I, M. J. BROWN, BEING DULY SWORN, SAY THAT I AM EDITOR AND PART OWNER OF THE OREGON CITY COURIER, AND THAT THE AVERAGE WEEKLY CIRCULATION OF THAT PAPER FROM MAY 1,1912 TO MAY 1, 1913, HAS EXCEEDED
2000 COPIES, AND THAT THESE PAPERS HAVE BEEN PRINTED AND CIRCULATED FROM THE COURIER OFFICE M. J. BROWN. Subscribed and sworn to before me. .this 5th day of May, 1913. Gilbert. L. Hedges, Notary Public.
CITY
The Farmers Society of Equity is
spreading over this county and th
Courier is spreading with it. Its ad
vertising columns are good as gold
Clackamas County Fair
September 24, 25, 26, 27
Canby, Oregon
30th YEAR.
OREGON CITY, ORE., FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1913.
No. 49
OREGON
COURIER
971000 IN FOUR
T
FIGURES SHOULD JERK YOU
OUT OF YOUR TRANCE
MONEY PUT INTO MUDHOLES
Enough to Give Clackamas County
Best Roads in State
It is astonishing to learn that
during the last four years Mar
ion County has expended $542,
847.76 upon roads and bridges,
and Clackamas County ' $714,
048.81. It is not the expendituie
of this vast sum that is astonish
ing, but rather that the people
get so little for their money. Ap
parently, roads in these counties
are no better than four years
ago. $1,200,000 would have con
structed 300 miles of good hard
surface roads at $4000 per mile.
Such roads would have been per
manent highways. But the chao
tic road laws and their maladmin
istration has wasted the public
road funds and left us in the mud
and mire, Aurora Observer.
And how much longer are the peo
ple of Clackamas county going to
bring in the thousands of dollars for
the county court to dump into mud
holes.
Why don't we wake up and stop
such plundering? Why don't we de
mand and see that we get value re
ceived for these great sums of money
The road laws may be chaotic, but
men can build good roads under them
if they will. Because a law is loose
officials need not be.
Seven hundred and fourteen thous
and dollars expended In this county in
four years $178,000 a year and we
have
A road over which a buggy can
hardly be hauled by a team to Canby.
Roads that mules bray at.
Roads over which farmers come in
to the city on horseback.
Mrs. Fred Burns of Mulino, took a
photo of a stretch of road in that vi
cinity, and that photo has been made
jnto post can's and are being circula
ted in tuis county.
Mighty expensive advertising, but
some times means are justifiable.
One of these cards has been mailed
to the Courier, and be would be giad
to have anyone interested see it.
It shows a straight stretch of road,
or rather mud. A big freight wagon
has gone to the bottom and is aban
doned. Under the photo is written
these lines:
"More freight passes over this road
than any other road in Clackamas
county, but it leads AWAY from Ore
gon City .
The men of Clackamas county who
pay this $714,000 freight should rise
up and FORCE a system of road work
that will give them a dollar's worth
of road for every dollar spent. You
can do it you can do anything if you
unite and demand it.
Now will you, or will you wallow,
and let your good money be wasted?
IN EXPLANATION
Editor Courier:
I am almost persuaded to preach
another sermon and if I do, my text
will be "Cast not your pearls before
swine lest they trample them under
their feet and turn again and rend
you. "From the Enterprise of May 11,
I find such untruthful statements
about the mass meeting, that it seems
necessary for a sermon of this kind,
but for the time being I will pass it
up.
I am sorry that men can stoop to
such false statements -and spread
them broadcast. Their cause is indeed
weak when they have no other argu
ment to give. Mr. Eby was listened to
quietly while he made his sattement
and was asked for a report but ad
mitted the Live Wire Committee had
no report to make. He was told sev
eral days before to gather what he
had and make a report of what his
committee had accomplished and I
plainly gave him to understand that
we would do the same.
