The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-05
An Attempt to Straighten Out
the School Board Middle.
MISS MULLINS SIDE OF 1T
She Believes That She Has Acted In
Accordance With the Law-Knows
Nothing Of Any Clique
or Faction.

trustees, Dut tnere was some tolk OF a
conference between the resigned trus-
tees and the county superintendent. The
latter said last evening that b was
willing to meet the gentlemen and talk
the matter over and see II the difficulty
could not b adjusted. She said she
had never received their designations.
and would not consider hat they had
resigned unless so notified by the clerk
of the board. Miss Mullins ~interprets
the law to the effect that the board of
trustees are masters of their own &C
lions. Ind that they act on each others
acts, designations. etc. She believes
they acted in accordance with the Law.
and she accepted the resignation Of Mr..
Frederic. and that all h had to do
with the matter was to appoint his sue
cessor when notified by the clerk that
there was a vacancy. Miss Mullins
seems to think hat there II some EFFORT
TO reflect unfavorably upon her motives
in appointing Mr.. Dorais, and to criti-
else her unjustly for the unnecessary
trouble hat has been created by b
ers. She said last evening that she
knew nothing OF clique. faction. society
or religion in her school work, and was
not influenced by such in her appoint
ment OF Mr.. Dorais. She believed he
would make a valued member OF the
board, and believed he would be In ac-
cord and in perfect harmony with the
other members or she would not have
appointed him. She also said that so
far as matters now stood. she regarded
them just as though there had been no
trouble, and viii continue to consider
Long. Burke. Morgan and Lane men,
hers Of the board.
Mr.. Morgan has left for the East. and
expects to be absent six weeks or W o
months. 1t was stated for him yes
terday, however. that he would not
withdraw his resignation. and that he
no longer considered himself a men,
Der of the board. He has threatened
frequently to resign during the past
two months. He resigned the nomina-
ton when II was made before the last
election, and It was only upon urgent
requests that he reconsidered II. He
made up his mind 10 resign when the
Frederic matter came up, and other
members OF the board again talked him
out OF II. Last Thursday evening,
when Mr.. Dorais' appointment was an
nounced. he wrote out his resignation
without saying a word. and passed II
to President Long. That act precipi-
tated matters, and to avoid II an ad-
journment was moved n carried. Ions
and Burke left the building. but had not
gone far before they came to the con-
| ciusion that they would also end mat
tiers as FAR as they were concerned by
resigning also, and they went back and
did SO. Mr.. Lane followed suit because
he did not care to remain on the board
II all the other experienced members
left il.
Alexis A. Gagner was the man first
selected for the appointment to repre-
sent the French Canadians. MT. Gag.
| ner is a young nan a blacksmith and
horseshoer, whise shop is tuated at
the corner Of Galena and Arizona
streets.
II want to tell you just 10Y my name
came TO figure In the AFFAIR" said he
yesterday. Last Thursday morning ]
was advised la Miss Mullins had said
she preferred to appoint a French
Canadian to the office Of school trus-
tee, and hat my name had been mem
toned TO her. II was he first intima-
ton / had that a Frenchman was to be
appointed. and i Was as much sur
prised that my name should have been
mentioned as IL the presidency OF the
United States a been rendered me.
This information came to me from sew
eral we'll known Americans. who told
/ me my name had been presented to the
other members of the board and that
Il seemed to give satisfaction. ! told
them tha ] thought I was too young
and inexperienced for the ONCE, and
said that II Il was the intention to APP
! point a French Canadian. the ap-
pointment should 60 to oliver Chevrier.
as he was better known and. I thought.
better qualified for the place. ] also
suggested the name OF 8. Marchesesau
and several Others. Although not a
member OF the Canadian Institute. ] at
NICE went up to the club rooms and In
formed the members there Of the situa-
ton. Several Of them accompanied me
and We called on Mr.. Chevrier and
urged him to accept the appointment.
He fatty and positively refused We
then called on Mr.. Marchesseau, and he
also declined. several others were seen
and they. too. declined TO accept IL. i
then said that IL M one else would take
1t, / would. n would do the best I
could with the ONCE. had not yet
met Miss Mullins and Mr.. Dorais Of
fered to 90 with me to her ONCE and in
troduce me. He did 20. and told her
that he thought I would make a good
trustee. She thereupon decided to ap-
point me. That was at 8 o'clock In the
afternoon. n she suggested that ] go
out and secure my bondsmen and come
back at 5 o'clock. by which time she
would have the appointment made out
n the blank bond prepared. I went
and secured Tom Lavell n Geon Lo-
zier to go on the bond. and at 5 o'clock
went back to the superintendent Of
hce to get the blanks. Miss Mullins
then informed me that h had been
placed in a rather queer position. She
said Mr.. Dorais and a from
the institute had called on her and that
the committee had represented to her
that II woul be a whole lot better TO
appoint Mr.. Dorais. She said II put her
in a rather bad light. but she desired
to appoint a man who represented the
nationality. I took from what she said
that they claimed that the institute
represented the French nationality in
Butte and that ~ their number
should be appointed. The institute has
a membership not to exceed 40. while
the French voting population In Butte
numbers about 500. so that the institute
does I'm no manner represent US. How
ever. ] do not care for h and told
Miss Mullins that I was well pleased "a
have her appoint someone else and said
Mr.. Dorais would make a God man.
II had known he wanted the place. ]
would not have stood in the way for a
moment. but I would rather have been
informed Of II before I had rome to the