Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1913-11-28

AS this was the biggest lawsuit ever
tried in southern Oregon. few per-
tinent facts are of interest:
Suit was filed November 2S, 1909,
and receiver appointed. Decree was
entered November II, 1918. 1t took
from June to August II, 1910, to
try the suit on its merits, and forty
five full days were actually spent in
the courtroom taking testimony and
the depositions of about one hundred
stockholders were taken in Chicago,
Illinois, and vicinity.
The case was tried before F. Roy
Davis as referee. The record in the
case consists of 1922 pages of testi-
mony. There were about 400 separ-
ate exhibits, with as many as 1000
written documents under one exhibit
number. 1t took the court reporter
over five months to transcribe his
notes, and it probably took the court
as long to go through and pass on
the case. 1t would require an ex-
press wagon to move all the books
and records and exhibits.
On November 80, 1910. the court
made an order issuing receivers GER
tificates to repair the dam and work.
was started by Mr.. Sanders the next
day. Besides the petition for re-
ceiver's certificates, the court also
passed on score of petitions, de-
murrers, etc.
The cost of court attendance was
about $4,000. The record cost about
S2,OOO.OO The expert fees and ex-
penses were over $2,5OO.OO, as 1t
took about five months to make the
accounting. The attorneys fees for
the plaintiffs were over 100000,
and since the suit was started the
stockholders have spent nearly $780,
10000 for the repair, improvement
and maintenance and care of the
properties.
The attorney for the plaintiffs was
Honorable A. E. Reames of Medford,
Oregon, and for the defendants,
The expert accountant for the
plaintiffs was Geo. w. Soranson, as
sisted by Earnest H. Lister, and the
expert for the defendants was Harry
L. Andrews, who has been secretary
of the Golden Drift Mining Company
and G. w. Ament for some years
past.
Mr.. Soranson was peculiarly fitted
for the work, as he had been United
States post Office inspector for the pre-
vious nine years in charge of many
important United States prosecutions
in connection with the fraudulent
use of the mails.
The Golden Drift Mining Company
owns over 1000 acres of land at or
near its plant on Rogue River, besides
the lands given the company by this
decree. The power and irrigation
plant three miles east of the city orig
inally cost, according to the Golden
Drift Mining Company's books. about
100000, and with the improve
ments made since the receiver was
appointed the cost to stockholders is
approximately $306,000.00, without
counting interest on the money in
vested. Nearly all of the stock of
the Golden Drift Mining Company is
now owned and controlled by The
Rogue River Public Service Corpora
tion.
In their fight for their rights the
stockholders have had their allotted
share of trouble. Their victory comes
to them only after a great sacrifice
of time, effort and money. The fight
was started by an original commit
tee of three, of which VIM. thinner
man was chairman. This committee
selected and designated George e.
Sanders as their agent in Oregon. Just
after the suit was filed and receiver
appointed. Zimmerman was found
to be using his position to recover
his personal investment without re-
gard to the protection of other stock
holders. Zimmerman employed an
attorney of this city as his private
attorney for the purpose, but the
attorney would not act after knowing
conditions and turned the matter and
papers over to Mr.. Reames, attorney
for the stockholders. About this
time Zimmerman further complicated
matters by dying, and the stockhold-
ers elected a new committee of seven
members, which committee carried
on the fight until they became con-
siderably in debt. and 10 relieve them