The Bozeman courier., 1927-01-07
$50 THE PEOPLE MAY KNOW"

laClnS BOARD or county commissioners, and his
Republican colleagues.
The Journal charged, in short, that the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul railways recent announce
ment of change of base from Three Forks to
Salesville for it's Yellowstone Park bus service
was due to the fact that the 1926 board of county
commissioners of which Mr.. Darlinton was chair
man, had refused to accept an offer of that road
to aid in graveling the Jackrabbit boulevard be-
tween Belgrade and Bozeman Hot Springs
It further asserted that through this alleged
refusal Galatin county '1ost thousands of dollars
worth of good material that could have been
secured for the taking an irreparable damage
that can never be excused" Had anything but
fat reaction been ruling county affairs" the
Journal continued "this piece of work would have
been completed and the Milwaukee buses would
still be coming through Manhattan and Belgrade
from Three Forks to the west entrance of Yellow
stone Park"
Besides the vindictive and uncalled for personal
aspersions it contains, the Belgrade Journals edi-
toria calls for criticism on two important points
First, it is not true.
Second, it is absurd.
Both of these points are so thoroughly explain
ed in the following letter from Mr.. Darlinton, who
is now in Helena serving as one of Gallatin coun-
it is unnecessary for us to discuss them. Mr.
Darlinton's letter, which we take pleasure in pub
fishing, follows:
Editor of the Republican Courier, Bozeman,
Montana.
@'Dear sir: In recent issue of the Belgrade
Journal appears an article entitled SO The People
May Know, from which gather that the editor
of that valuable publication does not like me, and
wishes to criticise me personally as well as my
record as public official. There is no disposi-
tion on my part to deny the gentleman's right to
do this, and if he would confine himself to the
truth he might say anything about me personally
that he pleased AS for my public record the
people of Gallatin county know it and they alone
shall be the judges.
However, in this article he not only attacks
me personally but casts aspersions upon the
actions of my former colleagues and friends, Mr.
John H. Aakjer and Mr.. Frank L. Benepe, Jr
For these reasons, Mr.. Editor, ask space in your
paper to reply to the charges made by the Bel
grade editor.
"In his article he states that the Milwaukee
road had offered to furnish all the crushed grave
necessary for surfacing the Jackrabbit boulevard
at both ends of the road, and the county com
Inissioners flatly turned them down.
EITHER the gentleman has been grossly mis-
informed, or he is guilty of deliberate and NAL
cious mis-statement of facts. It is true ths
some of the Milwaukee officials met the boar
last summer relative to improving the Jackrabb
boulevard, and asked what the county would d
toward surfacing this road if the milwaukee
would furnish the so-coled Tarkio shale at Be
grade and Bozeman Hot Springs. The board il
formed them that the great length of haul wou
make it expensive, and suggested that it wou
be cheaper for all concerned for them to put I
a crusher at convenient points along the ros
from which gravel could be hauled for much le
money.
"This arrangement seemed to meet with the
approval and they asked us to make them d
finite offer, which was accordingly DONE IT
offer was as follows: That if the Milwauk
would crush the gravel, the county would prepa
the road bed and haul and spread the gravel. T
Milwaukee officials agreed to take the matter
with their company and recommend that it c
operate with the county. All arrangements h
been made by the county to do this work befo
the next tourist season, if the railroad would {
operate That is the whole truth about the matt
from start to finish. There was no disposition
the part of any member of the board to do an
thing but encourage the project, and co-opers
with the railroad.
"As to his charge that the inaction and lack
business sense Of the board induced the Milwauk
to run the buses out Of Salesvile instead Of Tn