Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-06
CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT.
The Rio Grande People Think Erath
County Has Treated Them UniuStlY.


County Has Treated Them Uni Justly.
While the progressive citizens of Erath
county welcome and aid in the building of
railroads and in securing all other enter
priSeS for the good of the county. it IS to be
regretted there are people who do not only
Obstruct such enterprises but actually de-
stroy railroad property.
, The Empire editor has been at work for
several weeks to secure the cooperation of
he Fort Worth and Rio Grande railroad
company and the Texas Pacific coal com
pany in the building of 3 railway from
Sitepheayille to Thurhcr The companies
are just as anxious to carry out this project
us is any citizen of Stephenville. They
stand ready to do the work not only
10 help the people OF Erath, but to
further their own interests. But in
arranging this matter, the Empire has
received some startling revelations from
The Fort Worth and Rio Grande company,
They claim that k,rath people have not and
do not treat them Justly. They allege that
the bonus committee have failed to come to
time; that the right-ofway committee have
failed, and that the company has been sued
for It's ri@ht-of-way ard depot grounds i'll
StephenviIle; that the Erath commissioners
assessed their roadDed IL higher E'siua-
tion than has any Other county, and higher
than even the older and better paying roads
IRE assessed; that the town council
accepted the assessment made by the
county and without letting the com
pany know the town had been in
corporated and without ever present
ing the bill for city taxes, the marshal
attempted to levy on and detain
freight cars for city taxes, that citizens
bring suits for killing stock or fowls and
for breakaGe of = bottle of beer or whisky
without ever presenting their claims TO the
company, that juries in nearly every case
ignore the charge of the court and the evil
dgnCe and give O Ve!~."t for all that is
claimad. and that their sign boards at road
crossings and 1T bridges are constantly torn
down. that ninety-tive telegraph inSulatOrS
have been shot OF within the past month,
etc.
If this be true no one can blame the COM
pany for vigorously cOmpllinln". They 10
not believe the good people of Erath indorse
The practice of any injustice upon the COM
pany simply because the people believe a
railroad company has no rights, but they
do feel like il is high time for the people to
see that the COmpany's property is
not destroyed with impunity and
that justice is melted out By
courts and iuries. They can attribute the
non-payment Of the bonus to inability TO
pay, but they don't see why they should be
harassed by petty suits for killing two
geese or breaking two bottles OF whisky
and such like without the claim is first pre-
scented for payment, thereby saving annoy
;nce and COSTS Nor 90 they understand
Why public sentiment does not come out
boldly in denunciation of the malicious de-
struction Of their property. The company
wants good fellowship with the people Of
Erath they declare it one Of the richest
counties in the state, and they wish TO do
every hing to aid the people in developing
the great wealth of the county Here is
food for the thought of good men. Let
them speak out for justice. IStephenville
Empire