Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-03-02


at Goldsboro' and elsewhere on the road
He knoacs these things or he is sciyully ignorant.
could have informed him. the treasurer could have
informed him, either one of all these men could
have Informed him. How then does he stand as
having mis-stated the facts? He extravagantly
lauds the chief engineer on page he places his
heaviest censure on his conduct upon the next.
A crooked pathway requires circunspect walking.
The chairman recitcs the cases of men who have
done work at the shops, and states the amounts of
their estimates but has singuary overlooked one of
the largest contractors of them all, whose work
perhaps most profitable; his nearest neighbors too
Messrs Mcknight and Houston, of the town of
Greensboro their est ,tes amount in the aggrecat
to $31 1861 90. They did good. work and received
good pay, and every indulgence and liberal treat
ment at my hands, Their omission from the report
of the chairman is slight cannot silently allow
Let justice be equal to ALL
The chairman refers to one of the men engaged at
this place, JAS 6. Moore, in terms and in spirit
not becoming his position. He calls MIR. Moore "a
doer of odd jobs about the shops" Any man may
be "a doer Of odd Jobs that are clean work, with
out reproach but dare say the chairman will agree
with me in opinion, from his age and experience of
life, that the doing Of odd jobs is often very hard
wOrk-harder than it seems.
must say few words in defence of the contracts
made with Dudley & Ashley, and with James G.
Moore, by the chief engineer, before my day; that
they were carefully looked into by me and found. in
my judgment, to be just, fair, and eXpedient; that
with Dudley & Ashley was for framing and putting
on the unusually heavy roofs on the shop buildings,
and the actual cost was less than any cont a tor
would have bid on the work as a whole; in fact,
very few mechanics in the country were able to do
it at ALL as it was work requiring much SKILL and
attended with much expense and danger. The csti-
mates to these men on the house work were made
according to contract with them, upon regular
measurements by square, and stipulated prices,
which show for themselves on the bills, fully as low
such work can be had for in the country, and the
whole, not only constantly observed by myself in
its progress and completion, but also examined in
spected, measured and received, regularly and very
carefully, by a master mechanic, having more know
ledge of his business than any Cngincer could have
and much better qualified to do this than the chair
man has shown himself to he to examine and report
| on it. The chairman shows his ignorance in talk
ing about measurements on Railroad by 'dlsinter-
ested' men,
The rates paid to JAS G.. Moore on his estimates
made and approved by the chief engineer first and
approved by afterwards. because considered right
and fair have been set forth as enormously extrava-
giant. II the chairman had rentured to look tack
bryond my term he would have foani Moore's est
mates there-and he wholly fogets that the chief
engineer was in Office up to January 10th, 1856.
The terms of Moores contract, were to furnish
hands for any and all work required of him-to
serve in the shops, on the engines, cars, the
road, or in any other capacity-to heard and clothe
them, to lose all lost time of bad weather ether
wise, all sick time-ad to be solely responsible for
them.
Will the chairman undertake to DO this as
profitable undertaking? If so, would almost ven
ture to assure him contract, for all hands upon
! the road as long he pleaScS, besides the prvi-
lcges Of whatever odd jobs may he required with
guarantee against any requsition but for the clean
work.
! He is in much pcrplexty for the contracts of all
these men. This was my business, for which am
responsible always. Did he ask me for the con-
fracfs? The work has been done, and nobody of
all the grumhlerS and faultfnders question its su
cheney. Let him point out defect in any of all the
work executed passed upon, and paid for by me, at
! the shops or on the road
/ TIE Hotel ut the Mops is prominent feature in
| the report of the chairman, as it is prominent
| structure the road. alike creditabc, handsome
and useful. He seems dissatited with its cost. l
! should have been better pleased myself if it had
cost less; but in all my experience of work, public
| or private, have never yet learned the secret of
doing, or having it done for less than 1t is rorth.
| If the order of the bord, which he refers to, had
! been potent as to enable me to make competent
contractors build proper house, at certain rate
then ought to be held responsible for not doing it.
but if the board mlopt q plan and order it to be
carried out, what then? 1t could only be done, in
this free country, at the usual rate of work.
The questions then are: LIST. Was the Hotel
needed: Let us enquire, as the chairman failed to
do So \ number of passengers leave Columbia at
p. NJ, travel all MI ht and reach the shops at or
| Z, a. NJ. DO they need breakfast, Or are they to
proceed to Goltlsboro, or to Weldon, fasting? In
! like manner leaving Weldon or Godsboro' at u or
l., NJ, they reach the shops at & or I, P. NJ. Are
they to have supper, or to go to kingsville, more
| than 225 miles farther, fasting. So of our own
people, for dinner, OH both trains, up and down,
all do not live near enough to eat dinner at home,
and all do not carry their dinners along fast 1t
might very well for those who are so bitter
ly against this indispensable structure to get along
by such shifts; but the great travelling public will
approve no such niggardly policy 1t is the duty
of railroad companies to accommodate, and it is their
| interest,"; only a ShOrt-Sighted narrow policy can
| overlook both considerations.
So much for the need of the Hotel: now for its
plan. This was submitted to the board and adopt
ed on my recommendation, if the chairman peases.
l am not ashamed afraid of it. Docs he find the
house too large? The occupant thinks it is not
large enough. Is it eXtravagant ornamental ?
We thought it very plain. Were the prices high
for the building? They were exactly at the rate
estimated by the chief engineer, throughout con-
struction for work done in brick and wood, by the
square, and the lumber cost less than paid Tor
like quality
If them the Hotel was needed-if it is a good
pan-and its cost has been only fair, who is censur
able? or for what is the blame?
l need not tell any one, who has ever travelled
over the road, that it deplorably needed-a
moral as well physical need-to prevent profane
remarks offensive to ''ears polite" and christian, as
well as to refresh the physical exhaustion of the
tired traveller and in other way could this need
be supplied.
The chairman has exaggerated the cost. He could
have had it by proper enquiry and examination.
He does not ask me, but he asks Mr. Fries, and he
publishes letter from Mr.. Fries of his recoecons
touching the matter. If the chairman had been al
the last annual meeting of the stockholders, (which
of course, he could not be, as he is no stakeholder
he would have known that the recollections of Mr.
Fries touching this and other matters of equal i'm
portance, the road had proved defective, as
then distinctly showed and am ready to show again