The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-11-22
THE v1PoND WAGON ROAD.
The Miners View Of the Case.

We arc in receipt Of personal letter
relative to the Vipond Wagon Road trou-
bles from which We make some extracts,
showing the view Of the case which has
induced those who built it to prescribe GER
tain persons from travelling upon it: lin
your issue Of the 18th inst. appears an arti-
Gle in reference to the 'Vipond Wagon
Road, in which regret to see You get off
on the wrong foot. and presume you must
have been misinformed as to the facts of
the case. cannot think you would allow
prejudice to entail SO much criticism upon
you. i was present at several of the
meetings Of the miners Of Eipond District
when the Road Question was the order of
obtain aid from various outside sources
the miners determined to 90 ahead with the
road on their own responsibility, and did
SO. Those parties who arc prohibited from
using the road are owners of quartz pro-
pcrty in Virond District. and would not
contribute towards building the road and
since tie road has been made passablc for
light teams they have refused to contribute
towards its completion. 1t will require
probably Sl.500 to make the road what it
should he for the use of heavy teams. !"
As far as have heard an expression from
those not owners of property i'll the Dis
trict who have contributed, they say they
donated. expecting in return the privilege
of using the road for their individual pur-
poses. Some gave beef. others potatoes,
etc. in all amounting to perhaps 5000. The
road is about fourteen miles long. and
through the canon is heavy grading. Up t"
the present time il has cost somewhere
between $4,000 and ST, O0a-many Of
those who helped to build it working ten
months. and buyin.: their provisions on
time. Under all these circumstances, l
cannot find fault with those who built the
road for taking the stand they have done.
Justice and right is certainly on their side.
though the tcchnicalitics Of law may he
adverse. Trusting that you and Your paper
may always be found on the side of justice
and right. ! am. etc.
We take it. from statements in the
above letter. and from other information,
that those who are in possession Of the
road believe that by the building Of ii they
have acquired right to say who shall and
who shall not travel it. In this we believe
the root of the evil is, and that they are in
error. !: is not necessary to enter into 4
statement of our individual opinions as to
aiding in IN enterprise of that character.
Possibly our sympathics might be strong
with those who, by hard labor, have opened
access to the mines of Nipond. The qucs-
ton is now solely upon the act of prohibit
ing certain persons from travelling over the
public domain: and if our stating sincere
convictions as to the illccalty of the pro-
cecding, and urging the parties to ''bc
sure they are right before going ahead"
enscnders or lays us liable to criticism
or ccnsurr. or even violent tlcnunciation
and cnmity, why so it must be. Perhaps it
is lack of prejudice, rather than ''prcju-
dice that induces Ills to take this view. In
favor of Fright and Justice is the fair
ambition of this paper, but We cannot adj
vocatc violence or inflaction of law, or
what we believe to be law, even though it
entail hardship, and may appear gricvouS.
We hope TO see the Vipond Road open, and
would that those who have constructed it
y" far had sufficient means furnished them
to complete it without further demands
| upon those who have contributed SO yener-
ously in time, labor and money. to the