The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-04-28
N. s!voi

comPei liSm 10 pay greater price than IL
left .tofr competition. This argument might
, be true 10 some extent; but 1t does not fol-
: low as matter Of course, that the Central
: Road should solicit bids from the workshops
! Of the State to determine the value Of par.
, ticular description Of car they wish TO have
I constructed, unless its specifications differ
materially from those in ordinary use among
the roads in the State, as an application
made to the various Superlnten endents Of roads
throughout the State would settle the ave.
rage value Of particular description of Car
under their contract. 1t is evident however,
that the contract entered into with Douglass,
Smith d. Co., by the company, is iRconveni-
ent in some particulars, and embarrassing In
some Of its provisions. Be Ghis az Il MAJ, Il
icas entered into in good faih and should b
literally construed by the Company, for the
reason that the constructors in order to meet
the wants Of the company have made large
expenditures in the shape of buildings and
machinery, to facilitate their business on the
faith of the contract, and the deprivstion of
a large amount Of work which they had rea-
son to expect, might be the means of causing
partial embarrassment to these snterprizing
men. Upon the Railroad Company however
rests The responsibility Of bestoN ing these con-
tracts to other parties, although it is evident
If the prices offered by Douglass. Smith g.
Co., were the lowest they could have sub
mitted to, the company have effected an i'm
portant saving in the aggregate Of the work,
BY assigning the contracts to Hessrs. White,
Small e. Co., Of York, Pennsylvania, who
propose to do the work at Bell Air, the
Eastern Terminus of the Road on the Ohio
River
The difference between, their respective
bids being in favor Of the Company, in the
aggregate, $50, ,750, on the amount of work
Profered. And in regard 10 the proposition
from Messrs. Davenport, Russell g. Go, of
MasslIon, for the, construction of the same
number Of cars, the difference in favor of thu
Company, as against the proposition of Dou-
glass, Smith g. Co., as indicated in their pro-
position of lhe 18th February, would be
S2s,25o. As to the terms of payment, in
either case, the difference is not MATERIAL
While the President felt it to be h q dstv To
solicit proposals from Douglas, Smith & Co.,
for the construction of all the burthen cars
they could make within a prescribed period,
we understand that no definite proposition as
to price or terms was indicated, or proffersd,
upon the part of the Company, for the great
er portion of the ears to be constructed.
while the proposition of Douglass, Smith g.
Co., on the l4th of February, was evidently
designed to invite, upon what they consider,
ed their construction Of the contract, definite
proposition as to prices-which they could
either accept or reject, if coming from re-
sponsibe parties in the State Of Ohio.
The construction which the President gavs
to the contract was of such character, that
in his opinion, he was not bound to divulre
bid for machinery, from other parties, in order
to comply with the contract; but the differ
ence being SO greatly in favor of the Com.
pany, by the great reduction of price, it pro,
sented temptation 80 strong, as to hazard
the probabilities Of a suit at law, for dam,
ages, under contract, where the interested
parties held different views es to the con-
struction of its provisions.
Although rot within the province Of the
committee, under the resolution of the Citv
Council, 70 investigate the general charge OF
spectlati ,n in property at Bell Air, attributed
to the President and portion of the Direct
ory; and the charge of attempting to use the
influence and patronage of the road to sub
serve the purposes of private gain, for the
purpose Of building up rival city to Wheel
ing and Zanesvils at Bell Air, backed up
as it was by the fact, that contracts had been
assigned for the construction of cars at ths,
point, for the use Of the Company; and know.
ing that parties of spectators had taken pro-
perty in the immediate vicinity of the Gem
trail R. R. Termiaus on the Ohio River. n
was naturally attributed to the oficers of the
road, the President especially, whose spsculs.
tive propensities are not unlike those Of 9TH,
er,men blessed with fine imaginative powers.
but whose ability to carry is not near 90
strong as the desire to hold; sprobaby a his
tory of the transaction by one who was Dor.
sonally cognzant of the original purchase of
what is known as the Harris Farm on the
Ohio River, would be satisfactory to the
public in the present excited state Of feeling.
In August, 1852, the President of the Road
appreciatng this farm as desirable to the in
terests Of the Company for repair shops,
ferry rights and other privileges, in the way,
OF connection with tn Baltimore and Ohio
Road. and not being able to negotiate with.
the proprietor on terms anything like satis-
factory, for the right 81 way and depot
grounds and landings, which, he supposed,
would require some IS acres, he obtained d
proposition from Mr.. Harris for the sale .of
the entire farm to himself, containing I4x
acres, at about $500 per acre. A meeting
of the board was called at his instance; and,
as the Railtoad Company, under their charter
could not hold real estate other than what
was necessary for depot and right of way,
purposes, Col. sulivah proposed to vest the
title in himself, g. B, Wright, snd John
welch. on certain conditions, the first Of
which was loan Of. money from the Cemps-
ny, to make the first stpayment on the purchase;
secondy-that they would grant to the Cen
yal Ohio Railroad all the land they needed
for depot and righ. Of way purposes, (suppos-
ed to be about 25 acresD thirdly--ali the
profits Of. re- sale to result to the use of the
Company, on condition, that a reasonable
should be awarded them for
their trouble. The purchase Of the land,and