Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-07-12
A VILE ATTACK.

mlnlstration which is inexcusable
from every point of view. The
cause for the attack grows out of
the trouble certain individuals had
with John Protheroe who owns a
ranch north of the city through
which the city water ditch extends.
Complaint was made that Mr..
Protheroe had fenced a part of the
ditch into his hog pasture and that
the water was polluted, and those
who made the complaint secured
an injunction prohibiting Mr..
Protheroe from so using the ditch.
The article goes on to say that the
city authorities not only refused to
take steps to protect the city water
from filth and disease germs but
actually aided and encouraged Mr..
Protheroe in polluting the water
and endangering the public health
Nothing could have been said
which could have been more vi
ciously false. The city authorities
are as eager and as alert as anyone
to keep the water in the ditch as
clean and as pure as possible. To
prove that this is true they cite the
tact that as soon as complaint was
made of Mr.. Protleroe's fence
across the ditch, the mayor and
some of the councilmen drove up
to his ranch and required him to
remove his fence, keep the hogs out
Of the ditch and to do precisely
what the injunction served on him
later by the district court COM
manded him to do. True, the city
did not enter into litigation be-
cause it was deemed wholly un-
necessary for the reason that Mr..
Protheroe agreed to do all that
was required of him. But there
were individuals who were not sat-
lSt1ed with reasonable concessions.
They wanted to compel him to
move his sheds and stable, change
his pastures and re-arrange the en-
tire ranch, and to this end they
rushed into court on their own re-
sponsibility. They fell down. The
court held that an action of that
kind could not be maintained by
individuals and the county attorn-
ey then consented to take it up and
when the matter came on for final
disposition Judge Gillett, on re-
quest of Mr.. Protheroe's attorney,
went to the scene of trouble and
looked over it himself and granted
an Injunction in terms identical
to what the city authorities had
required of Mr.. Protheroe, but he
did not require the removal of
buildings or change of the ranch
pastures.
1t is very wrong to censure the
city officials when the fact is that
they have done all they could to
guard against impure water. In
deed, the fencing of the ditch was
done year ago when ]. N. Tinch-
er, the principal complainer now,
was city attorney. He drew the
contract permitting Mr.. Protheroe
to fence the ditch and turn hogs in,
and now abuses the city officials
for something which he did him.
self. And when Mr.. Tincher has
grievance the contagion quickly
spreads to the Cresset. We recog-
nize that the city officials are not
in favor with Messrs. Tincher and
Lorton, but that is no justification
for personal attack. These men
were elected to serve the city two
years and are entitled to decent
treatment. ney are our neigh
bors, they pay taxes here, own
some of the incest homes in the city
and are a credit to the city. To
publish them to the world as set
of filthy barbarians, who practice
and encourage uncleanliness and
promote disease, is libel and a
SANDER which should and does
meet the strongest condemnation
of all fair minded people.
Let it be hoped that this shall be
the last time that any newspaper
in this city will give publicity to
such a conglomeration of glaring
falsehoods and libels, either on its
own volition or at the instigation
! Of a moral leper who lacks the
courage to sign his name.