The Conquest: The Story of a Negro PioneerMicheaux, Oscar
General
The Conquest: The Story of a Negro Pioneer
Micheaux, Oscar
African American pioneers -- Fiction; Autobiographical fiction; South Dakota -- Fiction; Western stories
He had for many years defied the laws of the county and state, and had
built a magnificent residence near a spring that pours its sparkling
waters into a small lake, where now stands a sanitarium. Yully had been
chief overseer, dictator, and arbitrator of the combined forces of
Little Crow and Keya Paha County outlaws and mixed bloods. The end came
when, on a bright day in June, a posse led by the United States Marshal
sneaked across the Whetstone and secreted themselves in a cache between
Yully's corral and the house. Yully was seen to enter the corral and
having laid a trap, a part of the men, came in from another direction
and made as if to advance when Yully made a run for his house, which
took him alongside the men hidden. Before he could change his course he
was halted and asked to surrender. He answered by dropping to the
opposite side of the horse and began firing. In the skirmish that
followed the horse was shot and fell on Yully, but in the shot's
exchange two of the posse and Yully were killed.
CHAPTER XXI
THE BOOM
This valuable tract of land comprising about fifty thousand acres had
been entered after the opening, by settlers, and lay about as near to
Kirk as it did to Megory, hence its trade was sought by both towns, but
with Kirk getting the larger part until Megory established a mill, which
paid two cents more for wheat, and the farmers took advantage by hauling
most of their produce to the former town. This included another strip of
rich territory to the north of Megory and west of Landing Creek, where
the soil is a rich gumbo, and the township thickly settled so it is
readily seen that Megory was advantageously situated to draw from all
directions. This soon brought such a volume of business into the town as
to make the most fastidious envy it, and the Megoryites were well aware
of their enviable position. The town continued to grow in a sound,
substantial way.
Nicholson Brothers began leading booster trade excursions to the north,
south, and east, with Ernest at the head in a big "Packard" making
clever speeches and inviting all the farmers to come to Calias, where a
meal at the best hotel was given free. A good, live, and effective
commercial club was organized, which guaranteed to pay all a hog, cow,
or calf would bring on the Omaha market, minus the freight and expenses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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