Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-21
EIdon People at Outs ovs-. Their
Postoface.
BOTH CROW AND HOUCHLAND TALK
Make Statements to Courier Repre-.
sentative, Giving the Two sides Of
the Matter-Postoffice Inspector
Has Investigated the Matter.
From Tuesdays Daily.

VeStlgatlng certain complaints made
concerning the management of the Ell
don postoffice by Postmaster w. G.
Grow. He interviewed several bust
ness men. including the one who filed
the complaint, J. E. Houghland, and
also talked the matter over with Mr..
Grow. What his report will be in re-
gard to the matter is, of course, as
yet unknown, but the affair has Great
ed much discussion among citizens of
Eldon.
The people are divided on the ques-
ton, and already petitions are being
circulated in Eldon praying the post
Office officials to retain Mr.. Crow as
postmaster Several statements OF
the case have been made, and in order
that correct one be given the public
a representative of the Courier inter-
viewed Mr.. Houghland and Mr. Crow,
and wrote their statements at dicta-
ton.
Mr.. HoughIand's Side.
Mr.. Houghland made the following
statement to Courier reporter last
evening:
Il am the second vice-president OF
the st. Louis, Iowa and Northern Rail-
way company, with my Office at Eldon,
and have done correspondence for this
company for the last three years. Dur
ing that time, with this correspondence
in connection with my local business,
have had considerable correspond
ence thru the Eldon postoffice, and
during all tat time | have had letters
placed in my box for quite number
of business men, to whom have hand
ed these letters.
Last spring | was in correspond
ence with the Eagle Construction COM
pany, of San Antonio, Texas, whereby
arrangements were made for Chief
Engineer Dubois, of Macon. Mo-, to
meet their chief engineer at st. Louis,
and for them to go over our line OF
road together. Two letters from said
construction company mailed to Ell
don and addressed to j. H. Hough-
land instead of j. E. Houghland,
We're received at the Eldon postoffice
and placed in the general delivery.
held for nine days before l was asked
if they were my letters. | opened said
letters in the Eldon postoffice, and
showed the postmaster his clerks
that they were my letters
During this tire our chief engin-
eer was at st. Louis, at heavy expense
to our company awaiting the appear
ance OF the engineer of the said con
struction company, and while said let
tiers were lying in the Eldon postoffice
\ telegraphed to San Antonio and to
st. Louis to find out why the engineer
of the construction company has no,
! reported at st. Louis. If said letters
/! had been handed to me or had inquiry
been made il they were mine even the
next day aftert they were received at the
Eldon postoffice it,would have saved
| us all the trouble and expense Of hay
| ing our engineer at st. Louis. II the
letters had been received on time it
would have prevented loss, to our
company of over $500
For two or three months 4 took no
action in the matter, except to mali
my letters that were OF Importance on
the trains. | then filed a statement
of the whole transaction. sworn to by
me and backed by the envelopes with
the postmarks OF receiving, complain
| ing to the postoffice department of the
| transaction, and of other mai being
In my box, along with some other mat.
ter that was handed me by patrons OF
the postoftice and list of names OF
nearly all the business men of Edo:
as reference and proof of my asser.
tion as to the mixing up of the nail
matter
i also filed a complain against the
Eagle Construction company of yiolat
ing the postal laws by obtaining mon.
ey from our company thru false pre-
tense, which matter is now being in,
vestigated by Postoffice Inspector
Clark, OF San Antonio, Texas. If i
had received those two letters when
should have, all this trouble W. ala
| have been obviated.
| Postoffice Inspector Mahin visited
Eldon last week and saw nearly al
the parties whose names | gave as
reference. ! am blamed for giving
these mems names as reference, as
they We're not asked to give their con
sent. am not, nor is any other citi
zen obliged to ask anyone for his con
| sent to use his name as reference ir
any matter or for any purpose. Ii
then lies with these parties to give
their statement to suit themselves. In
spector Mahin will probably make hi,
report to the proper officials and Il
from tnat report the department see.
fit to take action which would give
/ Eldon a new postmaster it will Ger
tainly be by reason of the evidence
taken by him and certainly cannot bs
laid on my shoulders, farther than m,
having made my compliant which an,
other man would do under similar cir
cumstances. | made this complain
thru and by reason of the transaction
above stated, which is plain bushes.
reason ! was not guided by any NAL
ice or i'll will against w. e. Grow, no
4 have | said or done anything detri
mental to his personal character.
1 Il make this statement simply tina
4 justice may be done to me in the mat
ter, Notwithstanding reports to tn,
: contrary which have been circulated
for some months, that | was doing thi
thru malice. do admit the crime o
having been a candidate for the ap
pointment as postmaster of Eldon
and this is the basis for the treatmen
that have made these reports
against the Eldon postmaster on THU
ground
IF Postmaster Grow loses the post
I ,,,in hn y 4.