The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-08-30
RIGHT OF WAY 1MBRoaL1o.

As this matter of right of way over ground,
between this city and Silver Bow, claimed by
several parties, is engaging the serious atten-
ton of some of our most prominent business
men, and as many statements have been
made, which we are informed, are not in the
direct line Of truth, and as a full and fair
statement of the facts is a necessary precedent
to an Intelligent understanding of the whole
matter we will briefly give them as they have
been given to us supplemented by the assur-
ance that they can be proven in every IN
stance. When Mr.. Word, the agent, at this
place, of the u. u N. Company, learned that
an effort was being made by some par, les to
dispute the right of way of the railroad COM
creek below town he sought the gen
tlemen and inquired Of them the
amount of damages they demanded.
He was Informed that they required $4,000
Of the company. This proposition Mr.. Word
~pereinptorily refused to consider. They then
agreed to take one dollar per linear foot. As
there were about two miles of ground tLat
the parties claimed, the sum asked amounted
IL the aggregate to over $40, 900. Mr.. Word
refused to accede to this request. Three of
the parties, Messrs. Leggat, INLAND and Car
yer, then expressed a willingness to receive
as compensation for all dana es to their
ground the sum of $1,000. Mr.. Word COIL
sidering this sum an eXorbitant price for their
land he refused to pay it. AT this juncture
Mr.. Word proposed that the question of dam
ages be submitted to a board of arbiters, one
of which should be ciosen by him, another
by the claimants aud the two to
choose the third. This proposition was, re-
jected by all the claimants save Mr.. Carver.
al; provided the decision of the arbiters
should be final. To this latter provision
Col. Dunn, who had by thist time arrived up.
on the ground. objected as he desired to
to either party the right of appeal
under the law from the award of the commits.
sion. In The meantime Mr.. Word offered $40
per acre for a strip fifty feet in width over
their ground. This sum was refused He |
then offered them $50 an acre |
was likewise refused. Mr.. Word
having thus exhausted his powers
as all agent of the company in making the
offers, has washed his hands of the
whole matter, and he now leaves to the cit
of Butte the question whether they shall
have the railroad here or whether its nearest
point to the city shall remain at
a distance of eight miles from Butte. |
As we understand it the compa-
ny does not propose to come to Butte with
he road unless the right of way is guaranteed
% it without cost.
The above is a plain, truthful statement of
he matter. If it be otherwise, then we have
)een misinformed. 1t is now left to the
of Butte to determine whether they
'hall have the road here or not. If they sue
iced with the claimants to the ground in
in obtaining a free right of way for
he road it will come here, otherwise it will
not come. or this fact our citizens NAV rest
rWo of our most prominent business men,
tiessrs. Lee w. Foster and Harry De
Acheul appear to thoroughly comprehend the
Of the situation. These gentlemen
mbued with a public spirit worthy of emula-
ion, have entered into the work of endeay-
ring to obtain the right Of way for the rail
Dad. 1t depends upon the business men and
nine-owners of Butte whether they succeed
fail. Every merchant and every other
business man. KNOWS the advantage of having
he d spot, the warehouses and repair shops Of
he road built in their midst. They also
now that it is to their interest to have their
landed at their doors. In view of
hose facts we believe they will heartily sec
the efforts of Messrs. Foster and De
Acheul in securing the building of the road
the city.