The Republican journal., 1910-05-12
THAT SPITE DITCH"

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: l am in
formed that the mayor is blowing forth quite
a lot of sympathy for me in regard to my inan-
cial loss over the ditch. Evidently the mayor
is worrying, and to ease his mind l will say we
have paid our bill and have receipt in full
and that he will not find any order drawn on
the city treasury for the amount either. When
say "we" mean Mr.. Shuman and myself, for
he has been with me in this fight all the way
through and has paid his part and for the ben
eft of those who would wish it ] will say that
my place is not mortgaged and l do not think
it will be.
Messrs. Dunton G. Morse are not grafters
but are gentlemen and have treated US as such
They did not advise us to go to law, but advis-
ed US from the first to appeal to the city gov
eminent believing, as they said, that we
would get justice there. We did as we were
advised, appearing before the aldermen at a
special meeting sometime in August and made
complaint. The mayor requested that we
appear at the next regular meeting with wit
nesses and he would have his and then we
could have it all threshed out, as he expressed
it. We appeared at the next regular meeting
as requested and after the regular business
had been transacted they met in joint conven-
ton. On entering the room, besides witnesses
there were some twelve or fifteen of the may
or's followers present, and among them one of
my relatives (by marriage who had either been
invited in to have good time or were so
curious to know the result of the meeting that
they could not wait for report. The thresh-
ing out began by the mayor calling on me-
stated the case in the previous meeting and
asked the board to use me just as they would
like to be used. The mayor then called on
others; but there was one he did not call on
who offered few remarks, but as soon as the
mayor found he did not talk right he was
promptly told to sit down, and he did. This
man lost his job right after election, and in my
opinion he was the best official the city ever
had in its employ
To say that this meeting was disgusting
would not half express it. There was tittering
and laughing all around the room, which SEEM
ed quite satisfactory to the mayor. No action
was taken in joint convention, the aldermen
retiring to their own room.
Mr.. Morse then came to the rescue and
moved that the matter be left with the alder
men; they to view the place and report at the
next regular meeting, and it was so voted.
They did view the place, or at least some of
them did, and the mayor was one of them. He
drove up in front of my house and looking u p
and down the ditch asked if it was all DONE
told him it was. ! then asked him how he
liked it. He said, "to be frank with you, l do
not like it and would not like it in front of
place of mine But in his paper little later
he said that there miles of bitches worse
perienced, but think am old enough to know
when am treated right 1 have met with
few experiences in my life, but nothing that
has ever come up with the treatment we got
a that meeting, and you may rest assured that
it will not be forgotten very soon.
Of all those present at the meeting do not
recall that ever mis-used or did one of them
any harm, and never will; yet they seemed to
think, it great joke that such dirty job was
done in front of my place, and that am
obliged to put up with it. 1t is pretty hard to
work as hard as my wife and have to get the
little property we have and then have it nearly
ruined because one man has grudge against
a neighbor and you happen to be in the way.
If did not own the place certainly would not
buy one there under the circumstances.
At the next regular meeting an order was
passed to cover this ditch and it would have
been done had it not been for the mayor, and
at much less expense than it has cost to fight
it in court. If the mayor thinks he is going to
unite Belfast in this manner, and that neigh
bors are standing shoulder to shoulder, he had
better come up in ward three and bring his
tape line and see just how much progress he
has made along that line. If anyone thinks we
had no cause to complain let them come up and