The Portland daily press., 1875-04-05

MIR. EpIToR:-To correct wrong impressions,
I will briefly state the whole facts in the case
Last December Mr.. I'll. T. Plummer applied 10
me to hire my boiler and engine. inquired
for what purpose it was to be used, and he de-
clined to tell, but said they wanted to try an
experiment and that it might not be fired up
for the whole time, and offered me $5O Tor us
use, land that it should be returned in good con-
dition as when taken. To this agreed.
knew nothing Of their whereabouts Tor
month, when | learned that they were beng
used blythe Water Company and were running
day and night at their fullest capacity ana 40
ing double the work they ought to do. calieu
on the Plummers and reminded them that they
had misrepresented the case and that the price
agreed upon was too small. Theyh4said they
had re-rented the property to thefWater Com
rany at the same price. and that bargain was
bargain, and that there was no redress, and
the subject was dropped
On the last cay of March [ applied to Messrs.
Pummer for my property. They said they had
nothing to do with it, that l must see the
Water Company. L told them the Water Co:
had refused to recognize me in the case and
that after that date L should charge them a
certain price per day until the property was le-
turned to me. They insisted that should see
the Water Company and make a new contract
with them. l did so, and was asked what L
would charge to let the machinery remain as
long as they needed it. l told them [ would
settle the whole matter, including the Plum
mer contract, for $3.50. They scotfed at the
idea and said they would pay no such price,
(l will hear state that explained to them that
the contract with the Pummers had been
broken, as the property was not returned ac'
cording to agreement, and that could recover
twice this amount for the services already per-
formed). Mr.. Gilman SAID that there was
plenty of water iu the reservoir to last until ne
could send toHaverhil for an engine to take It's
place; that the railroads charged him nothing
for freight and before he would pay such price
he would do that thing. L SAID all right, that
is YOUR privilege, and that / would go to the
lake to take my engine away. This created a
marked nervousness on the part OF Mr. Gll-
man, and the banter continued, and to avoid a
law suit L finally offered to accept am
ashamed to say-$l50, including the whole time
and allow them to use the property as long as
it waslneeded, which, if till the first OF May,
would be as good, at ten hours day, as nine
months and fifteen days, for the services OF
machinery that cost $1,000. U will here add
that am informed by machinist that the usual
price for boilers and engines the size of mine
is 81. 30 per day for ten hours, or the price of
mans labor.) At this rate the amount due me
is $560.5O, and which, if justice is done, shall
recover.
L mention these things to show the short sight
edness of Mr.. Gilman who, after long parley IN
trying to beat it into my head, that he could do
without it, or that it would cost him less to
send to Haverhill for portable and then it
would soon rain Finally he offered me fifty
insignificant dollars if L would allow the en-
CINE to remain to pump water-aS he claims in
his injunction-tor ten thousand dependent
families aud to snatch the city from the nerciteSs
flames. L said 10, add 800 more and its ago,
but that guardian of 10000 families shook his
beneficent head. AS this moment L actually
had the right and even the power had resort
ed to proper means,to completely stop the flow
of water to this city, and he knew it,
Now will not these 10000 families shudder
when they learn upon what a slender thread
they hang-fity dollars and 10 horse power
engine Finding no probability of compromis
ing the matter L departed for the lake to take
possession of my property, but had no thought
of stopping the flow OF water, but to do the pump
ing myself at little more expense to the Wat
er Company and at a greater profit to myself.
To show how plainly Mr. Gilman knew that
had that great corporation in" a tight place
they sent my friend Plummer to intercept me,
who hailed me from afar and said stop and
''P II take you in" got in. in hopes to make
better time as | was late, but he drove very
slow, and said look here Hall, Mr.. Gilman
says, "tO make long story short, he will give
S25 more. (It will now be observed that only
$25 ''splits u.s." "Poor me- couldn't see it.
aud jumped aboard the morning train. Arriv-
ing at the lake l thought would give them
one more opportunity to save the city from
flames and telegraphed to the Messrs. Plum
mer that if the other $25 was offered L would
forever hold my. peace" Now fellow citl-
zens, what course did this magnanimous corpor-
alton pursue? will tell you. They ignomi-
nously ''went to in their boots and applied to
Judge Virgin of the Supreme Court for an ln-
junction restraining me from taking possession
of my Oaoo priUate property 10 obtain this in
junction they swore "thusly," ''THAT TEN
THOUSAND FAMILIES, the shipping of the hdrbor,
steamboat navigation, the manufacturing inter
est, the fire department" and much else 'de-
pended solely upon the services of that one
10 horse power engine.
GREAT HEAVENS, what a shock this must be
to the community. They further swore (?)
that they had offered the said Hall all reason
able recompense ($25, about the price of two
jack screws for the same length of time) for the
further use of said boiler and engine and
''your orators further pray that said Hall be
restrained from causing such calamity"
sheriff fortified with this injunction laid in wait
for me. At just three minutes after twelve
''shed" up to the door of the boiler house. 1t
was locked. hesitated. Thought of 10000
dependent families, the shipping, the manu-
featuring interests and In whisper said:
'tHall. be merciful'. But on second thought,
my ambition raised, and the idea OF having
corporation-that owes a miliOn-completely
under my CONTROL was too much to Withstand.
raped aloud and was asked who was there.
SAID Hall, and the door was opened, and the
first face that greeted my excited vision, was
our worthy Adams, who shouted at the tor, of
his voice, "In;junc-tio but was deaf to
all cries" l had really forgotten the "sutfer-
ing interests" and succeeded in dropping the
CRATE. 1t would have done. ones soul good to
have heard that tired engine scream for joy. L
was surrounded the injunction read. and was
restrained" very gracefully left, not con-
sidering myself half so important parsonage
as had an hour before. These are the facts
in the case and cannot be denied.
w. III. HALL.