Mr. Eby did look over some of the
records with me such as reading some
of the contracts with the Coast bridge
Co., but anyone certainly knows they
would give a very small part of the
information and only such as could
easily be smoothed over, but to get
the whole truth it needed getting to
work and staying on the job.
As we had very little time from the
time we began to work I soon was
satisfied Mr. Eby did not want to find
the truth so thought best to let him
work in his own way. The result
speaks for itself.
R. SCHUEBEL
RECALL FACTS
Answers to Questions Asked by Cour
ier Readers of the County
The recall is new to Clackamas
county, and this office has been flood
ed with inquiries as to many of its
legal provisions, i
We have carefully read the law's
provisions on this matter and we have
had legal opinions on same, 'and we
are positive the following answers
will hold:
A man who has never registered as
YEARS
I
a voter in Oregon, but who is eligible
to registration, who has lived in the
state, county and precinct the requir
ed time, may legally sign a recall pe
tition. But he must register before he
can vote at the recall election.
Any woman who is a legal voter of
Oregon, by reason of age and resi
dence qualifications, has a legal right
to sign a recall petition. Women have
every right as voters that men have
in this state. They must register be
fore they can vote, but if qualified to
register they have the same right as
men to sign any recall or referendum
petitions.
When a sufficient number of signa
tures have been secured and the pe
titions are filed with the County
Clerk asking for a recall election, then
a candidate must have been nominated
and filed with the petition. A candi
date may be nominated by petition or
through a regularly called mass meet
ing. A recall election is simply a special
election, where the officials petition
ed to be recalled are candidates again
st other nominees and the count of
the ballots decides.
Ther eports that the recall has
never been invoked in Oregon is un
true. Recall elections have been held
in Ashland, Portland, Hood River,
Junction City, and other places, and
recall movements are now under way
in other places.
DENIES NEWSPAPER FAKE
Protest Against Sensational Story
that Opens Man's Grave
Oregon City, May 14-1913
In regard to the article which ap
peared in the columns of the Sunday
Oregonian May 11 sent in by the re
porter at Oregon City for that pa
per in which he stated that my sis
ter and I visited the grave of the late
C. M. Abbott and "Declared positively
we noticed considerable loose dirt
about the grave and that it looked
peculiar." I wish to state that this is
a lie, and this reporter knew it to be
a "trumped-up" fake story when he
sent it in for publication.
It was only sent in to occupy space
for which he is paid for by the inch.
The reporter did call at my office
and asked me if I had noticed any
thing unusual about . the grave in
question? I told him there was NOT
and as to any tampering having been
done, 'that there was no truth in it
whatever. There was another person
present who overheard this conversa
tion. As to my sister, Louise, she has
never visited this grave nor does she
know 'where It is 'located.
I have placed flowers there once or
twice at the request of his mother,
who resides in New York.
I must say that things have come to
about the limit when defenseless wo
mens' names are brought into print,
unknown to them until they see them
in the morning's paper, and a man's
grave has to be disturbed to satisfy
fake news rumors. And then Mrs. Ab
bott, his mother, what about her
grief, should she hear all this?
In conclusion I wish to say in my
estimation the said column of "cold
blast" would figure up to about $5 or
$6, but the person who received the
money iot it should have no luck
while it is in his pocket.
NAN COCHRAN
Miss Cochran Makes Statement
Miss Nan Cochran of Oregon City,
sends to The Oregonian a statement
denying that she and her sister, Lou
ise Cochran, had visited the grave of
the late C. M. Abbott and that they
had noticed loose dirt lying about. "I
told the reporter who asked me about
it that there was not anything pecul
iar in the appearance of the grave."
says Miss Cochran. 'My sister has
never visited the grave. I have placed
flowers there once or twice, at the re
quest of the late Mr. Abbott's moth
er." Daily Oregonian, Monday, May
12.
