The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-03
Four TRUSTEES RESIGN
School Board Springs Another
Sensation.
DONAT DORAlS APPOINTED

Long. Morgan. Burke n Lane Are Said
to Have Immediately Rssigned-Re- Q
FUSED to 0ivs Reasons Mr..
Dorais Can't Explain 1t. =
Donat Dorais was yesterday appoint
ed q member of the board Of school
trustees to MI the vacancy aused by
the resignation Of J. b. Frederic. The
appointment was reported to the board
at it's meeting at s o'clock. A minute
later Trustee A. T. Morgan had written
out his resignation and handed it to
President Long. Immediately the board
adjourned, without t~ransactipg any
business. and the trustees retired to a
| private room, where they held a short
consultation Then they called on Clerk
Richards for some writing paper, and
a few minutes later they all left the
building and the clerk carried to Miss
| Mullins. the county superintendent.
several communications. which. It is
| understood. were the designations of
| MI. Long. Mr.. Morgan, NJ. T. Burke and
| Charles Lane as members Of the board.
That in brief Is the story of the latest
school board sensation or scandal.
The action of the four members In
resigning Is as much OF a surprise as
1t is mysterious. The gentlemen refused
| to talk or give any explanations when
questioned by reporters last night. but
il was admitted that the trouble all
arose over Mr.. Dorais' appointment.
| and the trustees named informed Miss
| Mullins thai they would not sit on the
| board with Mr.. Dorais. They. however,
refuse to give their reasons. though
one advanced the rather lame excuse
tina Mr.. Dorais was a liquor dealer.
He is a wholesale grocer and sells
liquor on the side, as all grocers in
Butte do.
\ Miss Mullins has had the matter OF
choosing a successor to Mr.. Frederic
under consideration for a week. In
making the selection she aims TO n a
man who would be especially satisfac-
tory to the other members OF the board.
She said last evening. after the action
of the board had been reported to her.
that her one desire had been to make
an appointment agreeable to the trus-
tees. She frequently asked the board
to express a preference. but they per-
sistently refused to do so. She wished
to meet them, but only Long and Nor
gan called on her. She met them at
her Office Wednesday afternoon, but
hey declined to name anyone, though
they suggested a number of names that
she added to a list she had under con-
| sideration. She a a few names which
they did not approve. and she no longer
considered them. Yesterday morning
she was waited on by a number OF we'll
known French Canadians of Butte. who
represented to her that in view of the
fact that Mr.: Frederic was of their ma
~tionality and had been elected by the
I nannla If was no more tnan
right that the man appointed in his
place shout also be a French Canad-
ian. They said il any other man were
appointed it would look as II Mr.. Fred
the Who'll nationality. Miss Mullins
agreed hat their judgment was rea-
sonable. The men who called on her
suggested the names OF A. A. Gaenier.
s. Marchesseau, Oliver Chevier n D..
Dorais. The latter advocated strongly
Mr.. Gagnier, but the other embers of
the committed urged Mr.. Dorais. Miss
Mullins said she would consider the
matter, and after the committee had
left her she went to see a number of
prominent men and asked them what
they thought OF the appointment of
Mr.. Dorais. They all spoke highly of
| him. Miss Mullins said she next called
on Mr.. Long and submitted to him the
names of Dorais. Gagnier Chevier,
and he offered no objections to them,
but remarked that IL they did not do
right he would Jump on them as he
would on any other member of the
board. Miss Mullins avs she replied
that she hoped he would do so. She
then returned to her office and made
an appointment OF Mr.. Dorais and noti-
fled him of the fact.
1t was 7:45 last evening when Mr..
Dorais qualified by taking the oath of
office and filing with the county super
intendent his official bond in the sum
of $40, 900, with A. F.. Bray and Hugh i.
Wilson as sureties.
Last night was the regular meeting
night Of the board. but when the re-
porters arrived at 10 minutes after s
o'clock. the board had already ad-
journed and several of the trustees had
already left the school building. but a
few minutes later they returned n all
retired to a private room and held a
caucus. While they were so engaged
Mr.. Dorais arrived and took a seat. He
waited for a few minutes and then the
Standard reporter informed him that
the board had met and adjourned. He
was surprised and said they must have
known of his appointment and that he
would attend the meeting. While he
waited the door OF the private room
opened and the clerk was called on for
some paper IN writing material.
A few minutes later Mr.. Long and
Mr.. Burke came out, passed Mr.. Dorais
without looking at him n left the
building. Mr.. Dorais soon followed. The
other members Of the board were ques-
toned for an explanation OF the mys-
terious proceedings. They all referred
the inquisitors to Mr.. Long. The latter
W a seen later at the Silver Bow club.
but declined to talk for publication or
discuss the matter at all.
las far as I am concerned" said Mr..
Morgan. I'll tell you what i did. We
were sitting round the table I'M /
wrote out a billet doux and handed IL to