[at-l] Putnam Mine

[baltimorejack@hotmail.com (Jack Tarlin)]

I wasn't going to get NEAR this one, but I feel that I must.

I obviously can't speak with personal knowledge about the correspondence 
that's been going on between D. Bruce and Snodrog re. The Putnam Mine, or 
who deserves credit for the success of the campaign waged to preserve the 
land in question.

I'm also quite loathe to get involved with this at all, as there are several 
folks who seem to think that I'm some sort of blind apologist for Mr. Bruce, 
and that I never lose the opportunity to speak on his behalf.  I assure you 
that this is NOT the case; I haven't mentioned Wingfoot or Trailplace in 
longer than I can remember----I have no particular interest in discussing 
him, nor in defending him.  However,  I feel that I must contribute, in some 
small way, to this discussion.

I have in front of me a copy of a letter from one Jay Leutze, who headed up 
the Concerned Citizens to Save Belview Mountain, the group that was fighting 
to stop the Putnam Mine.  Regarding Mr. Bruce's and Trailplace's 
contributions in this effort, Mr. Leutze said the following.  This is what 
he told Bruce:

    "A hundred times I have meant to sit down and reflect on the incredible 
campaign we all waged over the last two years.  And I want to say thank you. 
  Without the work you did, when you did it---when everybody else was 
hemming and hawing or checking with their boards, as they must---Belview 
mountain would be missing a big chunk of its hide by now."

    I could print more of this, but the point is clear:  I'm sure that many 
people were responsible for the success of this effort, but it cannot be 
denied that the Trailplace effort had a very great deal to do with this, and 
thus, deserves much of the credit.  This is absolutely confirmed in the 
words  of mr. leutze, who was certainly in a position to know.

   I'm sure I'll get all sorts of affronted replies to this, but before 
firing them off, I urge interested parties to do this:  Mr. Leutze's letter 
ends with the following:  "P.S.  Feel free to pass this email along to any 
doubters, or put them in touch with me.....Jay Erskine Leutze, Box 52, 
Minneapolis, NC   28652"

   In other words, anyone who wishes to comment with any credibility on this 
matter should really make a point of going to the horse's mouth, and should 
contact Mr. Leutze for further information.

   In closing, my point in printing this is NOT to rush to Mr. Bruce's 
defense every time someone wishes to attack him.  I admit that in the past I 
was guilty of this.  I'm no longer interested in blanketly defending ANYONE, 
as there is nobody in our community who is always blameless, always 
irreproachable, always to be shielded from criticism.  And Dan Bruce 
certainly does not qualify for this sort of protection---like any of us, 
there are certainly any number of things that he can be faulted on, 
especially as regards his administration of the old Trailplace site, and his 
role in Trail politics and advocacy.  However, in THIS particular case, I 
feel that some of his detractors are speaking unfairly---there may well be 
some folks who feel that Bruce has chosen to take too much credit for his 
work re. the Putnam matter.  However, it is clear to me that the 
organization principally responsible for directing the anti-mine efforts 
feels differently, and feels that Bruce's contributions were very really 
indeed, and that he is, in fact, deserving no small ammount of credit in 
this particular matter.

   I urge interested parties to contact Mr. Leutze for confirmation or 
commentary on what I've written above; even more so, I urge others from 
making intemperate or unkind comments that are not buttressed with fact and 
confirmation.   There are any number of things Dan Bruce can be criticized 
or questioned on, and there are any number of folks on this list whose 
grievances against Dan are very real indeed.  However, it'd be a shame if 
their feelings towards Dan were colored to the point that it prevented them 
from being remotely objective when discussing the man; in this particular 
case, I'm not sure the criticism being directed his way is fair.  The 
feelings expressed in Mr. Leutze's letter would seem to indicate that in 
this particular case, the "credit" that Dan is allegedly claiming is, in 
fact, merited.

                                                --Jack Tarlin
                                                  Hanover, NH




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