The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-06-28
i done, though Mr. Hanna very unchari,ably

it done, though Dir. Hanna very uncharitably
intimates the reverse. No determination
was ever stronger with me than this one: to
have the clearing done, completely, If the
contractor would and could accomplish it
En extract from the contract with Mr.. Hous-
ton reads as follows:
''Thls agreement, made and concluded this
30ih day of September, in the year 1854, between
VIM. z. Houston, of Clay county, party OF the
first part, and the Board of Trustees of the Wa
bash and Erie Canal oflhe second part, witness
eth: That the said party Of the first covenants
and agrees TO cut down aud clear OF the timber
now standing within the limits IL the Birch Creek
Reservoir in Clay county; and, also, all The
shrubs, brush, aud small trees within the same
the said work TO be performed in accordance
with The directions of VIM. ]. Ball, Engineer in
charge, or OF such other Engineer as may be de-
signated by said Boar and the said work shall
be ned by the sail W. ]. Ball or other En-
gineer, and payments shall be made from time
10 time. as the work progresses, upon estimates
made by said Engineer, reservirg ten per cent.
of the amount until the whole is completed u
SIS "And il is further agreed
and understood that the work embraced in this
contract shall be commenced Immediately, and
completed on or before the LIST day OF February,
1855. "--'-
This, Mr.. Editor, is the official action of
the Trustees. up to the time that Mr.. Hous-
ton gave up this contract. That course, let
me again say, was adopted without even the
slightest acknowledgement that the standing
timber would injuriously affect the health of
the people living on or near the banks OF the
Reservoir. The very reoerse lCe believed and
alO11 belisDe, to be true. 1t was adopted for
the sake of peace, and with the hope that
such concessions would have tendency to
cure the unreasonable fears of the citizens in
the neighborhood. The Trustees could not
foresee the dsap pontments and delays which
some of the inhabitants of Clay county caused
| 10 this matter, nor yet the local questions
which have been dragged into 1t by designing
men. If these things could have been an.
tfcipated, matters might have been differently
placed, and the Trust saved the effort to sat-
isiy the unreasonable demands Of an uniustly
excited people.
| The failure of Mr.. Houston to complete
his contract, left the Trustees to decide be-
tween filling the Reservoir with water or
abandoning the canal between Terre Haute
and Evansville. 1t did not occur to any one
that the Trustees could long hesitate which
course was demanded by the public interest.
Surely, no sane man could expect that this
whole line of canal should be abandoned on
pretext so frivolous. The interests of
thousands, and the commerce of a fourth
part of the State, had high claim upon the
attention of the Trustees, which superadded
20 their duty to the State and her creditors,
left but little room for debate or hesitancy.
They determined to fill the Reservoir, (as |
stated to the meeting in Clay would be DONE
after the contractor had failed to clear a por-
ton of the same. 1t was destroyed by an
armed mob, and the work is now in the
keeping of the State, for future protection.
Notwithstanding the asseveration of Mr..
Hanna, the Trustees have nothing TO reproach
themselves with, except that they lent too
ready ea- to the representations of persons
who either lacked the ability or disposition
to fulf promises made for mere temporary
purposes, and some OF these purposes entirely
selfish. The lessons which experience teaches
are never entirely lost on the prudent, and il
is not likely that, even now, any deception
practised will avail the party to it. Certainly
the Trustees acted in good faith in all mat
tiers affecting the people of Clay county, and
am glad to kno,c that some of the persons
deluded into violence by the arts of the de-
ceiver and the promptings OF the demagogue,
have already discovered the foot prints of
the d0uble-dealer in this affair. II it ever
becomes necessary, his whole figure shall be
lifted to the public gaze.
1HOS. BOWLING.