The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-08-06


son Road Can Be Built for $500
County Commissioner Bostian re-
plies to the recent criticisms of DR..
Fitz- Mathew relative to the Patter-
son road and defends the official
action of himself and fellow commits
sioners in the following communica-
ton. Any further public discussion
of the matter would seem to be fruit
less.
Editor ISLANDER: The letter which
appeared in your paper July % sign
ed j, Fitz-Mathew makes it absolute
ly necessary that ask you to indulge
me just this once to give me a little
space in your paper. I very much
regret that / am obliged to do so,
but he has placed me on the defen-
sive. Had he not assailed Mr.. Ora
ham and Mr.. Sandwith IN his letter,
men who would not render an uni Just
decision for friend or foe, | might not
deem it necessary to reply to him. l
have been associated with Mr.. Gra-
ham for about four years as county
commissioner and ] have always
known him to cast bis vote on tie
side of justice in all cases as mem
Der of the board, and l can say as
much for Mr.. Sandwith. They are
both men whom love and honor, and
that their honor and integrity should
be assailed by an alien who Is not a
citizen of this grand Republic, by one
who disdainS our laws and institu-
tions, is more than can stand with
out word of remonStrance.
At our last session of the board of
commissioners the Patterson road
trouble was carefully investigated.
There appeared before the board
three men as witnesses--men of high
standing in the county for truth and
integrity, and taxpayers. They were
placed on the witness stand. Their
testimony was that the section in the
petition which was placed there to
catch signers had not one word of
truth in it. The commissioners also
received letters stating that after
carefully Investigating the Patterson
road trouble, their opinion was that
the whole trouble originated through
spite. If the truth had been told
there would not have been any sign
ers to the petition. Now in the name
of common sense what else could the
commissioners do than to ignore said
petition and place the ma tiers in my
hands where it justly belongs, they
knowing full well that would not be-
tray the trust they placed in me as
commissioner
Now, doctor, if you desire to be
truthful and fair why, in the name
of all that is good, don't you come
over and investigate for yourself and
not believe all the stuff an enemy
may tell you, then rush to the county
paper to give your abusive concl0
sions to the public. Your whole cor
respondence, petition and all, shows
conclusively that you don't know or
don't want to know the truth about
the Patterson road. Now doctor, if
you want to be fair you win como
over and find the facts and | stiil
have faith in you to believe that when
you do come over you will be man
enough to apologize to the public and
to. those whom you have been trying
to ihiure by the false statements in
your petition and in your published
articles, In your last letter to the
ISLANDER there IS not one sentence
that VIII bear the searchhght of
truth.
In regard to mud-holes out your
way: ! told the supervisor two
months ago to notify you to move
your fence off the county road. The