The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1855-01-19
To the Editor of the Porispoath Irquirer.

1
DEAR SIR,--Yours of the 18th inst. con-
tained an asticle. headed "Tha Gnhumhus
& Portsmouth Turnpike Company" which
article | propose to correct, and in doinS
so, will make statement Of facts connect
ed with the road, so far as my knowledge
extends, as Director Of said road The
law requires the Governor of the State to
appoint one director from each county
through which the road passes. In ac-
cordance with said law, about two years
ago, ] was appointed by the Governor for
Scioto county; at which time, / believe
there was a small balance. in the treasury
Of Scioto and Pike counties, while Ross
county was in debt about four thousand
dollars, and had drawn on Scioto and Pike
to assist her in paying her debts. This
they refused to do, because of an agree
ment among the directors of the company
that each county should build and keep her
portion of the road in repair. A meeting
of the stockholders of the road was then
called, at which meeting it was agreed that
each county should own her section of the
road, keep the same in repair, collect the
revenue, disburse the same, and declare its
own dividends, and that the Ross county
debt should be paid by each county Civ
ing her share, which has been done. With
regard to the actions of the directors Of
this county, leave the stockholders to
Judge. Ever since / have been a mem.
ber, the board has never refused to make
a full statement of the affairs of the COM
pany, as charged by the Inquirer. The
Treasurers of the several coundes, under
the direction of the board, make their reg
ular statements of the affairs Of the road to
their President, and he gives q genenal
statement to the Governor of the State, as
the law directs. The directors would be
pleased to have any Of the stockholders
call and examine the books of the comra-
r ny; and would request the editor of the
: Inquirer also, To calland examine for HIM
{ self; and then, perhaps, he would moi
make such wholesale charges Of dishonesty
and rascality in the management Of the
road. He says it is well known that the
7 directors have considerable amount O
money in their hands, belonging to the
road, and which it is believed certain o
the directors have taken and applied t
their own use. If the Inquirer meanI
the directors of Scioto county, ] state pub
J Ilicly that it is false, and not one cent hav,
any Of the directors or officers used for any
other than the purposes of the road. The
money of the road is in the treasury, ant
can only be drawn out by order of tn,
president Of the board, except in paymen
Of repairs on the road, and then only Of
t the superintendent's voucher for work &C
! tually done. Igiye, as near as I can re
collect, the amounts paid the various Off
cers Of the road in Scioto county, Mr.. S
Q. Briggs, Sup't, $ll5 so !; Mr. William
] Hall, $28 SO /; Mr.. Jno. Mcdowell, Treas
I urer, $57 94; Mr.. p. Kinney. $50, N,
! cannot say how much was paid the othe
I counties, as / was absent from the las
1 yearly meeting Of the board. AS to tn
statement of the honest director, no sucl
statement was ever made by anyone q
!, the directors Of this county, Mr., p. Kin
J Iney states, that he was absent at the tim
/ THE change was made, by ousting out tn
! honest director, and had NOT seen the d
!. Itectots Of the upper counties foI som
time, and had never conversed with ther
\ a. as