Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1857-02-19
PORTAGE RAILROAD WAR.

The Hollidaysburg Standard OF last week
contains defenae of she late officers of the
Portage Railroad. from which we extract the
following:
when Gen. Calohan took charge of the
road, every thing was new. The caving in
at deep cuts, the erection of bridges and the
laying of new track from Gaysport to the
Portage Iron Works, were extraordinary and
unavoidable expenses incurred in order to
keep the road in order. Notwithstanding
this, Arnold Plumer, in order to found a pre-
text to have Calohan supplanted last fall,
urged upon the Legislature in May, after
most Of the extraordinary debt was contract
ed, the passage of law making the sureties
of officers responsible for any debts contract
ed over and above the appropriation for the
fiscal year. The law was passed, when every
enc knew that Gen. Calohan must exceed the
appropriation, or the road would cease opera
tions. 1t was the entering wedge to serve
Arnold Plumsr's purpose-notwithstand
the absurdity of the intimation in the report
that Calohan's sureties of 1855 should be
held amenable to a law passed in 1856.
1.-The appointment of Mr.. Dryden was re-
ceived with disgust by the Democrats here.
lst-Because they deemed him unqualified to
fill the office, as time will amply prove. 2dly
Because he never was Democrat until
within the last year or two-and lastly be-
cause he was appointed over the heads Of re-
liable Democrats and men Of known integrity.
The deep Indignation of the people had to be
met by Plumer-and he endeavors to shield
himself behind implied corruption on the
part of Gen. Calehan. The report alleges
that Gen. Calohan iss&ed new certificates for
wood to the amount of Sl3. 900, said to have
h1~r H. j 4, l
making them payable out of his appropria-
tion-thus attempting to make the State pay
twice for the same wVod-a moral impossi-
biity, as the Auditor General could hardly
be entrapped to credit such an account twice.
1t is very true that Gen. Calohan did cancel
the old certificates and issue new ones for the
payment of Sl3, ,00G worth Of wood. lie
done so with a written guarantee from
\. NJ. White in his pocket that he would in
demnify him against all loss. Calohan had
no right to know what amount of wood was
on the road. The Wood Inspector appointed
! by the Canal Commissioners reported that
amount, and he was bound to take his state
ment-and yet in the face of all this, the
| Honorable Board charges Gen. Ross first with
$4,000 for the old certificates cancelled,
and $4,000 for the new ones issued-making
$4,000! They do not explain by what
means the men Interested were to make the
Auditor General pay this claim twice-but
they saddle the whole charge upon Cen Cal
ohan, who had no more to do with it than the
Commissioners themselves
In the bill of charges against Calohan,
we find $4,000 due from j. S. Hemphill & CO..
for nine stationary engines. Col. r. NJ
Lemon offered for these nine engines 81 | 900,
but by some unexplained hocuspocus James
S. IIemphill X COMPANY boug ght them from
the Canal Board for $1,000. and the balance
owing upon them is now charged to Gen
Calohani
Want of time rs we'll as 4 want of room,
compels us to close with this brief notice,
merely informing our readers that before an
investigation committee in the House, it will
be satisfactorily proven that a man high in
the confidence Of Plumer, made overtures 10
both Ross and Calohan-to the effect that for
$500 in hand paid to certain parties that
part Of the report reidtirc TO he ,cood should
he onlitted'-but both spurned the offer of
these pure and immaculate patriots, and are
willing to let the Legislature pass judgment
upon their official accounts" ..
So far as relates to the last charge Gen
Calohan has published card in which he
says he was never approached by any one
with proposition of SO dishonorablc ma
ture"
We have thus given both sides of this Lu-
siness, and we suspect most of readers, after
perusing it, will come to the conclusion that
the Canal Commissioners gave pretty strong
evidence of corruption among their officers,
and that their officers have furnished equally
conclusive evidence that the Canal Copamis-
sioners are no better than themselves. The
whole thing in fact seems to be mere quar-
rel as to which party defraudcd the State of
the greatest amount, reminding one strongly
of the old saw when rogues fall out" &c.