 Howard was elected district judge and about the same time began feuding with Cardis over who would be the county's political "top dog".In the summer of 1877, Howard filed a claim for the salt lakes in the name of his father-in-law, George B. Zimpelman, an Austin capitalist.Howard offered to pay any "salinero" who collected salt the going rate for its retrieval, but he insisted the salt was his.