The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1908-10-23
TAXPAYERS of WHIT.
MAN, LOOK At THIS +!
Sheriff RatIiff's Many Trips to
St. John and Spokane.
ltemized Statement of Trips, With
Hotel and Livery Bills Railway
Fare Paid Both Ways in Each In
stance Extravaganza Keynote.

Sheriff Fred S. Ratliif, in his remark
able statement published in the Spokes-
man Review of October / 6 makes no at
tempt to explain why he made so many
trips to Spokane and st. John at the ex
pense Of the county. He simply says the
charge that he went other than on the
county's business ''s not true" This is
"A matter that cannot be diam ssed by a
wave Of the hand. There is something
peculiar about so many trips being made
to st. John, Mr.. Ratliff's former home
and where he was interested in business
az a member Of the Pleasant Valley I'm
plement Co. There are several larger and
more important towns in Whitman
county than st. John, but st. John was
the magnet that attracted him so many
times that it became a matter of com
mon remark The same remark applies
in regard to his telephone bills, it being a
matter of surprise why he should have
50 much business-as sheriff-With the
Pleasant Valley Implement Co. Mr.. Rat
lift dlsmisses all this with four words, at
is not true" But it is true. No other
town in the county was visited so often
at the county's expense, as the records
show. Other towns were visited by him
at infrequent intervals, but st. John and
Spokane were seen by him very often
Why it was necessary to go to st. John
so often and to hire so many livery rigs
and to send so many telephone messages,
mostly to the Pleasant Valley Imple-
ment Co., in which he was interested, we
leave the voters and taxpayers of Whit
man county to guess.
Below is an itemized statement of the
trips made by Sheriff Ratlff to both Spo-
kane and st. John, amount of fare paid,
paid for livery rigs at the last named
place. 1t is taken from the official rec
ords in the auditors office, which can be
seen and verified by anyone wishing to
do So 1t 30 far overtOps all other towns
and bills of expense as to make it inter
esting for perusaI.
Sheriff's Trips, 1907.
January 23-To Spokane, fare $4 GO,
Hotel bill 50 80.
February 3-Spokane, fare $4 GO, ho-
tel bill 50.
February 7-St John, fare 81 30, hotel
bill 81 90, livery bill So so
February 25-St John, fare 81 30,
hotel 81, livery So.
March 2-Spokane, fare 81 go, hotef
81 so.
March 18-St John. fare 50 60, livery
50.
April 4-St John, fare 81 85, hotel so
cents, livery SO.
April G-Spokane, fare 81 IS, hotel
s. 90.
April lost John, fare 81 60.
April 24-Spokane, fare 1.-TWO tickets)
81 so, hotel So 30.
May 1-St John, fare So 60, hotel 50,
livery 81 so.
May list John, fare So 60, hotel
81, livery 81 80.
May list John to Spokane and re-
turn, fare 81.
May list John, hotel 81 50. livery
So 80
May 22-SpOkane, fare 81 GO
May 24-St John, livery s.
May 29-Spokane, fare 81 60
June 8-Spokane, fare 81 60, hotel s.
June IO-Spok ane, fare So 80. hotel
50 75
June 17-Spokane, fare $4 60
July Spokane, fare $4 60, hotel
81 so
July list John, fare 50 30, livery SC
July 1G-St John, livery 50
July 19-Spokane, hotel So, fare to
RosaIia and return 50 10, hotel S.
July 24-Spokane, fare 81 60, hotel
$4 80
August 2-Spokane, fare So 50, hotel
So
August uouuB iiFCiy
August 10-Spokane, fare $3 50, hotel
81 80
August 20--St John, fare soc, livery
Sc 50
September spokane, fare So 50,
hotel 81
September 20-Spokane, fare So GO,
hotel 81
October 4--SpOkane, fare So 20. hotel
81
October 12-Spokane, fare So 10, ho-
tel 81
October 21-Spokane, fare 50 20, hO-
tel 81
October 22-Spokane, fare SO 20. ho-
tel 81
| October 26-St John, livery Sc
October 29-St John, fare 81, livery
! 50 so