Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-01-11

Last spring those inhabitants resId-
ing in the southwestern part Of Lam
caster, having suffered long AID grew
ously from the turnpike purgatory
known as "White's Hill" asked for an
appropriation of $3.50 to improve the
same. Their request was refused at the
meeting and they were doomed to
suffer II The trouble and mud finally
became SO hard to be borne that com
plants poured in thick and fast. To
restore peace and quiet it was deter
mined to change the road and the county
commissioners were summoned accord
ingly. These gentlemen after a survey
of the situation proceeded to lay out a
a new road. The new thoroughfare
started u few rods west of the Catholic
cemetery and pursued q course from
that point enthusiastically emerging
at the west end of Maple street, near the
brickyard of Barstow and Nee Collins.
Of course this disturbance of farm prop
erty was not borne uncomplainingly,
but the commissioners thought seven
hundred dollars was sufficient to paw all
damages and accordingly fixed on that
sun as the proper amount to be dis
bursed by the town.
This settled the matter for the COM
m~issioners but the claimants were in
anything but a satisfied frame of mind,
and ridiculed the smallness of the sum
offered as not half sufficient to cover the
torn lines and disrupted cornfields.
They accordingly appealed from the
decision and brought the matter before
the county court. The court summoned
five good men and true. namely; Messrs
Fred Divall, John A Boerner, Ira Girls
void, Henry Danklif and John Mon
tieth, as jurors to render n final decision
in the matter. The jury met here last
week, and having first thoroughly ex-
amined the land and prospective line Of
highway, settled down TO a discussion
of damages. After a two days seige
they rendered a verdict fixing the dam
ages as follows; John Wright 800,
10 Wright SS5. VIM. Smith estate 81. 500
a total of 81, 565. The Jurors having
done their duty dispersed to their
several homes leaving the free born
Lancastarians to ponder over the mire
into which their unconscious feet had
been drawn. The gravity of the situa-
ton was not at first apparent, as it was
generally supposed that the town had
yet a chance TO yote whether it would
have the new road or not The reporter
in his pursuit after knowledge was.
however, cited to the statutes, where
he was informed he would find that the
town had nothing whatever to do with
the matter after it went into the County
Court. An investigation into the con-
tents of the state dictionary of pains
and penalties resulted in the discovery
Of section 1904 on which the opinion
was based. 1t reads as follows;
SectioH 1904. Appeals and second APP
peals from such award of damages NAV
be taken. heard and conducted IN ali
respects as appeals taken from similar
awards by town supervisors and with
the same right of a second appeal: and
every town chargable with such dam
ages, or any part thereof. when finally
settled shall be liable for the payment of
the same, and the same shall be collected
and paid as provided in section twelve
hundred aud ninety-one, but the cues
ton of the payment of such damages
shall, in no case. be submitted to any
town meeting.
This ends the first chapter and the
animal appears to be an elephant of the
largest size. Ia the light Of present in-
formation it would be viewed somewhat
IN the form of a ble ssing If some of
those whose farms were disturbed should
succeed in putting a little dynamite
under the whole schere.