Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-04-01
A Communication.

| EDITOR HERALD:-I noticed in your
issue of March 22nd reply by City
Clerk Michaelis to my communication
of March 18th, in which I resented
the statement made by the city clerk
at council meeting 'that he could
save the city about half or nearly half
what the city had been paying local
dealers for COAL" also further, on
another occasion, he stated "that my
profit per ton was at least S1.45." Clerk
Michaelis claims to have rot made
such statement. Three of the coun-
cilmen and also the Herald reports he
did make the first statement, and two
of the councilmen have informed me
that he made the last statement and of
course there can be little doubt as to
the truth of the matter. What is the
use in the face of such information of
him making denial. But whether he
did or did not cuts but little figure
now, as he states in his reply that "he
can with figures show it to be a fact"
With figure juggling you can some
times get any result wanted. He adj
mits the first car of "Black Band" cost
$3.50 per ton on track here and states
all the cars received since have been
far inferior in quality to the first car.
The statement is untrue in every re-
spect and the clerk cannot prove
otherwise. The coal sold the city was
all of the same kind and quality and
have a score of customers who will
bear me out that Black Band Virginia
! Splint was the best and run the most
even of any coal they everIused and l
think our engineer, J. Fl. Stephens,
will admit it. Another statement
made wholly untrue was that "my at
tention was called to the fact of
poor quality but without avail a
falsehood pure and simple. will take
my oath any time or anywhere that
never heard a murmur or received a
complaint about the poor quality of
the coal. | would ask Mr.. City Clerk
who it was that called my attention to
the poor quality? Was it himself, a
member or members of the city coun-
Gil, or Supt. Stephens? 1t surely must
have been somebody, and [ defy
Michaelis to produce him. He cannot
do so. If such was the case someone
must have neglected the city business
badly to allow four more cars to be put
on the city of inferior quality worth
only 81 per ton at the first car price of
S6. Why was it not stopped? I would
ask as tax payer what we have city
council and city clerk for! Surely not
to let such graft 60 on and depend
upon it that it did not occur, and it
was only one of the city clerks dreams.
The clerk further states that the same
brand of coal as "Black Band" is now
offered laid down f. o. b. Lancaster for
$4.95. Take notice he does not say
"Black Band" but something else,
which he says sis just as good" Of
course his argument is now, and all
the time not the brand of coal in dis
cussion but "Something just good"
and thereby through the difference in
price and quality makes it appear to
readers who are not posted on coal,
that the dealers have worked graft.
The prices on "Black Band" and other
Goals are now somewhat lower; they
are as rule in the spring, but even at
that if the city clerk can purchase for
me one to ten cars of Black Band at
S4.95 I am his man and I will pay him
commission on top of it, understand
though [ want the same brand and
same quality of coal I delivered to the
city, and not something just as good"
The clerk has put up little sum and
juggled the figures to suit his argu-
ment. 1t is all in his imagination and
there is no doubt he has a lively one.
| may not be able to figure as good,
but l figure his sum a little different.
Take one falsehood and add it to
somethingselse untrue, multiply sew
eral times and the result would be the
clerks figures, viz: S752.60 loss to the
city on cars Of coal. He asks next,
show do you taxpayers like it?" Don't
you taxpayers think [ am a good
watch dog?" There is no doubt about
the watch idog part of it. Watching
for the end Of the month for pay day
and that is about all the watch dog part
of it amounts to. The clerk states
further There is a screw loose some
where" as certain firm got letter
from someone in Lancaster giving
them HI for quoting low prices on
coal. venture to say the clerk can
not give the name of any such firm
and must have drawn upon his imagi-
nation again. I declare such letter
was never sent by me and have rea-
son to believe Messrs. Birmingham &
Hixon never wrote such letter. Mich
aelis does not.state who the firm was
that received suChI letter so that the
matter could be looked up. AS said
before if the city wanted common