The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-09-06
THE RIGHT OF WAY QUESTION.

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The meeting which, way hsld yesterday
morning bstween Mr.Sidney Dillon ana bis
part upon the one ode and y few a the
prominent citizens of Butte upon tho Soshe,
In regardto the mattero D settling the psndine
difficulty as to the right of way over some
ground laying between this city and Silver
Bow has resulted, w fear, in a very grave
misunderstanding. We learn that one of the
gentlemen who was present and who has
been earnest and active in his endeavors to
settle this right of way question understood
Mr.. Dillon to say that he would accept a. a
tnality and pay to the claimants whatever
award of damages the proposed board of ar
bitrators would consider Just. Herein lies
the misunderstanding to which we refer.
We have no reason to doubt that the gentle
man understood Mr.. Dillon to accede to this
proposition, and for the reason that he did so
understand him lies the gravity of the mis-
understanding.
We were present at the meeting and listened
attentively to the remarks made ny Mr.. Dill
Ion and cid not understand that the gentle
man agreed to that proposition. Other gen
tlemen who were present also failed to I'm
derstand that he would accept the award of
the arbitrators as a fnality and pay it.
What we understood Mr.. Dillon to say in
regard to this matter is this: After explaining
that the policy Of the company is to deal fair
iy and honorably with all of its patrons and
justly with all parties over whose ground
their various lines pass he said he was pre-
pared to pay any reasonable sum for the
right of way for the road. That he has ever
been ready to open his pocket book more
than halfway rather than have troub g OF
engage in litigation with anyone He
frankly stated that he would like to build
the road to Butte, for he believed hat the
company would be benefited by it and the
city would be benefited. He furthermore
stated his willingness to leave the question
of damages to the ground below the city, by
reason of the road passing over it, to any
three gentlemen in the room and frequently
remarked that he would be willing to pay
any reasonable amount for the right of way
to the city. But he said that he would not
submit to exhorbitant damages, that the COM
pany was now building and proposed to build
in the future many miles of road, and that
while it did not care for a few dollars
the company would not set
the precedent now Of paying
unreasonable damages, for if it paid them in
this instance it would have to pay them in the
future, and if exorbitant damages were now
asked by the claimants and paid by the COM
pany they would serve as a basis upon which
other claimants for damages on other por-
tious OF the line might assess their damages
and require payment. This sound, tenaole
position taken by Mr.. Dillon must have CON-
mended itself to every business man IN the
room. The gentleman concluded his re
marks by again repeating that he was willing
to pay reasonable damages, but if they were
too high the ground would not be touched
and the road would not be built to Butte,
and that whatever may be done in the mat
must be done Immediately. for if his right of
way question were not promptly settled the
teams and men engaged in grading would be
sent elsewhere and work would not be re-
sumed in this section during the present
season. This is our understanding of the
essence of Mr.. billions remarks.
While we would be glad TO record the will
ingness of the company to pay any and all
damages which may be assessed by the pro-
posed board OF arbitrators we failed to hear
in the meeting yesterday any intilnation on
the part of Mr.. Dillon that he will paw any
save what the company considers reasonable.
Hence we confess to no little astonishment in
the announcement in last evenings
Inter Mountain that, "Whatever the amount
may be, it was tacitly understood at the meet
ing that the railway company shall pay it,"
1t is to be regretted that our cotemporary
made this erroneous statement, for it may
lead to further misunderstood
ing that III the end will deprive
US of all hope of seeing the U. and N.
road built into Butte. Our citizens will
ahxiously await to hear Mr.. billions under
standing Of the matter which will be ascer-
at the earliest possible moment.