled down on the floor with the fate-carrying index of tails, which made George ONeal county commissioner."

So it was luck which stopped Nathan's political career.