The Litigation Hatchet is Buried at the West Mill
After months of legal gridlock, a debt settlement paves the way for the idle West mill to resume production in Aberdeen.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Rumors of a settlement between W. P. Hook and Messrs. West and Robinson have been current on the streets for the last few days. From Mr. Hook, it was learned that his entire claim against A. J. West, totaling over $23,000, has been settled. He accepted notes at fifty cents on the dollar, payable in ten annual installments, and every suit has been withdrawn. While the community is glad that a settlement has been made, the thing which interests the people of Aberdeen most is the fact that the West mill has been freed from litigation and that it will run. In the deal, Alex Poison, the well-known logger, has secured a half interest in the mill. The citizens of Aberdeen may rest assured that with the mill freed from obligation, and Mr. Poison's energy added to it, and Mr. Hook's offer to furnish money to stock it with logs, the mill will run, and that right soon.
“The citizens of Aberdeen may rest assured that with the mill freed from obligation... the mill will run, and that right soon.”
Local mills were the lifeblood of Aberdeen's economy, and their closure due to financial disputes often paralyzed the town. Today, debates over the ownership and utilization of waterfront industrial land continue to shape the economic identity of the Grays Harbor region.
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