The Reason
Many voters of the county do not
understand why the recall is being in
voked on Judge Beatie and Commis
sioner Blair, when the same reasons
for recall should apply to Commis
sioner Mattoon. The reason is that no
official can be recalled until he has
served six months and Mr. Mattoon
having been elected at the last elec
tion and taking office (re-election)
in January, he cannot be recalled be
fore July 1.
Round About News
The matter of what was being done
on the elevator the people voted for
six months ago came up at the Live
Wires Tuesday, but there was no di
rect evidence of activity. Main Trunk
Stipp stated that bids were advertis
ed for some time ago, but that none
had been reported to the recorder.
Mr. McBain stated that the General
Electric Co. had informed him that
plans and bids had been asked for
from some source, for an inclined
railway, with two cars passing each
other.
Found Everything O. K.
At the Live Wires Tuesday O. D.
Eby made a lengthy report of the in
vestigations of the county court char
ges, taking up nearly every charge
as reported on to the mass meeting,
and exonerating the court on each
and every point.
FOR SALE One No. 7 Freeman
Feed Cutter, won as premium at re
cent stock show. May be seen at the
promotion office opposite the Court
House, Oregon City.
MASS MEETING HEARS REPORT. CQNDEIV1S COUNTY GOURT
ADVOCATES
"Whereas, the report of our
committee shows that our pres
ent county court has handled the
affairs of Clackamas county, Ore
gon, in a careless, extravagant
and unbusinesslike manner;
therefore be it:
"Resolved, That we condemn
the action of our county court
and that we take legal steps to
remedy same and proceed with
the recall."
This was the resolution passed with
out a dssenting voice at the mass
meeting of the taxpayers held at
Woodman Hall Saturday last.
The meeting was called to order by
J. W. Smith, chairman, at one o'clock,
who stated that before the report
of the investigating committee was
heard, O. D. Eby, one of the Live Wire
committee, wished to make some stat
ments. Mr. Eby spoke" of the first mass
meeting and said that later on M. J.
Brown, S. L. Casto and Robert Schue
bel, the committee appointed by that
meeting to investigate charges again
st the county court, appeared before
the Live Wires and asked that a com
mittee of three be appointed to Work
with them. He stated that he had not
seen the report that was about to be
made; that he knew absolutely noth
ing of the findings and that the Live
Wire Committee had nothing to do
with it.
Following Mr. Eby, Robert Schue
bel stated that he would defy any man
to dispute the findings of the report
about to be made, that the Enter
prise charged that the report had been
written in advance of any investigat
ion; that he sggested that because of
this charge the Live Wires be asked
to name a committee; also, which they
did; that it was expected that
committee would work;; that people
were getting restless and demanding
a report; men told him people were
going after the recall that he tried to
stop the recal 1 until after the
committee had investigated; that he
told Eby we were ready for work; he
said he would be ready at nine o'clock
next morning, but went to Portland;
Mr. Loder absolutely did nothing;
"I thought inclination was to cover
up rather than to dig up. I asked Mr.
Eby to compare Olds' papers with rec
ords. He had papers for a week. In
stead of going to Judge Beatie I
went to the records; Eby went to
Beatie. I did not propose they should
doctor our report, so have not shown
it to them or asked them to sign it.
Let them make their own report."
Mr. Eby said in the main Mr.
Schuebel was correct; that he was
very busy; that he and Schuebel went
through papers together; that he had
been to court house time and again;
"This is not a Live Wire report," con
cluded Mr. Eby. Someone in the aud
ience called back "We know it," and
the audience cheered.
Then Mr.' Schuebel read the follow
ing report:
TO THE VOTERS AND TAXPAY
ERS OF CLACKAMAS COUNTY
We, the committee appointed by the
mass meeting held in Woodman hall,
April 12th, to investigate charges
against the county court, beg leave to
report as follows:
In the matter of the complaint of
George Lazelle that Road District No.
