Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-05-15
BACK TALK.
G. D GRAY AND WILLIAM vTvI-
on HAVE A NEWSPAPER
CONTROVERSY
The POINTS GIVEN BELOW.
o. D. Gray, Of the Sturgeon Leader
and WIN. Vivion, Who Lives Just
South Of Mexico, Are Having
a Lively Tilt in Gray's
Sturgeon Leader

To the Editor Of the Sturgeon Leader.
MEXICO May DIN the last issue
Of your paper / notice an item in
which you not only 60 out OF your
way to unkindly speak Of and iniure
me personally, but also to wilfully
misstate facts. Irefer to the follow
ing item:
1--WE are delighted TO know that
Viyion was defeated. He is an old
hog. He actually saved a six mile
ride in Sturgeon by using a telephone
line and then actually refused to pay
fifteen cents for the message. He
said be had been sponging on the Mex
leo Telephone 90. for ten years
talked when be wanted to and. never
paid a cent. Now wouldn't such a
man makea great county o~ficer?"
As to the above l desire to say that
the circumstances to which you refer
as to ny using a telephone at your
town are as follows: A. H. Whitney,
Secretary Of the Audrain County Dem
ocratic Committee, on Monday, April
4, requested me to deliver the poll
books and ballots for Sailing township
to the judges in the various school
districts. This l did, often riding over
territory l had been over before to do.
so, and leaving some uncanvassed.
The speaking closed at Pisgah Friday
night. Saturday morning | rode into.
Sturgeon, and left my horse at the
livery barn. Imet r. L. Barnes, a
member Of the committee from Sailing
and told him / had the poll books for
IG. W. Batterton, a Judge in Canada
district, and wanted to leave them at
some place in Sturgeon for him. Mr..
Barnes went with me to J. G. 0wlngs'
restaurant and we left them there.
Mr.. Owings rang up Mr.. Batterton
and told him l had left the books
and ballots there for him and to call
and get them. / then thanked Mr..
Owings for his courtesy and left with
Mr.. Barnes. Nothing was said about
charging for the message nor did !
think Of sueh a thing.
left on the 6 a. m. train returning
SUNDAY night to Sturgeon. Monday
morning / met Mr.. Owings. He stat
ed that you, Mr.. Editor, had gotten
after him for not charging me for use
, ing the telephone. / told him l had
, not expected 10 be charged for II fol
: such was not the custom in Mexico,
, but if anything was due, ] would pal
! IL. and run my hand In my pocket Il
! get the money. He said not 70 pay
1t, that he would see you In regard 4
il, that the phone had only recent!
been placed in his house, and be didn'
know what was customary. / left
& telling him If anything was charged,
: would pay it. / thought no more c
the matter until my attention wa
!, caled to the insulting and maliciou
article in your paper. l had no per
| s0nal interest whatever in the mes
! sage and would have gladly paid
!, had l known you demanded it. / telt
phoned to Mr.. Owings Saturday, Ma
ID. He said Ididnit refuse TO pay fc
4 the message. During my residenc
: Of thirty-three years in Audrain cour
ty, Mr.. Editor, you T the first ma
that ever preferred the charge again'
! me OF refusing TO pay that which
lowed or to beat anyone out Of VIII;
was due them. WN. NTvIoN.
)f Our statement Of last week vi
D. based on the interview We bad with
IN G. Owings. On Saturday Mr.. Owing
as called us into his restaurant and To
* US that Mr.. Viyion had used the tel
phone line without paying for sam
at We told Mr.. Owings that the meSsal
to woald be charged 10 him If Mr.. ViviC
Us did not pay it, as we expected o
m subscribers to protect us from imp
ID sltion on the part Of non-subscrioeI
70 Mr.. Owings stated 70 US that be Won
try to collect from Mr.. Viyion.
a. On Monday Owings called us aga
10 and said be had named the charge
lis Viylon and that be refused to pay I
same. He said that he tViyionl b
l been talking over the telephone s.
ng TEN in Audrain county for ten yea
is-that be did not have a telephone
his residence and that he had neN
paid one nickle for using the lin
he This Is what we call hogging.
OF We saw Mr.. Owings on Tuesday
III this week and he told US substantial.
what be had said before.
DIS Now the points are these: J
Vivion states that he promised J
whitney that be would deliver
poll books 10 Mr.. Batterton. Now
=. stead OF riding out TO Batterto
house, be telephones that be wo'
leave the poll books at owIngs' I
re taurant Did not bis c%onyersatI
Is over the telephone ave NiviOn
hi ride out TO Battert0n's hOusey v
in this not worth the toll charge OF
askedS
uis We care nothing about the SIN
ace sum OF money asked for, other than
lex we earned IL honestly we want it a
In Mr.. NiviOn will send us the 81
.asked for, the matter will be dropE
lso far as we are concerned
Vfvion undoubtedly paid the Lou
lana Telephone 90. at Mexico SOC
q Monday OF this week for talking 70
81 &c. Owings, OF Sturgeon, regard
this matter. II that telephone com
le. ny earned its money, surely the s.
New Century Telephone 90. carr
~. l5e when il saved NiviOn q ride out
nj Mr.. BattertOn's home and back
Dr. town.
Suppose, Mr.. NiviOn, that you go
sef Mr.. Graham, proprietor Of the Mex
Telephone Co and tell him you hs
a. been ~bothering his central Operat
NJ. for ten years. That you have ne
5is. paid one cent for all the fayOrs gra
Of cd sou during all this time, ne
by even offered 20 pay for same. II
~ ask him II you are not a wee bit h
gish, and we'll bet you the money J
b owe the New Century Telephone
ina lbs cents against a hunk Of your )
that he will pronounce you the {
ri gest hog IN Andrain county.