Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-12-26
From the Standard.
To the Editors of the Standard:

nropose to reply in detail The structures OF the Jour
nal: but desire the use of your columns TO suomn !
brief narrative of facts which is necessary 10 olspe
orror The managers of this work desire only JUS
tice ar it is hoped that this narrative VIII DC sui
6cient to show that they would not nave oeen WI"
ling to sacrifice the work for the benenl OF our own
people in Chatham and Cumberland contracting VI
'to find employment Tor this OF 'ha' u ou o"A {
young men " as engineers 49,, ,o5s l
in Wilmineton there strong teeilng expressed
in favor of employing Mr. f. A Dougias DIS cie
Engineer of The Company reso uaon was passed.
EXPRESSING preference for him, and the Board re-
ouested 20 secure his services. Accordingly, at tnef
next meeting which Oft al Summertime 'l''
Douglas was retained at salary OF So,UOO per ah-
nnm and his expenses which the least sum al
which his service. could BE- secured, he coming on to
North Carolina as often. he then Informed u.s. as
was necessary. | believe--tn ct kno"'-tha' 3"
majority of the Board at that time voted for the re-
solution employing him with reluctance, 'eelng tna'
the compensation given him was very ngn' pul VIZ
working season was then at hand we bad no time 10
look around for another who might he equaliy co"'
peent; and the Board instructed to empty nun
So much for the charge OF paying an e2ofoi'a"t sd
ary to the Chief Eng neer 1t Is not improper 10
mark further that the stockholders at Haywood IN
Anril last ratified anu approved the action OF the
Board in this matter, and so strong was the lee1nS
for Mr.. Douglas in Wilmington that a sh'ie"ldn
who stands deservedy high iii the confluence OF tne
Wilmington stockholders and who Represented 'ho
~
M for the avowed purpose OF eJecting from tne
Board gentleman who is as much acquainted WIN ne
river az any on it, for the reason tnaC he Nu0
sunposed to be opposed Mr.. Douglas. In consul
tation with Mr. Douglas at the meeting Wneh ne was
EMPLOYED, he was asked how many assistants ne
wanted His answer that two were enough
And he expressly stated that he would prefer 10 take
, them here among Us, OF ''our own young men,
e they would do. The Board at once employeu ~ q
. Conner on his recommendation, and he was asked II
he would take Mr.. McDufie as the other he reau
iy agreed to do so, and expressed himself ehute'y
satisfied with him. These two gentlemen "ehT al
once into the service of the Company under W.T.
Douglas Mr.. Conner some time afterwards resign
- cd and we have since had McDufhe and two other
4 Young men on the work under the Chief Engineer
On the resignation of Mr. Conner, Mr.. Douglas never
indicated his successor. He has not dismissed, as he
had the power to do, any of "our young men Oh
Tho ork He never reported to he Board that they
= were incompetent or wanting in fidelity to their ifuSS
He has never given the least intimaton which can
recollect that he desired their dlsmIsson for any
:. cause whatevtr. Have he managers OF ms w0rK' o.
~ whom the Journal sees one or two oa'ly' laieu IL
, carving out the plan. OF Mr. Douglas, and adopte'
their own plans in place of his | assert posltlVelN
.. they have not done so in single instance anu
they had done this, he ought in justice to himself "
~ have promptly resigned long ago. DID they lah
giving him efficient assistants! He asked tof l"o'
81 1hev cave him these one recommended by himself
If and he readily assented TO the employment OF 10
b o,her-exprt himself entirely salIshed win MN
TO If in the progress 81 the work Mr. Douglas hau ~
NJ come satisfied that any of his assistants was III
b comneent OF that he had not engineering force sum
~ Gent submit to every fair minded man. II he ougn
e no, to have dismissed him expressed his dIssa'iS
faction TO us, and recomn ended an increase Oh |"
Ter engineering force How, then, can any person.
int there has been disappointment, now that IL mas com
cep.ure he board of managers, for retaining mort
~ Carolnam ass istanls with whom he never exprtsse
49, dssatisfac,ir or for supply ing wants OF who
az he never app Ized them 4,
ts ALL object, Messrs. Editors, is not to attack nj
of Doo,Ias Far from it. But merely to show ia ct
DO "i not az %Fs'f. taey yI
ted but fro much motives, submit as are a
ON crhed to Il N
cd Again II * alleged that the interest OF the VOL
,ch have been sacrificed to subserve the interest OF CO.
ist tractors resident here. Now, IN regard 10 thls
will assert that it is impossible to find, IN North "a
der DINA or out of IT, seven gentlemen VINO are mo
on sincerely DESTROYS of pu<hn this work through Uni
bu. the present board. They differed among inemseV'
fter IT is true as the contractors. In Marcn last
work was let out on Deep river. portion OF OF, I
the Board desired to give the contract to Nolthe
ows Company who owened important coal interests
ace Deep river and who willing to take inc CO
avs tract al MIR. Douglas estimates. majority OF
ave Board, however, decided 10 give the WORK on lie
all River--not 10 Company, but TO several dlnere
Comprehensive were required TO enter INTO 90
of with good and sufficient security Tor the conPle
of the work all Of which they did. ANA
Is of here only remark, that they contracted to 40 8
the work at cost of nearly $1,000 less than the SAID e
may males; and that WIN tne eAo'p"o" -, H.sl
bird Lock at Lockvie as will be seen from Mr. DOUG
report il is nearly completed; and, Will ADD
lbc we'll done. If little is due TO my opInion. "o
W. respectfully refer TO Mr. Douglas rs authority
urts other fact will mention in this connecuon w
the Board declined the bid of this Northern Com
the nv for the whole of the work on Deep RIVER
eace preferred dividing it into different contracts, m
Used Der of the board requested to confer with
agent of this Company and ascertain whether or
thev would be willing to contract for the constr
ton of the work at Lockville and reported a
said conference that if they could not get the u
ther of the Deep River contracts they would nave
saw ing to do with part of it,
The Having had some experience heretofore OF NORTH
IN OF contractors the McCulloughs, who were as ne
,rigo, recommended as this Northern company poss
roner could be- the Board did prefer 10 give the woIk
yided into different contracts. to citizens oi M
Carolina who were known TO them, and known
be RESPONSIBLE men, (the most OF them OF experl
IN the construction of this species of work,) and
entered INTO undoubted bonds for it's proper e4ecu
hut nasmuch as there was to be constructed at l.
Vile stone lock, which was the first ever built
will the river they would have preferred letnE these
en of ,l.men have the construction of it, from the TACT
male IT wa. understood that they had experience IN
species OF wolk.
sband In all this Messrs, Editors, permit respec
from " 10 ask in what have the board done wrong
some are answered that if we had g ven the contra
was these Northern gentlemen their own interest W
S have prompted them to push the work throl
and that it would al this very time have been
Nm. peted In reply, it may be said that this is nj
CONJECTURE and that we are not, by any means,
that il would, if let to them, have been IN its
dav eot state OF forwardness And again it Is stran