White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1920-09-26

Railroad Commissioner j. G;
Schrugham conducted a public hear
ing in the district court room lasi
Tuesday to take up the matter OF the
protest of Anthony Zurich for the
people against the Nevada Northern
tween Cobre and Ely.
Attorney Zurich in his opening
statement said that he bad taken mp
ness men and taxpayers OF the city
of Ely and he would show that under
the present train service the legiti-
mate business of the city was suffer
ing loss. He said the existing con
ditions had been brought te his at
tention by the proprietors o drug
stores. news stands. hotels. restau-
rants and picture shows, all of whom
had declared that there was an ap-
preciable loss of business owing to
the fact that fewer people came down
town in the evening under the pres
ent train schedule than under the
old, when the mail arrived in the
evening instead of some time during
the day.
During the early part of the hear
Ing Attorney Chandler. by his cross
examination of witnesses, attempted
to bring out that Attorney Zurich
was receiving pay from certain in
terests, but was unable to do 80.
During the testimony of w. 5. Ell
lott. proprietor of the Northern ho-
tel, he was asked by Attorney Chand-
Ter IL he was one of the principal agi-
tators in the matter. Witness object
ed to the word agitator saying that 1t
did not apply In this matter and he
objected to being placed on record as
an agitator. A three-cornered argu-
ment was then involved between the
two attorneys and the witness. which
occasioned considerable laughter
from the audience until Commission
er Scrugham called the meeting to
order and said that although the per-
sonal repartee might be amusing to
the audience, 1t did not advance the
business of the hearing and requested
that they proceed with tho investiga-
lion.
The court room was crowded, hut
there wss 10 demonstration to in
dicate whether the majority were for
or against the present schedule. Few
witnesses we're called on either side.
Business men called to testify in
support of the plaintiff, Anthony
Jurieh. who is protesting against the
present schedule, were ". s. Elliott.
Thomas Chambers and +. w Ball.
special agent for the Standard Oil
company. Mr. Elliott testified to the
estimated loss TO hotels of Ely aud
TO business in general, but qualified
his statements that he was more ia
miliar with the losses to the North
ern hotel than other business houses
Thomas Chambers took the stand
and testified that the loss 10 his res
taurant business would amount to
about $50 per day. in comparison
with the old train schedule which
gave him large percentage of trav.
.elers for the evening meal
+. w Ball. of the Standard Oil
company. was called 10 testify to The
disadvantages in his line OF business
occasioned by the receipt of meii al
a late hour in the day and not al
lowing time for him to attend to the
daily details required by his COM
Eany and permit him TO answer by
mail without the delay Of a day
Attorney Jurich then took tie
stand TO bring out some OF the reas-
ons for his objections to the present
schedule
Upon the statement by the attor-
ney OF complaints made through a
third party, Attorney Chandler en-
tered an objection on the grounds
that such evidence was merely hear
say and could not be considered as
relevant evidence. Attorney Jurich
then stated his personal conversation
with men employed as laborcrs in the
district and told that many of these
men Who tried to get Others in the
district were having difficulty owiag
to the price OF the railroad fare and
the need of travelling by Pullman.
He then told OF some personal exper-
fences while travelling and OF the
advantages of waiting over az
Cobre. lie declared that there was
more danger to passengers travelling
at night between cohre and Ell
owing Ia the herds OF cattle that
ranged along the unprotected right
of-way of the railroad Speaking of