15 had levied a special road tax of
$2700.00, which had not been spent as
the people intended we found that in
so far as the money is concerned this
is true. The records show that $2700.
was raised and so far about one half
is spent. The balance of the $1369.99
is on hand, we were told that it was
to be divided into three equal parts.
Mr. Lazelle's complaint, which speaks
for itself:
Oregon City, Ore., Apr. 29, 1913
To the investigating committee rep
resenting the Live Wires of Oregon
City and the mass meeting of the tax
payers:
The undersigned wishes to make
charges against the county judge and
the county court, as follows:
That a six mill special tax levied by
road district No. 15, for the purpose
of building roads in said district and
raising a fund of about $2700.00 is
partly being retained by the county
court without just cause and contrary
to wishes of those who paid the tax.
That a system of road building was
allowed by the county court whereby
about 700 feet of road was built in
road district No. 15 at a cost of about
800.00, which proves that said court
is wilfully mismanaging the county
finances.
That Judge R .B. Beatie has made
statements to certain individuals an
nouncing that he has stopped all im
provements on the south end road and
intends to place all the available mon
ey for this road district on the Cane
mah road on account of a personal
grudge against Geo. Lazelle.
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) GEO. M. LAZELLE.
(In fairness to all, the Courier
wishes to interrupt the report at this
point to say that since the report was
made several taxpayers have reported
to this office that Mr. Lazelle's dis
trict had received practically all of
its one-third of the tax; that he has
no just cause for complaint as to the
rest of the money, and that the bal
ance is being held up-because the tax
payers of the other parts of the dis
trict want it held up. The committee
had not time to investigate this mat
ter and many other like complaints,
further than the official records bore
them out Editor)
AND
THAT PEOPLE PROCEED WITH RECALL.
The report resumes:
, We have examined the records in
regard to one E. D. Olds' charges
against the court in building bridges
and letting contracts contrary to law.
Having compared the records with
Mr. Old's statements we find that in
regard to the Fisher's mill bridge, he
is short in his figures as to the cost
of the bridge, as we have found rec
ords showing that $3787.20 was paid,
exclusive of cement. We also find in
the same month a bill of J. R. Myers
for hauling cement to Fisher's mill
bridge, also a bill of $192.00 for ce
ment from Balfour-Guthrie & Co., the
same month, so far was unable to find
any record definitely stating where
j the cement was used, but must natur
ally suppose it was used for the Fish
, er's Mill bridge, thus making the cost
of the Fisher's mill bridge $4105.70
instead of $2900.00. We are by no
'means certain that this is all yet, as
I there is no intelligent record of the
t transaction. The bills are scattered
among the supervisor's reports and as
in the case of the cement, it would be
necessarily take considerable time to
get the total facts and be sure we had
all.
I And as to the other bridges, the
records are more faulty than on the
Fisher's mill bridge. Among Mr. Old's
papers we find a letter from Mr. O.
W. Severance, where he said he would
have built the Fisher's mill bridge for
$3160.00 complete, ready for travel.
We could not get track of Mr. Sever
ance so we will have to accept his
letter for what it is worth.
As to Mr. Olds' statement that the
court did not live up to the law in
regard to letting the contracts for the
building of the various bridges men
tioned by him, as far as we are able
to determine this is true; no record
has been found where bids were ad
vertised for, according to Sec. 6368
of Lord's Oregon Laws (page 2290
volume 3.)
In the matter of the Pudding river
bridge, the Eagle Creeek, Sunnyside
Gulch and Clear Creek bridges, four,
bridge's, we find Mr. Olds' statements
correct. Cost for the steel $17,965.00. 1
We also find that the Coast Bridge Co '
was paid $4600.00 for erection of the
above four bridges' mentioned; also
$2800.00 for tubular piers on Pudding '
river bridge, making a total of $25,'
365.00 all told, paid Coast Bridge Co.
for the four bridges. This does not in
clude concrete piers and abutments
which were put in by Mr. John Green
at a cost that is hard to definitely de
termine, as Mr. Green's reports do not
always state where the work was done
Then we find a number of bills for
lumber, cement, gravel, sand, nails,
spikes, etc., that no man can locate
from the records, where they we're in
tended for. We found one bill of D. C.
