The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-10-13
MAKE CHANGE
IN TRUSTEES
BIG DITCH STOCKHOLDERS
ELECT NEW BOARD.
CONTEST WAS LIVELY ONE
Annual Meeting Productive Of Spirited
Proceedinss-l. D. o'DonneII Is
Chosen President.

|E IUI I6dSOuS UOSLE HllOWA W "
selves a majority OF the stockholders
of the Big Ditch company were ,lc;i-.
GUS Of ma. 'lg a change in the l.oa-d
of trustees, a des'ss that manifested
inself very plainly y~esier':sy. when
the annual meeting OF the company
took place. Early in the morning
the men from up the valley began to
arrive and soon thereafter they could
be seer standing in groups about
town discussing the situation and
making up States" With character
istic ~reticence they had but little to
say, except among themselves, but
by degrees it leaked out that the line
of cleavage was on wet" and "dry''
boards. Some of those who favored
the election Of men known to be
wet" said that during the season
O ended the division of water had
not been as fair as might have been
and they wanted to elect trustees in
| clined to be a little more liberal as
regards the supply and also a trif1e
more circumspect in reference to the
mourning of expenses. They COM
| planned of assessments, although adj
hitting that because Of the ravages
| Of the elements the company had
been put to great and extraordinary
| cost for repairs and new construc-
ton.
President Sandenson presided and
after the different officers had submit
ted their reports and they had been
approved nominations for trustees
were declared in order. 1t was then
that the spirit of dissatisfaction pre-
vailing in some quarters began to
manifest itself. Although only seven
were to be elected, no fewer than %
nominations were made.
The Nominees.
The following gentlemen were
placed IN nomination
A. McCrary, W. D. Story, A. G. Rich,
j. w. Cole, C. T. Thomas, j. T. Say
les, Charles King, L. A. Nutting, G. G.
Steers, C.. D. Camp, F. B. Mitchell.
&c. D. Prather, I. d. O'Donnell, P. B.
Merrill, T. E. Keithley, J. T. Graham,
e. Mccormick, Arthur Sansome, Aus
tin North, G. M. MUIR, w F. Snyder,
George Lacey, Gus Peterson.
Under the provisions Of the COM
pany's bylaws the ditch is divided
into three districts, Laurel, Park City
and Billings. To each OF the upper
districts are given two trustees, while
Billings has three. Each share of
the stock represents one vote and in
order to protect the smaller share
holders it is left optional with the
.stockholders whether they vote for
all seven trustees or only one, thus
enabling a stakeholder to give his
full number of votes to n candidate
should he so desire.
The Result.
The matter of counting the votes
proved to be tedious. Not a few were
thrown out, some of the voters having
~]@failed to sign their names to their
votes, an exaction made in order that
there may be mo shenanagans," as 1T
was explained, while others voted
twice and again because others voted
more shares than they had. AT last,
however, the count was completed
and the result was: McCrary, q
624h; Story, 1914; Rich, 2,732k;
Cole. 2,21O; Thomas, 345; Sayles, L.
597h; King, 66S; Nutting, s,O57;
Steers, 813h; Camp, so; Mitchell, A..
PAL; Prather, 1877; ODonnell. 2,932k;
Merrill, 2,325h; Keithley, 1898; Ora.
ham, 73O; Mccormick, 1858; San
some, $40; North, 716h; Snyder, "a;
MUIR, 1856; Lacey, 1894; Peterson,
2,465; Charles S%anderson, 100; J. G
Galloway, so.
Those declared elected were, Nc
Crazy and Rich for Park City; Nut
ting and Mitchell for Laurel; O'Don
nell, Keithley and Peterson for Bill
ings.
The total number of shares voted
was 4,942 out of 6,4OO, the number Of
shares of stock issued by the com
pany.
Trustees Election.
At 8 o'clock last evening the trus
tees met and proceeded to elect OH
GERS for the ensuing yea
1. D. O'Donne44 was elected presi
dent; A. McCrary, vice president
LA Nutting. treasurer. No secretar,