The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-28
EDITOR MONTEITH.
His Suit Against Banker
Mcdonald.
AN INVOLVED NARRATIVE.
The Magazine Man Says That McDon-
aid Wanted to Be Doomed
for Governor.

a lawsuit is brewing against the Califor-
nian Illustrated Monthly Magazine. aud in
the complaint which the plaintiff says he
will soon fle for all the world and the Su-
perior Court to read some highly interest
ing "reminiscences will be related.
The plaintiff is John Monteth. the geog-
raphy man, late of Southern California ard
now of San Rafael. r. II. Mcdonald Jr
will be the respondent.
1t is all about some money. which Mr.
Monteith says Mr.. Mcdonald agreed to pay
him for certain literary work; but other
things will or p ont.
For instance: 1--WE will tell the truth
about the illustrated weekly paper that Nc
Donald hired my father to start and edlt,"
SAYS George W. MOnteith, the son and at
tOrney-at-law.
what is the truth about it? That it
was to boom II. II. Mcdonald for Governor.
"And il was TO advocate the election OF a
pure School Board. The pure men were to
be selected by Mcdonald, and the evidence
of their purity was to be found In their
readiness 10 appoint only those teachers
whose savings should be deposited IN the
Mcdonald bank.
'These are only some Of the truths we
propose to tell. There are Others. aud they
will be equally interesting.
How does Mcdonald come to owe my
father money? Why, Mcdonald made a
contract with him for $50 week to edit the
new weekly paper, and meanwhile he was
to be employed on the Californian.
Now the weekly paper scheme has
fallen through, and my fathers services
have been dispensed with without any rec
ompenSe.
'TMy father has always been q literary
man and writer OF note. and Just before
Mcdonald made this offer to him he re-
ceived very advantageous opening as the
editor Of an Eastern educational publica-
ton.
''The salary for the Eastern place was
considerably larger than that promised by
Mcdonald. but the latter talked so glow
ingly Of tie bright vistas Of the future that
was sure to open out for everybody about
him when Mcdonald should be Governor
that my father gave up his Eastern engage
ment nd came here.
Mcdonald didn't say so outright, nor
did he put il in the contract but the general
understanding was that when he should
finally be seated in the gubernatOrial chair
the weekly paper was to be turned over
entirely TO my father, who was thus TO
become its sole, or at least controlling,
owner.
'All these things appeared very enlicing
to my father, and when he came up here
last summer 10 start the paper he worked
hard and Zeal0uslY. It wasn't long before
Then Mcdonald said he would make good
his contract with my father by giving him
place on the Californian.
MY father did good work on the M aga
zine, but Mcdonald wanted TO get rid of
such a high priced man, as he called him,
so he set one of the hands in the bank 10
carrying tales and making trouble between
Charles Frederick Holder and my father.
Now, my father IS out entirely, and the
McDonalds simply deuy the obligations
they owe him; We have not WORD to say
about Mr. Holder. Though he has, of
course, stood with the McD0nalds through
out il all. we believe him only mistaken but
not insincere.
Now we will sue. You may expect TO
see the complaint filed almost any day.
Our contract is our case. There will be
some interesting developments, for we
mean TO tell the whole truth"
This is the plaintiffs side OF the story.
What says respondent?
Let them produce The contract. That is
all They have no contract and they know
it. Do you suppose l would be so unwise
as TO wrong man and then not right that
wrong before he began suit, If thought he
had legal claim against me?"
It was r. II. Mcdonald Jr. who spoke
thus 10 THE CALL man. And lie repeated
LET them SHOW the contract
4 urged Professor Holder to keep Mr..
Monteith on the Californian, but be de-
cliued to do so most emphatically. Pro-
lessor Holder is part owner of the mag
azine, you know, and being the chief editor
must be permitted to say who shall work
for him.
Though II has never been said so openly
that / know Of. the real reason for Mr..
Monteith's discharge Is probably inc0m-
petence.
And what ii there was a plan 30 advo-
cate my father for Governors That.
surely, is a laudable ambition. 1t is not
every one who may look so high as that.
There's nothing Illegal nor disbonorable In
a man wanting to be Governor.
But let him produce his contract.
Until he can do that he has no case at
al