Robbins for cement delivered at Can
by for $473.10. We find another record
of three bridges let to the Coast
Bridge Co., known as Bear Creek,
Rock Creek and Johnson Creek for
$6850.00 complete except painting,
county to do painting, also to Coast
Bridge Co. for trestle bridge over
Rock Creek for $4800.00 Coast Bridge
Co. to furnish all labor and county
to furnish lumber. Was not able to
find the cost of lumber for want of
time. Also Coast Bridge Co. for tub
ular piers on north end of Bakers'
bridge, $2200.00 also a wooden bridge
built by John Heft for $1,060.00, com
plete; another built by John Nordberg
on the following conditions. This is
the bridge claimed to have been built
for some time with no road to it for
$800.00. Bk. 25 p. 6 & 5.
"In the matter of the bridge across
a gulch on the Wm. Stevens road
near the N. E. corner of W. T. Mat
tock D. L. C, in road district No. 2.,
and it appearing to the court that
John Nordberg has agreed to con
struct the above mentioned bridge for
$800.00 specifications to be furnished
said Nordberg by some one designated
by the county court, along the lines
discussed at the May term, it is order
ed that John Nordberg be given the
contract to construct said bridge."
All told we find that this court
has spent approximately $50,000.00
for bridges, this does not include some
work done under Mr. Green such as
concrete piers and abutments, which
we did not have time to dig up.
In the matter of the suspension
bridge, we find that George Scoggins
was paid $350.00 for inspecting this
bridge, it appears to us after talking
the matter over with T. W. Sullivan,
who we think is a competent judge of
such matters, that this might be al
right. Mr. Sullivan said that $25.00
per day would be about right for a
competent man.
In the matter of the steam roller
excessive cost charge by Mr. Olds, we
find that Mr. Olds was given figures
in writing by a representative of the
Buffalo Pitts people; that the manag
er told us that they could not live up
to it; claiming he was a new man, and
further that the machines sold for
less money to Seattle and other coun
ties than Clackamas county paid for
the same, were second hand rollers.
If the manager of the Pitts people
gave us the truth Mr. Olds is not to
blame for the statement made by him,
although the charges apparently fall
flat, as to the rollers.
In the matter of the timber cruise
contract, after careful investigation,
we discover the following facts: A
contract was entered into with a Mr.
Nease to cruise the timber of Clack
amas county; Mr. Nease to be paid
$51.20 per section on a basis of 1,000,
000 feet per section; saw timber to be
not less than 20-in. stump, 12-in. top
piling 12 to 20-in stump, 8-in top;
cruiser to have a 40 per cent range, as
to being accurate, and the only penal
ty attached to a faulty cruise is that
if any person complains of the cruise
of his timber, the court and the cruis
er select a new cruiser, who will re
cruise the tract claimed to have been
improperly cruised and his decision to
be final, and, if a mistake is shown
above 20 per cent, or below figures
given by the original cruise, then the
cruiser must pay for the cost of re
cruising the particular tract com
plained of. No other penalty whatever
and if the recruise only shows figures
up to 20 per cent mistake above or be
low, the man making complaint must
foot the bill of recruising. The person
making the complaint has no voice in
who shall be the new cruiser. We find
that a considerable portion of the tim
ber of Clackamas county is on lands
claimed by the railroad now decided
by the courts to be forfeited to gov
ernment, although not yet carried to
the highest court, but until definitely
settled we have no reason to believe
no tax can be collected on the same.
