Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-05-01
VACATING DEXTER.

hC" SOuhCJ Uodiu hCiu dU Tue SOuii
House in this city on Friday last The
first work before the new members was
to organize. This they did by electing
John Edwards chairman. The organ
lzation having been completed every
member seemed to feel that the lm-
portant work before the board was the
dissolution Of the town Of Dexter.
This sentiment had no special leader.
+! We know Of none who had been spec
tally interested in advancing it. Yet
every member, except Hiles, thought
that the town ought to be wi ped out OF
existence. The four or FIVE who APP
peared to vote against the measure now
claim that it was only to the manner
of doing it that they were opposed.
Why was the board so unanimous in
this matter, and what was their reasons
for taking so decisive step? It was
simply an effort to put an end to the
frauds that for years have been contin-
uously perpetrated in that town under
the g4ise of law and often in open
defiance of it. And all at the instance
of one man who not onl y controlled it
in fact but who made his absoutiSm
and his lawlessness his boast. 1t
would be idle in US to recount to the
older inhabitants Of the county the
cases Of frauds and lawlessness perpe-
trated in that town with impunity.
But for the benefit Of later settlers we
will mention some of the facts that
can be established beyond question or
cavil.
For about thirty years Geo. Hilcs
has had control of the town of Dexter
which has consisted of from two and
one-half to ten congressional town
ships. Over this large amount of ter
ritory he exercised absolute sway in
the assessment, levy. and collection of
taxes. He was always chairman and
sometimes assessor or treasurer of the
town, and if there were any of the
LOther town offices that he did not
nominaliy fill aud if it was not flied
by some member Of his family, it was
always sure to be filed by some de-
pendent hireling who was his plant
tool aud who would no more hesitate
to put himself on record as a perjurer
at Georges request than he would
hesitate to drink glass of water.
lie has always had few such in his
employ. The reader may think that
we arc too severe and over state this
matter; but we allege that every
assessor and treasurer Of that town
who has taken the oaths reqn red by
law has left the proof Of our assertion
and a record OF bis perjury on the
books of that town. The assessment
rolls show that while the lands of
others were generally assessed IN
excess of their true valuation, the
lands Of Geo HIles were assessed at
from one tenth to one hundreth OF
their full value and in some instances
even less. The sc Of the sw Of I4-22
3 upon W hich the greater part of the
village of Dextervlle stands was
assessed last year at $40 and the forty
Just south Of it upon which his factor
les and many other valuable buildings
stand is assessed at $40. These two
factories together can not be worth
less than 500 times their assessed
value while the stump lands of non
residents, nearly worthless, have been
assessed at two and three times their
true value. These cases are not ex-
ccptional but illustrate the rule
throughout the town.
Upon such ass essments as basis
large amounts Of taxes have been col
lected from that vast territory for
road purposes and yet not one dollar
has ever been spent on roads by that
town Va sums have been collected
for school purposes not one tenth OF
which has been spent in maintaining "a
school. Large sums have been raised
for the support Of the poor yet n"
pauper ever received dollar from the
tosn of Dexter. Probably not less
than S12 900 dollars has been received
hy Hiles from the drainage fund,