The Caldwell tribune., 1905-08-19

I've to an alleged disposition on the
part OF certain people to ''hoId mn,
Gne people IN connection with the
Deer Fiat reservoir. It was in order
to bring out the facts in the case
that we printed the article referred to
by. Mr.. Partridge. The substance Of
the charge was made by Mr.. Lowell
In an interview given to the Boise
Statesman, published May 10th. and.
prior to the Tribune article, had
nevor been publicly refuted. Mr.,
Steunenberg does not, IN his state
ment, specifically allege anything, in
point, except that he did not know
and, we appreheud, nobody ever &C.
cused him of knowing. Mr.. Lowell's
statement is clear only on one point.
which is, that in his interview given
to the Statesman, he did not refer to
Mr.. Partridge's land as having been
purchased "while the delegation was
in Washingtou''. The main purpose
of Mr.. Lowell's statement seems to
be merely to accurately fix dates:
that is. MIR. Partridge closed the
land deal in February and the
delegation" did not go to Washing
ton till March. AS we understand
it, the engineers had reported to the
Secretary of the INTERIOR before the
delegation" went to Washington,
and the delegation" went in re-
sponse to representations that the
project was in danger of being turn
ed down, or indefinitely postponed.
In this matter, The Tribune now
finds itself in very much the same
state of mind that Mr.. Frank
Steunenberg found himself on June
lst 1t will be observed that
he said upon that date: 81
do not see how l can express my
sentiments without the same being
misconstrued by one, and perhaps
both sides to the affair." Really,
| there is nothing sentimental about
"the affair.", but Mr.. Stuenenberg is
very cautious man and would not
unnecessarily disclose his feelings,
espe cially if the disclosure we're liable
Chairman of the Right of Way Com
mittee and was so on May 18th when
he talked with Mr.. Partridge over
the phone; yet, on May 18th, four
days after the conversation in which
Mr.. Partridge indicated to Mr..
Steunen berg that he would make
satisfactory and just arrangements"
Mr.. Lowell, president of the Associa-
tion, gave out the celebrated "hold
up' interviewed and, evidently,
never thought there was anything
wrong about it until Mr.. Partridge
had particularly called his attention
to it. Then he discovered only an
anachronism.
The statements made by Messrs
Lowell and Steunenberg both refer to
the "hoId up" interview given by
Mr.. Lowell to the Statesman :,
published May 16, and, if they ar e
of any value at all, it is in refuta-
tion of what Mr. Lowell said then,
and their publication three months
ago would have been much more op,
perfume than now
There is one more point that de-
serves notice. From the publication
of Mr.. Lowell's "hold up inter
view, May 10th, to the date of his
recantation, May 25th, something
was done which, in Justice to Mr.
Partridge, ought to have been giver
great publicity.
While intending to have something
more to say respecting this matter,
it is proper to say now that If al
which has been charged aboutspeculat'
ing in Deer Flat reservoir lands il
true, nothing of a criminal nature
has been done. The Tribune though
is entirely willing to believe thai
Mr.. Partridge is wholly innocent;
that he did not even suspect that any
part of the 800 acres he purchased IL
February would be inclueded in the
reservoir SITE that when he discover
ed that some of the land was within
the site he hastened to signify hi
desire to relinquish it at very mod
est advance above cost. There is NJ
quetsion of veracity between Th'
Tribune and Mr.. Partridge, nor, il
this connection, between The Trl
bune and anybody else. All that W.
did was to publish the story as l
"runs'' AMI we so stated. That
story had its origin in what Mr.. Low
ell said and in what Chief Enginee
Ross said, when the latter threatened
to order his men off the work unless
the Nampa holders of this land i'm
mediately receded from the exorblt
ant prices they demanded for It,
Indicative of the fact that those
holders have not receded is the fac
that the right of way business is still
unsettled, and the further fact tina