The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-11-29
TRIBUTE TO sUTTONs
Robert Reeves Tells of Road Troubles
in Brender Canyon

against the SUTTON family. /, we
natchee man who have known Mr..
Sutton since 1878, wish to add line;
not only because feel that he and his
family have been misrepresented, bu.
wish the public, under whose gaze
they have sat fer Two weeks, to know
a few of tho facts relating to this af-
fair.
Thirty years ago J. H. Sutton mar
er of Methodist minister of Grand
Forks, North Dakota. They had three
children, Fred. Nettie and James the
slain son. When James was but a
mere babe his mother died and some
time afterward Mr.. Sutton married
Miss Nan Peters, warm friend and
companion of his former wife. This
family lived in Dakota for some time
and then moved TO Canada. After
living there for three years they re-
turned to the states. this time taking
up their abode in Minnesota.
Eight years ago the family came TO
Washington. They went to Colville
first but did not like it there so came
to the Wenatchee valley and settled
at Cashmere. Four years ago Mr..
Sutton took up a homestead FIVE and
half miles from town at the eXtrem-
ity of what is known as Brender Can
yon. After filing on this place and be-
fore the house was built, Mr.. Sutton
made an investigation concerning q
road to his land and was told by Mrs.
Fleming, who is now Mrs. Totten.
and her mother, Mrs. Beebe. that he
was welcome 80 Use tn road which
they used as far as it went. Mr..
Schmitten of Cashmere constructed
logging road across q portion of Mrs.
Beebe's land. The Sutton's had to
use this road in going to their place
SO Mr.. Sutton was asked to pay
third of the cost and he did so. Time
went on and the Suttons constructed
a good road the remainder Of the dis
lance to their place. Three years ago
a house was built there and the en-
tire family moved TO the homestead.
This same summer .Will Tabor
built a pasture fence through which
Suttons must pass to get from their
construction of two gates, one of
them near the Suttons' barn and the
ether on the line between what is
now Mrs. Beebe'S and Mrs Tottcn's
lac This nlocn did urol1
as an enclosure for horses. but the
fence being a one-wire concern. did
not keep the cattle back in the hills
as the families below had hoped ii
would. Constantly Mr.. Sutton's cat
tie would get through the fence; the
one wire did not act as a barrier for
them. When fall came and the grass
was gone and the greater part OF the
fence was down, the Suttons no long
er closed the gates which they had
kept closed all summer. Apparently
this was satisfactory to both parties.
A little over year ago Noel Totten
married Mrs. Fleming and he, (Noel
Totem purchased this piece of land
which formerly belonged to Will Ia
Dor. A very good fence was con-
structed en- the line between Sutton
and Totten, and a good gate put near
the barn where the other gate had
been. This gate is kept closed but
the fence is an enclosure to only one
side of the place. 1t does not sur
round the Totten property, so cattle
frequently climb the hill, go around
the end of the fence and do mischief
in general to orchard and garden. At
different times when Suttons cattle
did this, they have been taken up and
held for damages. On account of
this Mr.. Sutton has had to go to law
and be to considerable expense. The
unfairness of this circumstance is.
cattle in this country are allowed to
run at large and people wishing their
gardens and orchards unmolested
are required to keep them lawfully
fenced
The fence on the other side of this
pasture has long been neglected.
Last springMrs. Beebe notified the
Suttons that they must build road
farther up the hill. The proposition
was investigated and an attempt was
made to lay out a road, but the people
found that by building it they would
be unable to haul a load on account
of the grade being so steep. County
officers also made an investigation
and reported that the road would be
a great expense and of little use be-
cause of its grade.
A handsome price was offered Mrs.
Beebe in order that the road be left
in the same place. She had to have
a road and the Suttons could use the
one she uses. Furthermore, in her
course to Cashmere she is obliged TO
cross forty acre tract owned by Mr..
Sutton. He offered her free right
of way across this in addition to the
price for his right. She refused him
this so he went to the county and at
tempted to force right Of way. What
else could these people do? There
they were and making the SUPPOSE
lion of fact, hemmed in with high
mountains on one side and he'll on
the other What has been the out
come? One of Mr.. Sutton's sons has
paid the penalty with his life. He
was a fine young man of twenty-four
years, educated and excellent in his