Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-18
to purchase any, they went into pile Of con-

70 p0TC06B9 any, t0ey Wout lutO - phe VI cOI-
demned marble, which was not at to be used
for any purpose, and had been accommodating
since the commencement of the work which
was the property of this person, and on
which the Monument never had any claim,
OF this they used enough to finish the course,
and then refused to pay for it.
They also say As to the means on hand
when we were elected, We can only say, so
far as we have been able to discover, the
treasury was bankrupt" OF this, it is sufi =
oient to say, that if the treasury Of the old
Board was bankrupt, their credit was good );
and had it not been for the midnight plottings
of these same gentlemen and their cOnfeder-
ates, the work would have still been progress
ing and all their debts would have been paid;
whilst they are now, and always have been,
by their own showing, bankrupt both in
money and credit. .-...-..
Further, they state that they found the
tools and machinery in an imperfect state,
and the material on hand insufficient, even
for two courses of marble; that the blue
stone was insufficient in quantity and defec-
tive in quality, it having been already tfor.
oughly culled; that, to put the machinery in
working order, they spent not less than 81 900;
and that some of the blue stone work was 50
defective that il had to be taken out
At the time they obtained control of the
Monument the machinery and tools were in
perfect order, and in condition for use at any
moment, with the exception Of a line of shaft
ing used for driving the saws, which was
loaned by the old Board to the Mechanics
Institute, to be used at their fair, with the
understanding that it was to be taken down
and replaced at the expense of the Institute.
The taking of it down, know, was paid for
by the Institute, and will venture to say it
was also put up by them. If not, it was be-
cause the bill was never presented The
whole expense would not amount to $25. This
was all that was required and il they eY
pended more, let them publish the items.
As far as my experience goes, it has been
usual for persons to furnish their own building
materials, but here is a set Of gentlemen who
by treachery and fraud obtain possession Of
great national work, and after dragging
through sickly existence of one year, come
out and acknowledge their inability to raise
funds, and gravely assign as . reason for their
failure, that the old Board only left them two
courses of marble, and not enough blue rock
to back it up, and that it had been culled
over. Whether it was enough or not, it was
all they had for their seasons work and as to
its being culled over, that is untrue, for the
greater part of it was piled upon the wharf
Just as it was landed from the boats
If, as they assert, they took up some of the
blue rock in the interior on account Of the
work being defective. am quite sure they
made it worse instead of better The masonry
in the Monument is universally admitted to be
the best piece Of work of the kind in the
United States; and do not think that either
they or their superintendent, if he is a black
smith, can improve it any. The man who had
charge of the masonry has forgotten more
than all the Board and their deputies ever
knew about such work.
They then proceed to state that the ex-
penses have been greater tn an if the materials
and machinery had been such as they ought
to have been; but that notwithstanding these
disadvantages the work has been done for
less than that done heretofore. Yet they ac-
knowledge that they have spent S7,740-and
say they do not owe over S30-of debts con-
tracted by them. This they know to be
untrue; as they have given a certificate to
one person for over 500; besides, 1 know not
how much more they owe to others This
would make an expenditure of about S., 500
and all the work they have done was 10 raise
the Monument two courses, or four feet in
height; and of this the whole of the marble
for both courses was left on the ground, and
one of them dressed ready for setting in the
building. So, by their own statement, the
work done by them cost 81, 100 for every foot
| in height, while under the old Board the cost,
including marble, blue rock, cement, lime,
sand, and fuel, did not cost over 81 900 per
foot in height; whereas, this economical Board
never paid dollar for materials of any de-
scriptiOn, unless it may be for two boat loads
(about 80 perches) of blue rock which they
| purchased. Even the wood they used for
fuel-forty-three cords-which they found on
| the ground, they laid hands on and burnt up,
and still refuse to pay for it Instead Of pur-
chasing anything, they have sold everything
about the place that would bring dollar,
| even to the crane used for hosting the marble;
and that at the time they were commencing
the work, and which, if they intended to
| continue, it was utterly impossible to do with
| out. Notwithstanding they state that the
work was commenced on the LIST of September,
and ste adily prosecuted as long as the weather
| would permit, the fact is that they discharged
all hands on the LIST Of December, at least a
month before tn close of the season; and the
| largest force they had at work was five stone
cutters and few masons and laborers,
amounting in all to not more than twelve or
fifteen men. How they have managed to get
clear of the S7,740 it is hard to conceive. But
as they state that additional accounts of re-
ceipts and expenditures are prepared and
ready for inspection, if they will only publish
them, l have no doubt they will be very in
tsresting, and at the same time perfectly
satisfactory. WIN. DOUGHERTY.
Pardoned On the 18th inst. the President
pardoned j. T. Russell, who was convicted on
the 9th of January last, in the Criminal
Court of this District, of passing the note of
- Taylor, with forged endorsement upon
it, and was sentenced to three years con6ne-
ment in the penitentiary of the District Of
Columbia There was room to doubt in the
case whether he did no. ignorantly pass the
note in question, though technically guilty Of
the crime of forgery in SO doing. Hence, we
presume, arose his pardon.
Commissioned Mcqueen Mcintosh, some
time since confirmed by the Senate as United
States district judge for the northern district
Of Florida, vice Isaac H Bronson, deceased
was yesterday duly commissioned, We hear.
The Current Operations Of the Treasury
Department. yesterday, 18th of March
there ware Of Treaaurv warrants entePed on