Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1893-12-09
onREsrONDENCE.

msnt OF the Dunpby estate, etc. M
Powell assumes that '''Ts1psyer" intended
no doubt to reflect on the Assessor The
evident intention Of Mr.. Powell was 10
create the impression that my communities
tion was designed TO make an attack on bis
official acts a. Assessor. Nothing could be
further from the real motive OF "Tsx-
payer" 1 believe that many large prop
erty owners in this county escape tha pay
ment Of their just proportion OF taxes By
under valuation OF their property. The
communication OF Taxpayer was writ
ten with the sole object Of calling ssten-
ton 10 this evil and correcting it il posi-
BILE. Taxpayer " can zee no reason Why
the property OF the rich should be under
valued and the property Of the poor
overvalued. EveD-hapded justice to rich
and poor alike 10 the motto OF Taxpayer"
In pursuit. Of this single object facts com
PEELED "Taxpsyer" 10 call attention to
the failure OF the Assessor 10 do his duty.
Personally, Taxpayer" is friendly to
Mr.. Powell. and would not knosinely do
him Q wrong in word or deed. When
Taxpayer " wrote his communication be
presumed that Mr.. Powell would excuse
his failure by stating that be had demand
ed . sworn statement from the agent OF
the estate, that 10 had been furnished and
be had relied upon il in assessing the prop
erty OF the estate. No one could have
been more surprised than Taxpayer vas
when, instead OF doing this. Mr.. Powell
undertook to defend the assessment made
by him By persisting in undertaking The
properly. Take for instance the land.
Seven,y-three thousand acres are in this
Dunphy bought half Of this land
on the Humboldt from the State certainly
for not less than one dollar and twenty
i've cents an acre when ID was wild land.
Tie railroad owned each alternate section
md Dunphy bought the railroad lands OF
the railroad company. Mr.. Powell says.
Tor forty-fve cents an acre. Mr. Powell
must excuse Taxpayer" for doubling
he vsracisy Of bis informant in relation
to the price paid By Dunphy for the rail-
lands. The Central Pacific Com
2sny is not noted for giving away valuable
property or for lack Of business ssgaciiy.
q is incredible that 10 should sell lite
choicest land in this State for forty-ave
'ents an acre TO . man who Was forced 10
in order to enclose the whole body Of
and for fifteen or twenty miles along the
humboldt, 30 az to keep the stock Of out
iders from water and from the range for
many miIes on either side OF the Hun.
oh. NO; the whole OF that land cost
not lees than one-dollar and .
an acre on an average.
After Purchasing. Dunphy built his
house in this county, planted
ONE Of the land in alfalfa and fenced the
'hols Of il, dug bitches, built dams on it
acquired valuable water rights in con-
with II. The interest the estate
as to pay annually upon the purchase
rice Of the land bought from the State 10
il cents an acre. II seems almost incred-
Die that Mr.. Powell. in the face Of these
ac.s, should believe. and attempt to make
be people believe, that this land 10 not
Torth at least two dollars and q half an
ere.
But Mr.. Powell, in his effort 10 shield
he rich non resident heirs Of this estate
rom the payment by them OF their just
'roporiion Of taxes, asse.is that the best
ands are in Elko and Lander counties.
low, some Of the very best lands On the
humboldt are in this county. although
here lie probably more good land In Ian.
Ter than in this county. but . considerable
,ody Of the land was once a part Of the
Indian reservation on Maggie Greek.
in this county and partly in Elko.
10 excellent land. Mr.. Powell asserts
hat most OF the cattle were in Lander
and tina. the horses. jacks. etc.,
re not kept in this county. One Of the
appraisers contradicts Mr.. Powell fatty
,pon these points. but we need not call 10
he testimony Of the appraisers in refer
,nce to these facts. Unfortunately for
Mr.. Powell, the tax statement made by
agent OF the estate under oath. the
Isme agent that furnished Mr.. Powell his
shows that for this year the
value Of property in Elko county. returned
10 the Assessor Of that county. was only
lorty.four thousand dollars, and the value
81 property in Lander county. returned 10
the Assessor Of that county, was only IF
by FIVE thousand dollars, or only ten thou.
sand dollars moro for both Lander and
Elko than the eighty-nine thousand dol.
lars returned to Mr.. Powell In shis county.
Now. Mr.. Powell must pardon "Tax.
payer II he accepts the statement made
under oath by the agent to the Assessors Of
these three counties. showing the proper.
ton Of property In each county as true, a.
against his bare assertion that most OF
the property 10 In Lander and Elko coun.
ties.
Taxpayer" has examined the assess-
ment roll Tor this year. not very exhaust.
lively, and he failed 70 hnd the land Of any
ranch In Pine Valley assessed for less than
So an acre.
The worst feature Of Mr.. Poweil's com.
munication ID that II shows that he has
closed his eyes TO these frauds on the rev.
enue. and manifests . disposition 10 con.
tinue 10 undsrvalue the property Of some
rich land owners. TAxPAYER.
II the hereafter should, by accident,
locate us permanently in heaven, we
would certainly desert il and 60 to the
other place and secure . job firing the
furnace. We would willingly surrender
the pleasures Of pushing clouds and play.