We further find that a man by the
name of Boyle is hired by the .county
court to follow cruisers and estimate
if the cruiser is attempting to report
any sections that might be short on
the required amount specified to al
low pay for same, this man is paid
$5.00 per day and expenses. We find
from letters from Columbia county
that Columbia county paid 5 7-8 cents
per acre for cruising their timber,
that it cost Tilamook $45,000.00 to
cruise its timber, and Clatsop county
has entered into a contract to cruise
its timber for 12 cents per acre, but
the people of Clatsop county have
served injunctions on the court to stop
the cruise. We- think this a viscious
contract even if the timber cruising
were considered good.
Month of October bill of R. B. Beat
ie, 170 miles, $17.00, others like it.
T. F. Ryan stated that he had trav
eled 7,000 miles on the same basis,
when he was county judge, at his own
expense, that commissions were allow
ed by firms on material bought by
county; that books priced at $19.00
were discounted to $13.50.
In the matter of the court house re
pairs, we find that according to the
figures and bills found the total cost
was $26,211.75.. In the matter of the
methods the court took to repair the
court house, we find that bids were
advertised for once in the Courier and
Enterprise, that four bids were sub
mitted, two by Chapell Brown, one by
Laselle & Son and one by Clarance
Simmons. The records do not show
what the bids were, but simply states
the fact of having employed an ex
pert and being fully advised, rejected
all bids. Mr. Lasalle states his bid
was about $17,000.00; that Mr. Beatie
insisted on giving the job to Mr. Sim
mons that Mr. Simmons told him that
he had the court house job a month
before bids were called for that they,
Mr. Laselle & Son, then threatened in
junction proceedings. We found that
the court hired Mr. White as referee
in this matter, and he reported in
favor of Laselle & Son's plans, the
court then rejected all bids and hired
Mr. Simmons to boss the job and did
the work by day work. We find that
Mr. Simmons was empowered to re
ceive bids for material, then to consult
Mr. Beatie, and the two to let con
tracts for and buy material; we find
cement was bought from D. C. Rob
bins, a clerk in the Oregon City Com
mission house for $2.60 per barrel,
cartage extra.
We found where the court has
bought from Balfour-Guthrie & Co.
direct the same class cement for $2.40
f. o. b. Portland.
We found Mr. White was hired to
furnish plans and specifications for
court house and his plans were ac
cepted. We employed Mr. White to
take up the whole matter and go over
it and give an estimate as to the dif
ference in cost of court house should
be built as compared with Mr. La
selle & Son's duns.
Oregon City, Oregon, May 10, 1913
To the Committee of County Court In
vestigation and those whom it may
concern of the County of Clackamas
Oregon:
I will state that by the request of
the County Court of this County,
drawings and estimated cost of need
ed enlargement and repairs of the
court house were asked for early in
the year 1911.
There were four sets of drawings
and estimates received in June of that
year as follows:
Two sets of drawings by Architect
Brown of Portland, estimated costs
being as near as I remember $8,000.00
and $9,000.00 respectively. I was told
later by Mr. La Salle that his estimate
was about $14,000.00 for the complet
ion of the building as shown.
About July 1st, 1911 I met with the
County Court by request to examine
the drawings and estimates received
with a view of adopting the plans
best suited to the needs of the County.
We found on careful examination
that none of the drawings met the re
the drawings met the requirements
quirements most needed. On offering
my services to draw preliminary plans
for the court house remodeling, they
were accepted.
July 8th 1911 I submitted pencil
plans and sketches with the following
estimate as attached:
It was found however that the
plans submitted with this latter esti
mate did not meet with all the
(Continued on Page 2.)
THE CITY JOKE
Ludicrous Inconcistencies Make En
terprise Subject for Ridicule
Last week the Enterprise had a
long editorial on the matter of reliable
news, in which it handed that sheet
several nice bouquets, and then went
on to inform an unbelieving public
that what the Enterprise printed was
only after careful investigation of
facts, and its news columns could be
relied upon.
And, then, before the ink had hardly
dried on the paper it sprang three of
about the rawest news stories that
its long suffering readers have ever
had thrust upon them.
