East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-05-04
West Enders viii be Granted
Petitions if Conditions Are
as Represented.
COUNTY COURT TO VISIT
WEST END OF COUNTY
Attitude of Court Was at First Not
Favorable But Arguments Were
Convincing as to Roads Necessity
Petitioners Were Principally Her.
iHiston Residents.

There is every probability that the
west end of the county will secure
the roads which are so badly needed
to connect up the different commune
tiles and to serve as outlets to the
rapidly increasing number of settlers.
Fifteen different petitions for roads
on the project all fostered by the Her.
miston Commercial club, were sub
mitted to the county court yesterday
and the members of the court have
consented to visit the west end of the
county for the purpose of ascertain
ing the need of the roads proposed.
If all conditions are as represented
| the petitions will undoubtedly be
granted.
The attitude of the county court,
| when first informed of the petitions,
was not favorable to the roads as, on
the surface, it looked as if an attempt
We're being made to establish more
highways in the project than that Sec
| ton was entitled to. Deputy Dist
rict Attorney Pruitt, therefore, mark
ed "disapproved" upon a majority Of
the petitions. These marks, however,
were erased when the petitioners had
laid their arguments before the court
Roads inexpensive.
! The petitioners were represented
principally by E. P. Dodd, ]. H.
Strohm and C. s. Mcknight, all Of
Hermiston. They pointed out that the
roads are an absolute necessity to the
settlers on the project and will not
entail any great expense upon the
county either for establishment or
| f,1air cot,
along section lines which will obviate
the necessity of paying damages to
the owners of land. 1t was also point
ed out that, if the county deferred the
| este blishing of these roads, settlers
would probably build fences and
hedges along the lines which would
necessitate the payment of consider
able damages. They further claimed
that experience has shown that the
cost 90 maintaining roads in irrigat-
eG districts is very nominal. Thus,
they concluded. while it may seem on
the first consideration, that the pro-
ject dwellers are making an expensive
request, in reality they are only Pc
titioning for what is absolutely ne
cessary and for what will cost thu
county but little.
A Holly Contested Road.
While the efforts of the Hermiston,
people to secure their roads will prob
ably be crowned with success, there Is
no such assurance in the case of the
petition of Q. D. Teel and a number
of other people to secure a road out
from Echo about a mile. D. P. Hig-
ginbotham. of Hermiston, is heading
another faction which is contesting
bitterly the movement. When Teef
introduced petition with twenty-five
signers for the proposed road, Hig-
ginbotham Immediately came for
ward with a remonstrance containing
twenty-six names. Thereupon much
heat was displayed during which
warm discussion Higginbotham ex-
pressed some opinions of Teel which
were anything but complimentary.
The cause of Higginbotham's pro-
test lies in the fact that the proposed
road will go through his land much
to his damage, II Is alleged. The court
set next Monday as the date OF hear
ing and during the interim both fac
tions will secure testimony to prove
that some of the signatures on the