Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1852-08-12
New ALBANY and yincennes Road.

for the manner in which the Public Works have been
disposed of by the State, and in particular the New
Albany and Vincennes Road. He alleges that 1.-THE
last year this road held by the State it yielded her
income Of twelve fourteen thousand dollars; this
source OF has been transferred to few OF the
Governors political favorites in New Albany
The Nashville Republican goes even farther, and as.
that in twenty years the tolls of this road twill
eight hundred and forty thousand dollars"
Both of these editors well know that the assertions made
by them are false from beginning to end.
Let examine the history of this road from its CON-
mencement until the State disposed of it to the Plank
Road Company.
The road constitutes one of the works built by he
State under her system Of Internal improvements and
cost originally s6sS 292 Ga (see Auditors report 1850,
page 49,.
The State commenced receiving tolls on the road,
October TO- 1910, and continued receive them until
May, 1851, when the road surrendered to the Conn.,
pany. The entire amount cs tolls collected upon the
road for years and six months, amounted to 500,
z99, 10, (see Auditors report 1851, page 53) What
became of the tolls collected Not dollar
reached the State Treasury except Sll9,0 which was
paid by the Superintendent after the road
rendered Douglas Mcguire, the present Wing candi-
date for Auditor his report for lS47 (see Doc Jour-
nal, 1S47 and 1S4S page J says, "no moneys reach
the treasury on account Of the work. it all absorb
ed in repairs, payment Of arearages and contingent ex
penses incident TO the manaq ement OF the road" Again
the present Auditor in his report of 1885, (page 4S)
says the tolls only appropriated TO the consruc
ton, repairs, and contingent expenses OF the road
Thus It will be percelvabe that all the tolls collected
upon the road, appropriated TO repairs expenses,
and paying the debts of the road Did these expendi-
tures keep ths road in repairl Mr. Frazier the super
intendent of the road his report dated October o.
lS47 (see Doc Journal lS47 and 49, page 1861 says,
that portion of the road extending from Blue River
New Albany, distance Of % miles upon which at
least two-thirds of the travel concentrates, is almost
literally out and from the fact that the Of
much higher east Of Blue River than it
of it, feel safe in saying that it would take least
$50 900 place the road in good condition
eight years ago.. 'fThus showing the necessity of
expenditure OF $50 600 to place tho road in good con-
dtion it when first made" The tolls were all
appropriated repairing and paying the debts against
the road, until the winter of 1850 and 81 The load
then became bad that Mr.. Eastman, whose stages
ran the road, refused pay TOLL and the State
promise. The citizens living along the line OF road
willing longer to pay toll upon road in that condition,
presented memorials, signed by more than 600 people,
TO the Legislature, as follows:
To the Senate and House Of Representatives OF the
State OF Indiana. The undersigned citizens of said
State, living the New Albany and Vincennes
pike state to your honorable bodes that said road for
several years has been almost impossible in the winter
They therefore, petition your honorable bodies,
either to make appropriation sufficient to put said
road in repair pass law to have the State abandon
the road" These memorials were presented TO the
House, January 81, 1851 and referred to committee
consisting OF members along the line OF the road That
committee invited the Senotors the line OF the road to
meet with them. The committee to whom the petitions
propriate money from the State Treasury pu, the
road in repair The State for years had tried the
experiment, had appropriated every dollar of the tolls
to the road had expended S66S for which moth
ing had been received 1t would require at least S20,
600 to put the road in order. If when the road
new the tolls would not keep it in ORDER there any
prospect when II oat that the $50 600 would
ever be repaid2 The committee believed not,
the committee willing abandon the road according to
the prayer OF the memsrialists There was debt Of
SIG 600 due by the State to citizens who had performed
labor upon the road for the payment Of which the tolls
Of the road were pledged. This debt in the form
Of scrip issued under passed January 81 lS43.
The committee, therefore, reported the act which was
passed with few amendments, it found in the local
laws oil 1851, page 2OlD which act provides that
company may be formed to build plank road upon the
grade but requires the company thus organized to pay
the outstanding scrip against the road but said act IN
It's 18th section says the State reserves to herself the
right any time after the completion of said road to
purchase said road by paying said company, the
lire cost OF constructing and keeping the in
pair and the amount expended by said company in the
redemption of outstanding scrip" and in section %,
he State to herself after twenty years the
light to redeem said road by paying the appraised value
If the improvements made by said company.
The bill was reported to the House, aud on the 3lst
lay Of January, 1851, blouse Journal page 1861 it
passed by unanimous vote of the House The bill
went to the Senate and there full discussion had
Ipon its merits. And who the Senators who sup
ported and voted for itl Among others Nicholas Nc
Carly present Wing candidate for Governor, Joseph O.
Knox county, Holloway of Wayne, Knowlton of Ripley
Derees brother of the editor of the State Journal Por
er OF Harrison, formerly Wing speaker in the House.
al Wings, (see Senate Journal Of 1851 pages 300 and
1872
Who were appointed to open the books' The act
hows that eleven of the men were Wings and eight
Democrats.
After months notice of the time and place for TAX
ng the stock given, and after full statement had
published CT ell the material provisions of the char
err, the books opened in three places, and 2040
hares OF stock TAKEN Of which 1890 shares were
AIKEN by Wings, and $50 shares by Democrats each
hare OF the amount OF S25 making S32 $50 stock taken
y the Wings, and Sl8,7s0 taken by the Democrats.
Vow for the amount OF money the company has made
They have already built 20 miles Of Plank Road costing
hem with the rock work done, $3S 900. What is tho
alue of the stock7 Not share has yet been sold for
than $40 What the tolls received for ten
ears that the State held the roadl They averaged less
han SO 900 per year, and in year did they reach
y 900, all of which these Wing editors know, but they
mean to deceive the people In the Auditors report Of
$50, he says the tolls for the fiscal year. ending Oct
4, 1885, are S12 621 81, but he says in addition this
tatement embraces the tolls from May, 1s49, to Oct.
i, 1850, period Of nearly one and half years These
oils lower under the Plankroad Company than
Then held by the State. Haekleman asserts that Mr.
Willard subscribed the principal Of the stock
imsef This too is false. After making every exer-
to get the stock taken and being unable succeed
wo Wines, farmers owning a large amount Of land
ear the road, which was TO be improved by the con-
trucon Of the road agreed to take $40 600 worth Of
took in the road, provided Mr.. Willard would take
5 900, and further agreed to lend Mr. Willard the
honey to take hi. stock, which Mr.. Willard did. AZ
erwards the Wing newspapers, for political effect, pro-
laimed that the stock was Of great value. Willard
ook them their word and sold out and does not now
wn share The stock is not worth near what it II
'as last year. DIR. Eastman has withdrawn his stages
om the road carrying his passengers and mail the
lew Albany and Sslem Railroad He formerly paid one
NTH Of the entire tolls Now whose door lies the
luti The Wing party expended s66s, 292, ga Of the
copies money 10 build road which yielded the
tate but s11s 90 They had appropriated all the tolls
keep the road in ORDER this not sufficient. Be-
des, they had the road in debt SIC 000 and in.
gnan neope demanded that the road should be ahan.