Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-07-19
LIGHTNING
Q DEAL
A Nearly Unanimous Demo-
cratic Board Responsible.
CULVER WAS IN IT..
Cowardly Attempt Of Six Men to
Shoulder the Blame on One
Republican.
CULVER WAS IN 1T,

Last week, In referring to the can
di lacy OF f. l.. Wright III an alder
man from the second ward, u con-
Temporary injected into this munich
pal contest the matter of the record
made in the past few years by the
school board of the Lewistown dis
trirt. The ARGUS regrets that this
matter should have been brought up
so late, and we believe every candi-
date on the Republican ticket feels
much the same way. We had re-
Trained from touching upon this out
of respect to the gentlemen who now
compose the school board and tiose
who have retired within the last year
or two, but why the Democrats
should have brought up the matter
Is quite beyond comprehension.
The majority-yes, nearly every men,
Der for years past-has been a Demo-
crat; the chairman, past and pres
ent. are Democrats, and the clerk,
also a Democrat, IL today the secre-
tary of the Democratic town COM
mittee and one Of the chief pushes
in the present contest.
The taxpayers Of Fergus county
have been spared the management OF
this crowd in county affairs, but in
Lewistown the taxpayers have sui
iered immensely and we are not yet
out of the wnods. Year after year
the people of Lewistown have sub
mitted to excessive taxation. bad
management and altogether loose
methods, and now the boards organ
has the audac'ty to cite their record
az a sample of what the people may
expect II the Democrat, are success
full in the municipal contest. May
the good Lord save us from any such
catastrophe, is the universal prayer
of the people of this town. It'll quite
e..ough damage that they have done
already
But inasmuch as the Democrat
cited the lightning rod deal, 1t is well
that the proceedings of the board in
that matter be made public, md
through the courtesy OF Clerk Wor-
den we have been permitted To copy
from the records In SO far as they
concern that transaction. The first
mention of the matter occurs i'm the
proceedings Of n meeting held Oct. 10,
1896, and reads as follows:
Minutes, etc.. Oct. 10, 1896. Pres
ent, Chairman Culver, Trustees
Wright, Corbly, Mackey. Clerk WOr-
den. Mr.. X. Hines then
made verbal proposition to place
lightning rods on the school house
for 70 cents per foot. his firm, Bacon
4 Co., to furnish all points, balls,
etc, free. Trustee Corbly then moved,
seconded by Trustee Mackey, that
the board accept the proposition of
Bacon K Co., which motion being
put, was carried. The matter of a
contract being brought up. and the
blank furnished by Mr.. Hines being
unsatisfactory, on motion Of Mr..
Corbly, seconded by Trustee Wright,
1t was unanimously decided to re-
consider the action of the board in
accepting the proposition Of Bacon
4 Co. to place lightning rods OF the
school house. The proposition Of
Bacon & Co. then being before the
board for consideration, Trustee
Wright moved. seconded by Trustee
C0rbly, that Mr.. Hines he asked to
furnish the board with the place OF
business Of Bacon x Gu. and present
a more complete contract to the
board at next meeting, to be held
one week from I, day. The motion
being put was duly carried and the
motion was laid On the table for one
week"
There you have the start Of it.
"Moved by Corbly, seconded by
Mackey." No one recorded voting
no, though Culver was present. The
next appearance OF this matter is:
minutes, Nov. A.. 1896. Present,
Chairman Culver, Trustees Wright,
Mackey, Corbly, Jackson, Root, clerk
Worden. Moved by Trustee
Corbly, seconded by Trustee Wright,
that the proposition OF Bacon 4 Co,
to rod the brick school house be
taken from the table and accepted by
the board, the number Of feet not to
exceed 300 and Mr.. Hines to put In
two ground rods. The motion being
, put was carried"
Here we have "moved by Corbly'
again and still neither Culver mol
, Jackson, moi Root, nor Mackey
: voted no. All good Democrats tho
"Minutes. November IL, 1896
Present Chairman Culver, Trustees
. Cort, Jackson, Mackey, Clerk Wor
den. The following bill
were on motion allow wed and tn
clerk was instructed to draw wal
rants for the same when there shoul'
q he funds on hand to pay them
Bacon K Co. per II. Hines, for rod
ding school house, $224.25."
: Culver wos there again vet tn