Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-17
card from NJ. $. severance.

EDITORS HERALD-I have bsen absent
from the city since the appearance in the
Times of the 12sh inst. of an editorial re-
lating to the selection OF cite for the
Insane Asylum, attacking my personal
character as we'll as my fidelity as an
officer of the commission.
taks the frat opportunity of replying
to the charges contained in and insinu-
ated by said editorial.
While the editor, from his long exleri-
ence in such matters, may have sue
ceeded in his attempt to frame an article
so indefinite in its charges as not to
afford the grounds for legal redress, feel
that justice to myself and my friends de-
mauds an answer.
Leaving aside the many vague, unsup-
ported insinuations of this editorial, the
principal charge appears to be that I, as
Secretary of the Board of Commission
ers. garbled a dispatch to the Chief Ex-
ecutive OF California, inserting of my own
motion an attack upon the validity of
the title to the water offered by Mr..
Rhodes. This charge is utterly false.
l do not need to do more than to call
attention to the appended csrtifsd copy
Of the original dispatch to Governor
Waterman, covering the Rhodes offer,
which dispatch was written out by me at
the request of the board and sent by their
order, as were oil kilograms from the
board to the Governor:
''Los Angeles, Nov. 2, 1889.
"GoreTnor X. W. Waterman. Occidental
"Hotel, San Francisco, Cal:
'Rhodes' offer FIVE hundred and fifty
acres, with fifty inches East Twin creek
water and your five inches hot water
also lands and water power for electric
light and all purposes, in addition to
above water. Fine land to be selected
by ourselves. Price, one hundred and
fifty thousand dclars, considered fair.
low price bv good judges. We ask you
to approve it and end matters. Please
wire approval tonight, that we may close
the thing up while Commissioners are
here without further adjournment.
"(Signed) "JosEPH Brown,
GAMES KERR,
"M. 8. SEVERANCE"
also add certified copy of telegram
OF November A, 1889. covering what wac
called the amended Rhodes offer:
"Los Angeles, Nov. 4, 1889.
"Goyernor r. W. Waterman, Sacramento,
"Cal.:
"Rhodes' offer amended now reads:
Five hundred acres land, with additional
land for water-power purposes, twenty
inches Bear valley water, fifty-five inches
East Twin creek, Eve inches hot water,
with much additional water for power
thousand dollars. Please answer imme-
diately.
"(Signed) 81. K. FISHER,
''K. P. GRANT,
Joseph Brown,
"JAMEs KERR,
I'M. s. SEVERANCE"
estate Of California,
"County Of Los Angeles 's'
81, Francis J. Thomas, Notary Pub
lie in and for said county of Los Angeles,
do hereby certify that have compared
the annexed copies with the original tele-
grams. said original kilograms being now
on file in the office of the Western Union
Telegraph Company in the city of Los
Angeles, and respectively dated Novem-
Der I'd, 1889, and November 4th, 1889,
and that said copies are respectively fuli,
true and correct copies of such originals
and Of the whole thereof.
I'm witness whereof, | have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my official seal,
this 18th day Of November, 1889.
"(Notarial seal.)
FRANCIS J. THOMAS,
''Notary Public"
The telegram to Governor Waterman
containing the obnoxious words said by
the Times and it's informant t. have been
interpolated by me in one of the above
kilograms and belittling the water rights
OF the offer made by Mr.. Rhodes, was
cent to Governor Waterman by citizen
OF San Bernardino. Itwas partly read to
me on Saturday, November 9th, by the
Governor, in his parlors at the Stewart
hotel, San Bernardino, Mr.. Rhodes, and,
| believe, Mr.. Hervey Lindley. being at
the time in the room. The Governors