Arizona republican., 1898-10-10
SOUTH SIDE.
LEHI.

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 LEHI.
 Lehi, Ariz., Oct. 9.-(Special Cores pondence Of The Republican Ut was early in the forenoon when the stock holders began to gather on the banks of the Utah. They came in carts, wag- ons, buggies, on bicycles, horseback and afoot from all parts of the south side. The forenoon was spent in cau- cuses, discussion and the forming Of combinations, both factions eXertiES every effort to muster and hold a ma jority Of shares in line. The Lchi people closed themselves in a ncT brick house and remained there until the noon hour The Extension people were gathered in knots here and there between the vehicles and in the shade on the canal banks. Everything seemed to be done in good nature, yet an air of intensity filled the little burg. Af ter dinner the stockholders met in ths town hall.
 Tom Biggs, chairman of the board of directors, did not take the chair; ne was already in the chair when the stockholders came together. No ore did anything; they were evidently all absorbed in meditation. Fully fifteen minutes elapsed when James Johnson rose from his seat in the back part or the room and moved that the chair cali the meeting to order. The motion was not seconded, but the chair stated that as the secretary had not finished preparing the minutes of the previous meeting the chair could not comply. Another silence Of five minutes when Charles Williams, awakened hy the growing uneasiness all over the rooEi, placed Dr. Wilbur'S name before the meeting for chairman. Mr. Davis, Jr, objected on the ground that the chair man of the board of directors always acted as chairman of the meetings of stockholders The nomination came from the Extension faction and was op- posed by the Lehi people. It appeared that this fight would decide the rela- tive strength of the factions, but only to the uninltiated in Utah affairs, where everything indicates nothing and nothing everything. While the contest was at it's height the chairman informed the house that an assista2. secretary was needed, and asked the house what they would do about it. The house moved and seconded and carried the motion that there be an as- sistant secretary. The chair appoint ed MT. SimpkinS. The house was sat isfed, as it removed from the floor a talkative member, but the house didn't know anything about it. The fight on chairman was resumed and Charles Williams called for the by laws. There was nothing in these, giv- ing the chairman of the directors au- thOrity to preside over stockholders meetings. Lehi stood on precedent and the Extension on the bylaws. While they were thus standing some one said no chairman could be chosen until it was known who was entitled to vote and moved the chair to appoint a committee to examine stock and proxies. It was not until the fight on chairman had exhausted the contend ing parties that the committee motion was carried, a few voices only answer ing. A half hours work and the com mittee reported 12,334 shares of stock represented Several ownsrs Of frac- tional shares became anxious and wanted to know if ;they were entitled to vote fractional votes. Then began another controversy, which waged for two hours and had mixed with 1t the fight for chairman and the effort to call the roll. Again the Extension stood on the bylaws and Lehi op precedent. This ambiguous, and if in terpreted at all, would disfranchise fractional votes as Lehi contendsd. Lehi had never disenfranchised these, but had allowed the several hold5rS of a certificate to cast vote as one man. Dr. Wilbur held half share and w. s. Watrous held the other half os the hor hot fO how it should be voted, but the doctor contended that in case he and MT. Watrous wished to vote opposite to each other, the precedent followed by Lehi and supported by the bylaws would disenfranchise him and thus make the proceedings of the whole meeting illegal. MT. Davis, Jr., sup ported Lehi and declared that the meetings held before had never been illegal. Fractional votes, he said, would cause a great deal Of trouble and were bother to add. It was Lehi against the Extension. What one pro posed the other opposed. James John son arose from his seat in the rear Of the room and made a few remarks that seemed to astound everybody. His talk was to the effect that Dr. Wilbur had owned a half share for years and assessments had been made against that half share regularly and paid by the doctor. The doctor was to be considered as not having any stock in the canal he moved that all the as sessments paid on the half share be returned to him. For the first time in two hours the meeting was quiet. It was actually close in the room, and every face was blank. Away off in some part of the room a little wee voice said: "Yes. but that is not the question" and the house roared.
 It was finally decided that the chair make a ruling and that official, that was not as yet, ruled that the frac- tiOnal votes be not counted. Dr. Will bur appealed and d dozen men jumped to their feet and started out anew over the same ground that had been covered before the appeal. MT. Simp- kins, who was supposed to have been silenced for the day, delivered himself in a powerful manner against the 3D.