The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-09-18

Opsa Letter Ffsn Otto Lsdang.
TO the Editor OF the KEYSTONE: ~
I - mot want ny friends and neighhon
10 think shat ! am setting mean or rsssaes-
I'll By elosisg ups nsw rod rnnniug
over my land, ! would ak You to kindly
let me have space in your peper to sxpIaia
the matter.
When the washout occurred in %,
thsfs was part Of the county road on =
40 acre vacant Government tract Of land
that the railroad company located their
pev grade On. A sooa - the surveying
stakes were set, I wrote and notified the
Board Of County Commissioners 20 that
they had plenty time to make the railroad
company give them another piece of road
instead Of the one that was going to be
fenced in. The Rev. Osborn, who was
chairman, clerk and hoas for the whole
outfit, says that they appointed the Rev. ("
Lyman Peters to arrange matters with
the aaid company. Mr.. Osborn seems to
be 10 used to acting preacher, that be
even run the county affairs in clerical
style. We ali know that the preacher
kneels At the altar with his back turned
to the congregation, while the hat 10 being
passed. pretending not to know what is
going on. What these two Reverend
gentlemen got do not know. The gentle
man who arranged this business for the
railroad company told me in the presence
of witnesses that he paid the Rev. l..
Peters . small amount. This Mr.. Peters
denies. Of course every body can believe
what they want to. 1t would be too bad
if they did not get any thing either, for the
public--whose interest these two Reverend
gentlemen were appointed to look after
got nothing, the road simply disappeared.
Rev. Peters claims they got just as good
. road - they ever had. My opinion is,
it will be good one when damp weather
comes, to haul loads on, say nothing
about filing the hole full Of snow in the
winter time.
! lot the public travel over part of ny
laad, because I always like to hs neigh
borly, bat having received the treatment
I did. I am under no obligations Whatever.
II the county wants road they will have
to pay for it.
When I built the two different fences,
the lawsuit was about, did Ut both
times ask the county commissioners for
permission. The first time Mr.. ]. w.
Butch, 1t that time road overseer, dis
cussed the matter with the Board twice
and the Rev. Osborn told him it vas I'LL
right. Osborn also told me personally,
that it vas ell right, adding that if had
any more changes to make, then the right
way was to write to the Boxrd myself.
So the last time, when I got ready to
improve my upper ranch, wrote to the
present Board OF county commissioners
and got the following answer:
Received letter of April 4rh, same con
Didered BY Board and concluded this
matter ia between you and the railroad
company. The railroad company agreed
to make the new road good.
'Yours truly, MCGEE"
Chairman for the Board Of Co. Com.
After | received this letter I strxight-
sped up the road, when q man acting as
road Overseer On an old bond that had
run out 8 months before the suit was
started, Mr.. Lyman Peters, commenced
suit against me for unlawfully fencing
up the road, claiming soms $4,000
damages. Mr.. Peter Weber explained
that there came letter in regard to the
last fence, and that the Board was under
he impression that 1t was 9 different
piece Of road, and then gave this answer.
Later, when Mr.. Weber saw the road in
2uestion, he admitted that if he had
known what it Vas he would have stopped
hat whole business. The Board gave me
permission to open gap, and when the
Board meets again, they will reconsider
Ihe matter.)
But Mr.. Osborn did not have the cour.
l&e to admit that Mr.. Butch had spoke
70 him about the first fence By my build
ngs. His memory seems to be getting
poor, add he pointblank denied having
heard anything about the matter until
afterwards
When he came on the witness stand
ae said, "If you want to hear tho truth.
hen / ann here, 40 if Mr.. Peters and his
lrmy had been telling lies. If Rev. o.
BORN had been just q common citizen I
would call part Of his testimony lies, but
y he IL claiming the honor of being .
'ervapt Of God and speaking the truth, I
will call it strath with modification"
Yas. gentlemen, am glad there 10 q
Lord, Providence, or whatever you call it.
When Messrs. Angel and Osborn we're
;huckling over beating me, Mr.. Angel
AID to the Reverend gentleman, 1.-THE next
ime he will know Just exactly how to do
hia thing" Mr.. Osborn sssented, and
do too, only the table 10 turned on them
low, for some way or another these
earned men, who were, 40 Mr.. Angel
aid to me, ''going to educate both the
'ourt and the lawyers," forgot to get the
oct bill died in time and that was all the
whole balloon amounted to-''it bursted )"
Yours very truly.
OTTO 81. LEBLANC.