The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-11-01
The Other Side of the Story.
SELECTdEN's OFFICE.
skowhegan, Me-, OF. 80, 1906

Skowhegan, Me-, Oct. 30, 1906.
To the Editor OF the SOMERSET REPORTER:
Dear Sir:
la the last issue of ycur paper, Oct.
25.h, appears an article by Frank l..
Ames, business manager OF the Farmers
Cooperative Telephone Co. in relation
to his trials in getting IN and setting
poles in the village portion of Skowhe-
gan. Remembering the old adage that
half truth is often worse than a lie,
we thought 1t proper to give the citiz us
OF Skowhegan a simple statement of
facts In regard to the matter.
On Nv. % d, 1901 a permit was
granted the +. c. L. CO. a right to set
poles aud string wires on certain roads
in town; also on certain streets in the
then Village Corporation, including
Winter street from NJ alison street to
Court street, under certain conditions,
such as siz. Of poles, height of wires and
painting poles. Mr.. Ames appeared to
be we'll satisfi d with the permit except
painting the poles, but which he said he
would do, and we had goou reason to
suppose from what he said at the time
that he would accept the permit and
have 1t recorded, which he should have
done but did NOT. subsequently be said
he would not accept such permit, say
ing this at the very time he was at work
! in town on his line. He seemed to have
the idea doing this was not an accept
auce. The Municipal Officers learned he
had set poles the whole length OF Pros
pect street and also Russell street,
where he had no permit; also that he
was setting poles on Winter street with
out notifying said officers so that they
might locate them where they would be
least Objectionable to residents. o.
Winter street from Court street to North
avenue, where he had no rights granted,
b. persisted 10 setting poles, after being
forbidden by the Municipal Officers.
| Now as matter of fact be has acted
In accordance with the contract entered
into between him and the town 10 hard
ly single instance. Still he has the
{ fl 'ontery to claim that he and the Com
pany he go misrepresents Is prosecuted,
and he Is trying to pose as a martyr,
even going 30 far as to insinuate that
the Honorable Board of County Com.
missioners was unfaithful in the dis
charge of their duty In that they allow.
ed themselves to be led astray through
undue influence.
Is 1t not unfortunate so worthy a com
pany should be under such management
Mr.. Dane, of whom he speaks, Gays what
he (Dane) said in relation to being will
ing to have poles set near his property
was on the superstition that he, (Ames)
was acting under permit. Was he true
to the residents Of Winter street? Ha:
he been true to HIMSELF We would cal
his Alteration to the words OF the great
est of the poets, which he puts In the
mouth of Polonius in his advise to hi:
son, Lqertes, ITO thine ownself be true
and it must follow as the night the day
thou canst not then be false to any
mar"
AS servants OF the town we have tried
to do our best for telephone companies
especially the Farmers Cooperative
Company, having also regard for the
RICH OF our citizens. la no instance
can it be cited by the F. C. T. Co. or its
aggrieved manager, that we have exrct.
ed from them, under the permit granted
any more stringent conditions than We
have insisted other similar companies
should be obliged to comply with.
SELECTMEN OF SKowHEGAN