Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-03-17
TO THE VOTERS or EAGLE
RIVER

It seems necessary to reply, through
the columns of this paper to the assert
ions made by few soreheads of our
Town regarding the management
of town affairs by the present board.
One man is sore because he was dis
charged from the police for neglect of
duty and another is sore because he did
not get the appointment.
Everyone that takes any interest in
town matters understands why the one
man was discharged. To man with
any head on him at all this case
does not need explaining. But the facts
in the other mans case are not generally
known. When it was reported that
there W as to be change in the force
this other man came to me and asked
to be appointed until spring: told him
plainly that there had been two or three
applications ahead of his and that Ben
Minton was my choice and would have
a trial if the rest of the board were will
ing. l further told him that thought he
(this man that is roaring) was better
qualified being mechanic to take care
Of the hydrants than Ben Minton, but
as far as the duties of policeman were
concerned Minton was just as good as
he. When the time came to make the
change we appointed Minton, believing
that he was the best man for the place
and | think every one will bear me out
in saying that Minton has made good
officer as far as he has b,cn tried.
Then came the roar from the man
who wanted the place till spring. He
told people that promised to use my
influence to give,him the place.
When heard of this I had a talk
with him. He did not tell me that l
promised him my influence and then
went back on him. I recalled to his
mind all that did say. About all he
had to offer was thata Town Board that
would take a man out OF saloon and
put him on the police force would b.
sorry for it, But I have been too long
on earth to let that kind of talk disturb
my nightly rest.
Let me now ask your attention to a
few other reports. We paid the Gerry
Lumber Co. one dollar and seventy-five
cents cord for slab wood. We thought
that it was high price and we still
think so. But please notice the result.
During 1890 the fuel for the Water
Works cost almost exactly sl700. Dur
ing 1891, and up to date i'll this year the
fuel for the Water Works has cost the
town $9S3.O0 and we haxe fuel on hand to
last till the middle OF bplil These,ig-
ures can be verified by looking over the
Town Clerks books. Now few people
say that we favored tho Gerry Lumber
Go. i'll this and did not give the Sheri-
dan Lumber co. a chance to bid. But
every man woman and child in the
Town ought to know that the Gerry
Lumber Go. saws green timber
and can furnish good wood
while the Sheridan Lumber Co. saws
dead timber and can furnish what ought
w w CdllCu EuUDlSl.
From one man comes the complaint
that the Board let a contract to build
sidewalk in the north end of Town
secretly and without giving notice.
The Board knows and every man inter-
ested KIN ows that notices were posted
for bids on each and every side
walk contract and that they were let to
the lowest responsible bidder at public
auction.
The wells which wore put in by this
Board furnish a few people with mate
rial for adverse criticism. Now I for one
was never proud when I had to tell
people that the Water Works furnished
our citizens with unfiltored water from
a Shiny moss grown logging stream,
people who kick on these wells imagine
that they helped to pay for them i'll
their taxes. To those whothiilk this way
the following will probably be quite a
surprise but it is true nevertheless.
When the board let the contract for this
work they know that the Town would
recaiye from the State from the sale of
swamp lands a sum sufficient to pay for
it. Those wells did not add one cent
to your taxes Or mine. recovered from
the county nearly five thousand dollars
which they held wrongfully ever since
the county was established. The wells
cost 100000. There is sum left that
will put these Water Works pipes in
front of the gate of nearly every house
it Town. And just remember please
that this work need not figure in your
taxes, and that the wells have not.
There are a few tax payers yet who
cannot understand that the taxes they
paid thisyear were to settle old debts,
and the amounts they levied On them |
selves at the last town meeting five or
six of the large tax payers have refused