CHAPTER XIV.
I BECOME A BANDIT AND A TERROR When General Weaver was running for governor, a Populist worker called on my friend Wilbur Wheelock, who was then as now a stock buyer at our little town of Ploverdale, and asked him if he were a Populist.
"No," said Wilbur, "but I have all the qualifications, sir!" "What do you regard as the qualifications ?" asked the organizer.
"I've run for county office and got beat," said Wilbur: "and that takes you in, too, don't it, Jake ?" he asked, turning to me.
Wilbur, like most of our older people, has a good memory.

Most of the folks hereabouts had already forgotten that I was a candidate on Judge Stone's Reform and Anti-Monopoly ticket, for County Supervisor, in 1874, and that I was defeated with the rest.

This was the only time I ever had anything to do with politics, more than to be a delegate to the county convention two or three times.

I mention it here, because of the chance it gave Dick McGill to rake me over the coals in his scurrilous paper, the Monterey Centre _Journal_, that most people have always said was never fit to enter a decent home, but which they always subscribed for and read as quick as it came.
Within fifteen minutes after McGill got his paper to Monterey Centre he and what he had called the County Ring were as thick as thieves, and always stayed so as long as Dick had the county printing.

So when I was put on the independent ticket to turn this ring out of office, Dick went after me as if I had been a horse-thief, and made a great to-do about what he called "Cow Vandemark's criminal record." Now that I have a chance to put the matter before the world in print, I shall take advantage of it; for that "criminal record" is a part of this history of Vandemark Township.
The story grew out of my joining the Settlers' Club in 1856.