, 1881-04-16

the FLUxR TORN DowN.


On Monday night and early on Tuesday
morning it became privately known that the
settlers on Mill creek bad hnallay determin-
| ei that forebearsnce had ceased to be a vir-
tue, and that they had organized with their
many friends and standbys. both in the
the city and country, TO at once stop work
on DR.. Bakers fume. That the settler,
meant business is evident from the fact that
DIR. Boyd was engaged to be on the ground
in case anything Of serious nature occurred.
On Tuesday morning the editor Of the
SrArEsxAS accepted DR.. Boyd's offer Of a
| ride to the scene Of tork; We accepted this
offer all the more rssdily in order that We
could be on the groand and report from &C.
tual observation and . neutral stand point
what really occurred.
Just before IL Il We reached the resi-.
deuce Of Mr.. s G. Fields on whose property
the aume was being built without the
permission of the owner.
Nh. FIELDs Is Az Old SETTLER
and highly respected by the whole communi.
ty As Al houotauief uAfo WofAuS anu up
right gentleman. He has made = beautiful
home after many years Of hard labor and
performed his duties rs tax payer and citi-
zen OF Walla Walla county.
We found many men gathered at this
place and saw none but who bore as good
character as any men on the face OF Gods
earth They were farmers every man Of
them and had congregated to assist their
neishbor and friend from the wiles and
strategies Of one Of the most soulless mono
polists who ever made his fortune from the
necessities Of apeople.
We could not help being struck with the
confident bear ne of these citizens. Many
of them were from foreign countries who had
lett their native lands for Just such causes az
they were now combined to resist. 1t was
no congregation of careless individuals but
combination of men who knew their rights
"ASp KNOWING DARE MAINTAIN"
They me. IN clusters, and While thy talked
the cause for which they had come, not
harsh or vile word did We hear fall from the
lips Of single one. Cne farmer addressed
his crowd to the effect that the trouble va.
not between them and the workers on the
hume but between them and the principals,
and that they had met for no other purpose
but to defend their property. Above every
other feeling was one; that the time had
come for action-that the time was gone by
for mere falkland that if they deserved the
name Of freemen nor was the time to strike
The men evidently meant business and the
crowd, now numbering about 50 or 60 men,
many of them well armed proceeded TO the
boundary line between the two farms. After
Crossing the creek and proceeding along the
bottom for about 800 yards the party came
across the men employed by the hume build
ers; they were at once quietly anG civilly
ORDERED OFF THE GROUND
And they at once obeyed-they were unarm-
ed and it was very sensible proceeding in
deed. Had they not done so the upshot
could not have been otherwise than bloody |
tragedy.
Once they were across the boundary of the |
two farms party Of men with axes proceed |
ei to knock away the bents and chop through !
the braces on which the fume was built, |
very soon about forty lengths fell with a
crash which brought yell from both parties. |
The work of destruction went on Until the |
whole length Of tlume built on the ground Of
Mr.. Fields lay PROSTATE. During the pro-
gress OF the work
ARMED MEN WE'RE POSTED
Along the lie OF the fume as il TO- preclude !
any interruption. While all this was going
on the manager had not put in an appear
ance, and it was not until the aume was des-
troyed was he discovered coming down the |
creek. He had been to dinner and arrived !
lust in time to meet Mr.. Fields at the divid |
ing line between his farm and thai OF Mr.. |
Livingstone; the manager was told by Fields !
not 10 come hinnself or allow any OF his mel |
to trespass upon his field, and then he tNlr. !
Fieldsl ordered his men to complete the job |
by cutting the end Of the fiume yet project |
lug on his land, completely in two which |
was Immediately done. In just % minutes |
from the time work was began was it tin !
ished, and 4 cleaner job was never before de- |
termined upon and accomplished. On re- |
turning down the creek the damage already |
done by DIR. Baker was pointed out 1t con-
sisted principally Of large trees being cut
down. The value was estimated on this
ranch at from $50 to 500. One hundred
dollars We bel:eve was all that was offered
the owner for the infringement upon his
rights