Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-11-23

ecuieo under the supervision OF the same
engineer. So far as the work had pro.
pressed up TO the lstof September. it has
cost from 80 to 100 cents per square yard.
Does this evince sound judgmentl
In the month of Jolly last the laborers
employed ON the above division struck for
higher wages, and other reasons. Alter
the whole work had been suspended for
three weeks. felt it my dutyto call on
the engineer, to induce him to adopt meas
ures that wonld influence the men to re.
sumo their laSors. Proposed that 9 shiI.
lings day had better be paid than to sui.
fer this disruption in the work, knowing
as did. andthe laborers, also, that during
the months of July and August last wear.
the contractors had paid $l,25 uer dav
This he .relused-said the work MIGHT
siop-and that he would hire the men in
the winter at rs cents per day. The Wis.
dom of this decision / leave to those who
are familiar with the nature of such work.
and 10 make the calculation how much
could be saved by waiting till winter, Ill
the men could even then be procured al
,75) to work in water, during short days
and cold weather, would be over 9 shillings
per day in July and August.
Feeling unwilling to have the work sus
pended. | met the men on the Summit
level, and prevailed on them to 90 to work
promising that ] would send on their
petition TO my colleagues. Though they
went on to work. they were not satisfied
aud more than 200 have since left Tor the
works in Michigan and Indiana.
On the resignation of one OF the super.
intendents, ! desired the engineer to ap.
point an old contractor--a worthy man
who had employed many octhe same men,
and had much influence over them. This
reasonable request he abruptly refused
but whether with the view to give the
place TO the foreman of his brother-in-law
who now fills it. leave without comment.
Before going to Europe to negotiate for
funds tho engineer did state to me that the
canal could lie finished in l9 months, and
at farthest years.
l regret TO state that the engineer has
been in the habit of borrowing large sums
OF money from the contractors. This is
not calculated to increase his independ
euce and when state further that his
brother and brotber-i in law are the larecs,
contractors on The whole work, | submit
it to the sound judgment of my associate
trustees & consulting bondholders, wheth
er this condition Of things shall be con-
tinued.
When visited this city in company
with my associates, Capt. Swift and Mr..
Leaviit, in May last, the engineer sent on
handbilJs, calling for 500 labprers. TO
meet as | supposed his wisI es, made
arrangements at Buffalo and sent OIL from
100 to $50 men. these men were met
by the reply that there was no work ready
for them, nor would there be any for three
weeks. These men returned to Buffalo,
and their statements soon destroyed all
confidence among the laborers in the
promises contained in the handful of the
engineer.
| refrain from saying anything about
the general dissatisfaction existing IN the
state. There is in my judgment cause for
this dissatisfaction. That the true inter.
ests of the state and bondholders, and that
faithful discharge of duty on cur part,
require the prompt removal of the pres
Ell; chief engineer, l have no earthly
doubt, and therefore, recommend it.
This general and well founded dissatis.
faction ofthe public in Illinois, above allu.
ded to. has unfortunately been strength.
ened by the course pursued by my col
league MIR. Leavitt. When in the cit,
about IL months since, | endeavored te
convince him that the interests of the
bondholders required that the same engi
neers who had SO long delayed the com
pletion of the canal, should not be EN-.
p'oyed TO control the work under The trus.
tees. urged this on The ground that il
was for the interest of the bondhoIders 10
conciliate the people of the state and the
MISUNDERSTANDING as ! did and all
must know, that the bondholders must
look to that quarter alone. for all thew
have to hope for in the way Of taxes and
other measures ofrelief. know that the
disappointment of the old engineers
could not be favorable to this desired OBJ.
ject on the contrary, that it must injure
it. To all this, my colleague, Mr. Leav.
lit, replied, 'that he did not care for the
people of Illinois or its legislature that
they were made up Of parcel of dema.
gogues;" and further, shat the power to
control the canal was in their meaninp
the trustees hands, and that they would
conduct it as they thought proper, regard.
less of the people or the legislature
AS to the delay of the work, and the
causes tor such delay, / will say word.
l. has been accounted Tor by the alleged
sickness on The line of the work in ls45.
II is true that there were many sick oil the
line during that year but it is not true
that all were sick, OF that sickness was
the main cause ofdelay. The main cause