Adams County Makes the News - Council Leader #25

The Adams County Leader
Published Every Friday by the Council Publishing Company. 
Eighty-nine per cent of the stock of the above company
is owned by F.H. Michaelson.
F. H. Michaelson Editor and Manager

December 27, 1918
SAYS HE WAS VICTIM OF A PUT-UP JOB
In the December 13 issue of the Leader, we mentioned that Jim Failmos, formerly of Council and now of Weiser, had been placed under arrest on a charge of boot-legging, and, further, that additional trouble awaited him in the nature of a complaint that he had taken minor girls to Huntington, Oregon, on a joy ride.  Since Huntington is out of the state, this too is under some circumstances a crime.  We are in receipt of a letter from Mr. Failmos which gives his version of the matter.  While our assertion as to the complaint against him was correct, it is possible that our comment placed him in an unfair light.  Thus it is that we cheerfully give space to his letter which follows.

Editor Adams County Leader, Council, Idaho
Dear Sir:
In answer to the item headed "Why, Jim?" appearing in your paper on December 13, I wish to say that I was starting out to take the gentleman referred to in the said item to Huntington, Oregon, on important business when the girls spoken of asked if they might ride home with me, which I gave them permission to do.  As we neared their home, the girls insisted that we take them for a ride about town, but owing to our necessary hurry we hesitated about doing so; however, after their insistent urging we consented and took them for a ride during which time we tried to impress upon the girls' minds my friend's urgent need of going to Huntington, but the girls only begged to ride longer, which we would not permit; so, contrary to the item published before, the girls insisted on going to Huntington which we protested against, but after stopping the car several times and asking the girls to get out which they refused to do as they said they must see a certain party at Huntington in order to obtain money to take them to Caldwell the next day, I finally consented to take them on the grounds that two of them were married, the third being a sister to one of the other two. 

After arriving in Huntington I had some trouble in finding a place to take gas for my machine during which time I was approached by a stranger offering to sell me some whiskey which, at first, I told him I had no use for as I did not indulge in drinking it, but after thinking it might come in handy for medicinal purposes bought one pint.  After getting gasoline I hunted up the girls and told them I was ready to return to Weiser, but they informed me they would take the train from there to Caldwell so I returned home alone.  Getting to Weiser early in the morning, I put up my car and went to bed.  I was awakened later in the day by the county sheriff, accompanied by the stranger who had sold me the liquor, with the excuse of searching my house for some auto tire tubes which they claimed I had stolen.  The liquor was all they found, which they took possession of, putting me under arrest and starting a charge against me for bootlegging, all of which, I believe, is a put-up job.

Jim Failmos.

September 5, 1919
TO CONSUMERS OF ELECTRICITY

Owing to the unusual scarcity of water for this time of year, we are operating under voltage, particularly in the mornings.  We believe that inside of a week we will have this trouble taken care of, as we will soon complete new construction work that is now being done at the power plant.
In the meantime we ask that users of electric stoves be careful as possible in turning off their stoves when not in use and use them as little as possible in the forenoons.  The power users such as the elevators and mills must be taken care of first, and where we find that the use of electric stoves is being abused by carelessly leaving them on when not in use, we will either cut them off or put them on a meter, at the option of the consumer.  We particularly warn stove users that the rate given them is for cooking purposes and not for heating, and if at any future time we find stoves turned on for this purpose, or turned on when not in use, we will be compelled to take the above measures.

When an electric stove consumer feels that he is not getting his money’s worth out of his stove, he is at liberty to cut it off, and thus give some other user better service.
Adams County Light and Power Company

March 28, 1919
TO THE PEOPLE OF ADAMS COUNTY:
I have decide to resign as president of the Pacific & Idaho Northern Railway, and in this terminating of an association which has entirely occupied the best sixteen years of life and resulted in my almost complete physical breakdown, it seems fitting to address a few words of farewell and appreciation to the people and communities I have tried to serve, and whose good will and sympathetic cooperation made possible the great development that has been accomplished.
Much has been accomplished.  The wilderness has literally been made to “blossom like the rose,” and the entire district is now on the very threshold of its ultimate and fullest destiny.  In 1903, the railroad was only 60 miles long, ending at Council.  I have built three extensions: to Glendale, to Evergreen, and finally to New Meadows, thus opening up and making accessible all of Washington and Adams counties.

In November 1917, while at work in my office, I suffered a severe stroke of paralysis which for two months all but destroyed my sight, made my right arm and leg useless and seriously affected my vocal organs, but through this I kept in close and intimate touch with my work, and, against the positive orders of my physician shortly resumed all of my many active duties until in September 1918 I had to resign the position of general manager.

It is needless to say that it is with deep grief and infinite regret that I disassociate myself from what has been almost literally my life work, abandon my home and hearth in one of the loveliest valleys on earth, and leave the locality in which my children were born and where we had hoped to end our days, surrounded by a prosperous commonwealth, happy in having achieved the maximum of possible development, in which I might feel that I had a part. 

For courtesies, co-operation, sympathy and good will expressed in many ways, I am indebted to so many people that this is the only means by which I can hope to reach them all.  If I have helped you, I am glad; the knowledge is sufficient reward.  If I have injured you, I am sorry.  If I have failed in my duty in any way I regret it.  My errors have been of the head and not of heart, and I leave with clean hands and a conscience that I have given the best that was in me to my work, to you, and to Idaho.

And now, wishing you every blessing, all good things and the happiness, prosperity and peace which should crown all honest endeavor, I say “good-bye.”

Col. E. M. Heigho

compiled by Eberle Umbach