- Transcription
Hudgins, Watson & Watson
Attorneys at Law
Burnsville, N.C.
Dec. 11th, 1916
Governor Locke Craig
Raleigh N.C.
Dear Governor:
I enclose you herwith letter form Mr. Johnston1 and his claim for fee in the Mt. Mitchell Peak Park matter. Our Commission employed Mr. J. Bis Ray to do the work and he did not bring suit at the time we had asked him and as he was taking the train for Sanfrancisco to the Exposition, he asked me to employ Mr. Charles Hutchins of the firm of Johnston & Hutchins and we did so. When Bis came back he did most of our work but always with Mr. Hutchins. Mr. Johnston came over here one trip and the fee he names is simply exorbitant.
He says that you mentioned this amount as a proper fee and if you did and this is to go to him individually then Mr. Ray and Mr. Hutchins should have $250.00 each at least. Either one of them has done four times as much work in the matter as Mr. Johnston. I think that a fee of $250.00 to the firm of Hutchins & Johnston, or the proper style of the firm I believe, is Johnston & Hutchins, should be $250.00. Bis will be delighted to get a fee of that amount and I feel that we should treat them all alike. If you say $250.00 for Mr. Johnston individually then we will present claim for $250.00 for Mr. Ray and the same amount for Mr. Hutchins thus making $750. for attorneys fees when $300.00 for the firm of Johnston & Hutchins and $250. for Mr. Ray is a good, round, fat fee for each firm.
Kindly return the enclosed letter and bill with your recommenddations and we will act accordingly.
I do not feel that we should be nigardly about these matters and yet I do not feel that we should pay exorbitant fees just because the State is paying for it.
These are my sentiments and I leave it up to you feeling that when you know the facts you will do the right thing, by all these gentlemen.
With kindest regards I am,
Yours cordially,
1. Item of correspondence referred to is not found among the papers of Locke Craig and may have been returned to Elbert Watson, according to Governor Craig's response.
