Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-16
WARDNER OBJECTS
TO OBLITERAT|0N
Commission Asked to Enjoin
Railroad From Changing
Name of Station.

The town of Wardner In the famous
Occur d'Alene mining district objects
most strenuously to having itself
blotted off the railroad map of Idaho,
SO strenuously in fact that 1T has filed
with the public utilities commission OF
this state a complaint against the
Oregon Washington Railroad & Nav
igation company asking that railroad
Ee forever enjoined from changing the
rsme of it's depot station from Ward
rar.' to kellogg" The commission
wired the road to the effect it believes
ain investigation will disclose the in
aGv.sability of it's contemplated action
AM suggesting suspension of its order
a.: aging the name until an investiga-
ticf is had.
Wardner's complaint Is made in the
name of B. Flaig, its mayor, and G. A
Trayen, Charles RosenholtZ, d. X
Harlan, Fred Seamon and j. 2. Mich
olas, councilmen. The complaint pre-
sents the history of that town setting
forth that 1t was an embryo mining
camp in Milo gulch under the rseu-
donym of "Kentuck" in 1885, the year
of the discovery of the world re-
nowned Bunker Hill and Sullivan mine
and was later changed to Wardner In
honor of that veteran mining man
Colonel James It. Wardner. man
famous in a dozen states for his mark
ed ability and who negotiated the sale
of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan for
$750,000. Since then, the petition states
earnest and heroic men have struggled
to keep Wardner on the map and have
been more than successful. 1t grew
and prospered, incorporated as viii
lage, and now has a population of 100
inhabitants with an assessed property
valuation of $161, 3015S
1t was in 1910 thai the village Of
Kellogg was incorporated under the
laws of this state Immediately adjoin-
ing Wardner's northerly boundary line
taking within its incorporated limits
that portion of Wardner's right of way,
terminals and grounds upon which
the Oregon Washington Railroad &
Navigation companys "Wardner" sta
ton stood or stands. In 1913 Kellogg
was Incorporated as a city of the sec
ond class. 1t has population of 1900
and an assessed property valuation of
$555,0S3.42. 1t is charged that Kellogg
made application to the railroad to
change the name of the depot known
as "Wardner" to that of kellogg
and the railroad agreed to this and
issued letter or circular so designat-
ing the depot.
Wardner claims this is a great in
Justice to it, that it will do irreparable
damage and injury, Is unjust, in
equitable and Injuries It's business. 1t
is held to be in violation of the public
utilities act, Attached to the COM
plant is an exhibit said to have been
received by R. e. Weniger one of the
Wardner councilmen, by mail in an
official envelope of the railroad, con-
tanning one of the railroads circulars
relative to the change of name and
bearing in heavy blue pencil marks
the words, Attention! Mr.. Weniger
Ha! Hal" and the emblem of the skull
and cross bones, which Wardner takes
to mean that by changing the name
of the station Wardner is wiped off
the map and is dead commercially.
Thereby" says the complaint speak
ing of this blackhand notice alleged to
have been given, 1.-THE true animus of
said proposed change of name Is duly
exposed, so far as the city of Kellogg
Is concerned"