Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-07-02
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Letter from Lewiston.
LEWISTON June 9th 1890.


EDITOR TELLER Il dislike very
much to appear before the public in
an article referring to myself, but in
your issue of the TELLER of June 18th,
appears an article from Genesee over
the signature of "Many Tax Payers"
that in justice to myself as we'll as,
probably, to the county commissioners
requires reply in the way of an
explanation. That part of the commu-
cation to which I have reference reads
as follows:
There has been a petition sent out
to the post Office of Genesee City sew
eral weeks ago by the clerk of the
commissioners court
we understand that said clerk sent
such petitions to every post office, and,
when asked about it said The com
missioners authorized him to do so.
Now in the synopsis of their proceed
ings in your issue of April %, 1880,
it says verbatim the board ordered
that the clerk give public notice at
least four weeks previous to the next
regular meeting of the presentation of
said petition and that the same will
he acted upon at the next regular
meeting. Now if notice means to
send 'petitions" we do not understand
English and his neighhors and all
his respectable supporters are highly
indignant about it and will remem
Der it at the November election
From the foregoing ] draw the con.
cluslon that your correspondent and
those he represents are laboring unde,
the Impression that was the prime
moxer in the court house project anl
that ! was maxim, my official position
a cloak to screen me in the circulatio,
of petitions that were very dstasteful
to the people of Genesec Valley. The
facts of the case are simply as follows
I The proposition of building ncw
court house is one that has been talk
ed Of more or less, for long lime
heretofore the commissioners have not
thought proper to AXE any action il
the matter as it rests with the people
to Institute proceedings in such mat
ters. The commissioners only having
auth ority to erect buildings &C., t,
cost not more than $1,000 dollars
TO authorize them in making improve
ments exceeding that amount require.
a petition signed by one third of the
legal voters tax payers of the county
The last grand jury, as we'll as several
previous ones, reported the Jail unsafe,
this report was made to the court
shortly before the adjournment Of the
board up to that time did not heal
the proposition to build new cour,
house mentioned at any session of til,
board. After the report of the grand
Jury va, made the commissioners
deemed it their duty to make some ar
ran&emeuts for having the jail repaired
Then tn" question arose what would h,
done Anyone who has examined the
old structure knows it is Scarcely IL
for COW stable much less to incarcer
ate a human being and is disgrace
not only to ,he town hut to the county
and civilization. As any monty ex
pended in repairing the old jail woult
be about equivalent to throwing tn,
money in the river; the commissioner.
consulted some OF the prominent citi
Gems of the place and tn" heavy ia,
payers who acquiestel in the opinion
that as we have not any court hous'
belonging to the county, 1T would ,bt
economy to erect "A court house in con
nection with "a jail and to bring tn
mater before the commissioner, AM
people, petition wa, fled praying thu
commissioners 10 rect a court hous,
to exceed lii cost the SUM Of one thous
and dollars. The board tool, such a,
ton in til" prim SOS as is required h.
tn" statua and as your correspondent
quotes above the law does lot max
: il the dutv of the commissioners t
Gus" petitions for the ABOVE purpos
To hp c rcnl3trd. aud for his rraso
the board did not make any order I
that cic,:; hut wiahin" to &c, fuI
e~prcs ion If the peopl-. on the que'
| ,iol thev did "a' thoriHc" me as thei
. CLERK to send cop, of the court hOus