There was that balancing rock story
telling the people how a huge boulder
might fall down the bluff and mangle
a trainload of passengers.
That bunk and punk fairy tale
about the robbery of Frank Abbott's
grave in the cemetery, which the of
ficials and coroner laughed at and
riduculed, and which caused two
young ladies of the city to go. to the
Oregonian office and protest at the
same story which was sent out by the
Enterprise to that paper.
Then followed a real yellow one
about a Captain Kidd treasure trove
over on the ocean beach, that Ore
gon City people were interested in
one that was so fresh it would take
the salt out of the Ocean along the
beach.
And still another. On Tuesday last
appeared an alleged new story con
cerning a local attorney's office a
"stage" or rather a spotlight story.
The facts were given the Courier
representative FOUR weeks ago. As
ide from the advertising feature, they
were too silly for publication. The
sory appeared at great length in the
second column of the Morning Enter
prise, as news, a month afterwards.
Wednesday morning that . paper
came out with an article showing how
Mr. Yale had "put on over" on Henry
Meldrum, and the city engineer suit
had "automatically settled itself," and
Thursday morning it told the truth
and stated Judge Campbell had set
tled it by a discharge order for Yale.
And then that paper wound up with
a bunch of such rank misstatements
of Saturday's mass meeting that its
own few friends had to blush for it.
The Enterprise should change its
motto and we would suggest this:
"IF YOU READ IT IN THE EN
TERPRISE IT IS NOT SO."
Going Down
At the Live Wire luncheon Tuesday
Councilman Tooze stated that the con
tract for a test of a water source for
the city had been let to a Portland
drilling company and work had start
ed. An option on the surrounding land
has been secured for 90 days, under a
contract the city may purchase it at
the market price. The contract is for
250 feet and the drill will work night
and day. s
Stop the Sulphur Fumes
Mr. U'Ren brought up the matter of
sulphur fumes from the paper mills
before the Live Wires, and asked that
the abating of this be taken up. He
said some of the mills had stopped it
and he would like to see the other
take same action, as the fumes were
injurious to many people.
GOING TO MOLALLA
Commercial Club will Help that City
to Start its Club Work
Tuesday night booming, wide awake
Molalla citizens met and organized a
commercial and publicity club to ad
vertise and develop that rich country
and Tuesday night next the Commer
cial Club of this city will go to Molal
la in a body and do what the boys can
to help that place start right.
At the meeting Tuesday night the
following officers were elected to
steer the commercial club for one year
President J. H. Vernon;
Vice President W. W. Everhart;
Secretary and treasurer G. G Tay
lor; Directors Dr. E. R. Todd, Ever
man Robbins, W. A. Beck, W. A.
Wood, Frank Dickins, J. F. Cole. Thir
ty members have already been enrol
led. Hoag Brothersa is the name of
a new firm, but well known residents,
who have rented the Harding build
ing on Main street, four doors south
of the postoffice, and about the 20th
they will open to the public a new fur
niture, hardware, building material
and wall paper store. The new goods
are coming in and the store is being
put into good shape.
Fred and Otto Hoag have always
lived here and the boys stand high.
For several years they have been
with the Frank Busch store and they
know the furniture and hardware bus
iness. That they will do a good busi
ness in this growing city is a certainty-
NOTICE
There are three petition papers left
at the Courier office for anyone to
sign who wishes. They are the recall
petitions for Judge Beatie, Commis
sioner Blair; the referendum on the
state university appropriations of
$175,000., and the county salary in
crease bill.
WANTED!
Girls and Women
To operate Sewing Machines
in garment factory.
Oregon City Woolen Mills
I HE - BID 8F AN
OTHER CITY FAROE
YALE QUITS AND CIRCUIT
COURT OUSTS HIM
CITY ATTORNEY DEFENDS
How Much Longer are People Going
to Permit this Nonsense?
