The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-08-30

fallen was no more than common at
this season of the year.
The washings from the mines had
filled the creek bed, and mt places had
formed dams that checked the water
and caused it TO overflow fields never
before submerged. and to set back upon
little valleys which opened into the
larger one through which the creek
passed. Much damage to vineyards on
the lower lands had already been done
or must speedily occur. If the water was
not drawn off.
The water was thick with the clav of
the hills washed down by the mining
companies, and in places where the
dams had formed and for long dis
tance~ on either side, sand AMI gravel,
brought down by the swift, strong cur
rent was being deposited upon the tilla-
bic lands in large quantities.
Evidently something must be done.
and the messenger who brought notice
of the meeting urged strongly that Mr..
Parsons be present and advise regard
ing the acton TO be taken.
faint no use,' he said to his wife
when the neighbor was gone. faint
no use. but I'll 20 Of YOU want should.
You d better send Rastt,s, though, and
LET me stay home with JOHNNY"
The mans spirit was sadly broken.
He felt tina. it was useless to contend
with the company; that everything wa.
virtually lost already. and had dropped
into the habit of leaving everything to
his wife and Era>tus, doing without
questioning whatever they suggested.
but appearing unwilling even 10 advise
with them: rs If he felt himself UNI
worthy. having failed 50 utterly. to- we
advice upon which depended the wei
fare Of Others.
II think YOU had better 90 Yourself,
father" replied Mrs. Parsons to the
suggestion OF her husband taat Erastus
should attend the meeting in lis stead.
on are the head of the family. and
You will have more influence than y
younger man Erastus can 20. too. if
You and he wish. | thint everybody
| ought to 20 and see if some means can
not be devise to prevent our homes
from being destroyed
The meeting of the settlers was held
the following afternoon. and John Par
sons went. So did Erastus So did
everybody else in the ne ghborhood.
Somebody nominated Mr. Parsons for
chairman, but he declined, and MIR.
Richie was elected 10 preside, and
Era,tus Hemingway was made secre-
taiy. Then the meeting was declared
opened and expression of opinion Is
to the course to be pursued asked for.
The result was variety Of >uggcs-
tons and motions. some favored APP
plying to the courts for IN i'm JUNCTION 10
stop the operations ut the mines, Luz
others pointed out thai such Efforts had
been made in similar eases in other
parts OF the country and had failed, or
been DELAYED until too late 10 save the
property of those applying,
Others proposed petitioning the Leg
stature for the passage Of !: bill for
bidding hydraulic mining: but as such
law could not be obtained for a year,
if at all. this proposition was not favor
ably received. and finally the meeting
adjourned without having decided upon
anything. but with the uad Is aniing
that they were TO meet again the next
afternoon and consider the matter still
further.
When they reassembled the next day
the whole question was again gone
over. and Yet nothing could be agreed
| upon.
10 BRING suit in court for damages
would be TO become involved in endless
litigation; since they would be contend
ing against those whose resources We're
virtually limitless. and whose wealth
/ would enable them to protract the suit,
indefinitely: So that ii i'm the end the
settlers should b, successful in obtain
ing judgment against the companies it
would be quite as disastrous as to
quietly submit to the outrage.
If they sued at all, they must make
every company, the debris from whose
mines empt.ed into the g,lIch above
them. parties TO the complaint. and
would thus find arrayed against them
men worth millions of dollars. organized
i'll the form of Il ,osporatiun. proverb;ally
sou!iess, and certainly without mercy.
or sense Of justice, or honor, to prevent
them from taking advantage of every
bubble of the law. maize, too. in many
instances, to delay Justice. and admin
istered by officers who owed their cleo
ton to the men who controlled the
corporate capital of the state.
Threats of personal violence were not
lacking.
There were those who recalled the
fact that more than once i'm the history
Of the State, thieves, blacklegs and bal
lot-box suffers, even those who as
sumed to have been elected to high
offices, had been hung upon hastily
erected gallows by men whose only
authority for doing SO was their natural
right 10 protect themselves and families
from being robbed and ;nsuIted by or
ganized bands of plunderers. A large
majority. however, favored only legal
means for the protection OF their
homes, and it was finally agreed to
build a dam across the gorge through
which the debris from the mine
flowed, ut a point above the agr.cuit-
ural settlement, and by cutting
through the hill, turn the mass oe slick
ings into another gorge, which would
callsc them TO enter the river at a
point below, and where no damage
would be done to occupied lands.
During the discussions al taese nSse.-
ings John Parsons had said little, and
that little only when appealed to for
his opinion; but when the building oil
the dam and the cutting of Il new way
for the OVERCOMING debris had been
decided upon, he called Erastus aside,
and after comforting with him Il mo.
ment, returned and subscribed five
hundred dollars toward the work t1
be done.
The announcement of his subscription
was greeted with cheers BY the little
body of men there assembled.
1T amt all my own subscription.
men," he said, when the cheering had
ceased. Il don't know if any of it
rightfully is mine. It's part of the
money we was savin' up fer to buy a
ranch fer Erastus with, and it honestly
belongs to him. He's earned every
cent of it and more. too; but you see
if the work goes on an our homes is
saved, there's got to be lots OF money
comm from somewhere, an doctors
bills and SIGH has tuck bout everything
We made last year, an Lem rs Kastus
is within, we'll plank up the i've hun
dred is soon es the committee that is te
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