Los Angeles herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1890-1893, 1891-11-15
NICHOLS'S BLUFF.
Pomona People Demand That
He Make Restitution.
a
Proceedings at Last Evenings
Mass Meeting.
A Well-Arr anged Plan of Campaign
Adopted.
Interest In the Matter Unabated - The
Gnaahers and What They Said.
Interest In the Matter Unabated - The
Speakers and What They Said.
The Sense OF the Meeting Elk
pressed in a Resolution.
Special to the HERALD.


ing was held in the opera house thil
evening to consider the matter of the
Tonner-Nichols land claim, which has
caused 30 much excitement in this vi
entity of late. That the interest in the
matter is undated was shown by the
large audience which filed the theater,
so that when the meeting was called to
order by 0. J.. Brown the place was
packed. After few remarks from the
chairman. Mr.. J. w. Packard, the chair
man Of the executive committee, was
called on to report.
Mr.. Packard stated that his commit
tee could show considerable progress.
An organization of owners of the prop
erty involved, to the extent of HOO
acres, had been formed some time ago to
contest TONER'S claim. These land
owners had now agreed to pay their
proportion of the expense of fighting
Tonner's claim in the courts, and they had
employed as counsel, John d. Bicknell,
of Los Angeles, who together with E. B.
Meserve, will conduct the case. The
counsel, after much consultation, had
OCClucu bildJ buc DC5b way W pIOCttu
would be to reopen the old case of the
Palm City Land and Water company VS..
Phillips, and their request had been
granted by the court. Mr.. Packard ex.
planned the different points of the case
to the audience, after which he invited
all property-owners not on the list to
subscribe to the agreement, which was
largely done.
On motion of Mr.. Todd the thanks of
the meeting was extended to Mr.. Pack
ard and the committee.
Mr.. T. j. Smith, chairman of the
executive committee reported that the
committee had gone to Los Angeles to
look after Mat end of the matter. They
had tried hard to find Tonner and have
talk with him, but he seemed disin-
clined to meet them. Since
the investigation began, Tonner
and Nichols had been trying
to shoulder the odium OF the
matter ON to each other. Nichols has
two sides to his character, and has
given the people right to severely
criticise him. 1t will be cowardly to
submit to Nichols demands. As long as
we have commenced a good, manly
fight let us continue in it, and it will
result in cur good.
Mr.. Packard then told OF meeting Mr..
Frank Palomares i'll Los Angeles, who
had said that he and his mother had
just seen Tonner, who wanted to settle
the matter peaceably. "All we have
got from Tonner so far" said Mr.. Pack
ard, "has been by means of hard
knocks. so let us keep on knocking"
William O'Connor was then called
for. He began by stating that he was
no speaker, but his Indignation gave
him eloquence, and he spoke we'll and
forcibly. He said that Tonner for
fifteen years had been putting up nefa-
rious jobs in Pomona, and it was time
to end it. "God knows" said the
speaker, "that Tonner was nat
urally bad enough, but since old
Nick has got hold of him he
is worse than ever. Tonner owes
Mrs. Palomaies $4,000; how will she get
it if she goes back on Tonner? | know
Tonner, and have paid we'll for the priv
ilege. M. i. Wicks was displaced to
make room for Tonner. Why was this
done? Wicks was an honest man and
gave deeds for one inch of water to every
ten acres of land, without any doubtful
conditions. Tonner's method has been
to deed land, with a provision withhold
ing water in dry weather.
A communication was read from E.
ID. Smith explaining his connection
with Tonner, and fully showing that he
was forced to deed as he did, being as
sured by Tonner that it was all right.
Tonner, after getting deed from E. d.
& w. B. Smith said "Now I can cinch
Dick Grid and the sugar factory. I'll
make them pay a royalty to get water to
wash their beets with"
E. Hicklin said II have no direct in
terest in the fight, but ! am for Pomona
first, last and every time. feel that
we have done grand thing in this fight.
Where is the man who will change
places with Nichols or with Tonner {?
We cannot be robbed even if it is for our
own good"
j. B. HI. Browne: "These are indigna-
tion meetings and we are indignant at
Nichols and Tonner, and they according
to their own communications deserve
our censure. They have wronged the
people of this valley, and, until they
make reparation, there is time to alb
solve Them
The following resolution was unani-
mously adopted:
"That this meeting, called in the in
terest of the people, considers the
published statements of DR.. Nichols as
very inadequate to meet the demands of
an outraged public, and call upon him to
make restitution to those who have
been wronged."