An amusing attempt to put one
over on the public and make defeat
appear victory, was the account in
Wednesday Morning's Exaggerator,
where, under the heading "City Quits,
Wins Court Advantage," that contor
tionist sheet stated that City Attorney
stone "put over an unexpected coup
upon the plaintiff, when he filed a dis
claimer, thereby knocking out the
trial."
The trial was that of George C.
Yale, city engineer. The action was
brought by Henry Meldrum. George
L. Story was the special council and
City Attorney Stone defended Mill
Yale.
Here is the story told by the official
court papers on file:
Mayor Jones appointed Mr. Yale as
city engineer January last, when Mr.
Meldrum at once brought suit to oust
him on the ground that he was not a
resident of the city; had no right to
hold the office. Asked that he be ad
judged an usurper and that he be re
strained from receiving any pay. -
Then following demurs and winding
up of a few yards of red tape, and
then a surprise was sprung by Mr.
Yale resigning the office.
The charges of Mr. Meldrum state
that "on the 7th day of February,
George C. Yale (in pursuance to a pre
arranged plan, conspiracy and agree
ment, by and between himself and
members of the city council and Chas.
S. Noble) submitted a pretended res
ignation to Mayor Jones; the said
mayor and council accepted it, and in
fulfillment of said plan, conspiracy
and agreement, the mayor pretended
to appoint and the council pretended
to confirm, Chas. S. Nobel as engin
eer, with the intent and purpose of all
and each of the said parties that No
ble should be surveyor and engineer
in name only." .
To make it short Councilmen Al
bright, Meyer, Hall, Tooze, Long and
Horton confirmed Noble and Yale was
made assistant. The charges are that
this shift was to keep Yale on the pay
roll; that he had no education or ex
perience for the work, was incapable
and incompetent, and these charges
were known to Mayor Jones.
This brings the story down to Yale's
victory and where, as the Enterprise
states "Wins Court Advantage."
The victory was that Yale quit,
threw up his hands, did not defend and
he was ousted from the job,
That's sure some "coup" and "court
advantage" and the Courier joins with
the Enterprise in congratulations to
William Stone on permitting his client
to quit, and as the morning paper says
"thereby knocking out the trial."
The Enterprise says:
The filling of the disclaimer by
the city at Tuesday's hearing not
only blocked the trial and saved
the city expense of defending a
case that now has automatically
settled itself, but also made im
possible the opportunity for the
washing of the political linen in
the courts.
By way what do you citizens think
of this matter anyway ?
Is Oregon City going to be a kid all
its life, and its city government laugh
ed at and ridiculed?
A big expense to the city has been
saved by this action "automatically
settling itself."
Can any of you constitutional gen
tlemen who are paying big taxes to
pay for these kiddish farces tell the
Courier WHY the city should burn up
good money to defend a man who has
no right to be a city official?
Can You?
Can you tell us why we should pay
a city attorney to protect such an of
ficial? Is he hired to defend men who
are inelligible just because the city
council put him over?
Let us suppose (and perhaps this
1b more than a supposition) that one
of our city councilmen is not elig
ible to his office as per the plain pro
visions of the city charter, and a citi
zen brings an ouster suit and makes
it stick. Should the city defend that
man and pay the expenses of that
litigation when that man had no right
to hold that office ?
Isn't it about time that the men and
women of this city cremand that this
monkey business be cut out and that
our city officials try protecting the
city for a change?
Judge Campbell told Mr. Stone
what he thought of some of his tactics
on the demur some two weeks ago,
and the people of this city should tell
the council what THEY think of
of their action.
When the people of this city have
stood this fool doings long enough
some day some fellow will start some
thing, and when it starts it won't stop
until some of them will get a humil
iation that won't wear off.
There will be preaching services at
Twilight hall Sunday at eleven o'clock
to which all are invited.
Coffee, sandwiches and cake served
at Hansen's Bakery, Main street.