Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-06-11
LOCAL CORRESPONDENCE
In the Dark
FRosTBURG, Mp, June I, 1910

FROSTBURG, NJ H., June /, lolO.
| To the MINING JOURNAL.
In the issue of your paper of May 21st
| was an article signed IAN Interested
Citizen" and in that of June Sd an
other from the same party, signed "Ir
| the Dark, - which is his proper and most
appropriate name.
The first article was written for nc
other purpose than to REUTER- the in
| famous 5000 falsehood about me.
The advice of In the Dark will
hardly be followed by the Mayor and
Cuuncilmen, as this town has already
| lost enough by it.
He again quotes that part of the
article saying that at FISHERS Hall
meeting he (Watson) had more to say
than any other citizen, while Mr.. Hanna
"the Boss" was not there at all" Why,
of course, he was not there, and | did
not talk long until l discovered there
was someone in the Dark"
"In the Dark" seems to care nothing
| for his faithful friends since they have
been defeated. He reprints the dis.
agreeable things said about them, simply
| to give him an excuse or to act as a kind
of cover for him to re. assert those things
about me that the records prove to be
false. Why does he not sign his name
and face me in the daylight and not
stab me "in the dark ?'' But l suppose
he never knew any other way.
In his article of June 4th he talks
about law-something he knows moth
ing about, because law is supposed to
be handled i'll the light. But he talks
about lawsuit when | was attorney
for the town some years ago | always
did think In the Dark knew some
thing about that. | said in the first
place that the law was not full enough
to pave by, but as they would pave any
way | did the best | could to help the
town out. | was asked to stay i'll the
cases, but when | gave my idea how
they should be handled and pointed out
the only way to win | got knocked out
from behind-"ln the Dark.
He says that | should have been ready
to give an opinion on the right of the
Mayor and Councilmen to grant a fran
chise to build a tram railroad on the
streets and alleys of the town when
asked for it by the Mayor after Mr..
Doub and Mr.. Purnell finished their ar
guments. | had not been asked for an
opinion before that time, and if 1 had
been | would have acted Just the same.
L always ike TO near DOln sizes DeIOre
making up my opinion, and after hear
ing both sides | like to have time to
consider what both sides say before COM
ing to a conclusion. | do not make up
my decisions before hearing the parties
''in the dark and thus pretend to give
them hearing. In the Dark is so
hopelessly "in the dark that he thinks
everything must be done "In the dark. "
And then again | wanted time to write
an opinion so that just what | should
say would be of record, as | have reason
to believe that In the Dark" will try
Just as hard to circulate what is untrue
about me in the future as he has i'll the
past. When he will tell what is not
true in the face of records, what would
he not do if there were no records no
lights to discover him with IN the dark"
l gave my written opinion to the
Mayor June Sd. No doubt we will hear
from In the Dark" again under some
other and less appropriate name, and
when he writes often enough and says
enough, and have the time | will an
swer HIM. Yours truly,
CHARLES G. WATSON.