The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-07-24
y!O.LIMBI,A.1l,s IS. o.
Saturday Morning, July "a. 1859.

aeopcSe'aons ,,n OF ths thas Blue Blue Ridge tkHai-
a road Istag. 'lPSsSt's lSesatS
We publish in to,day's issue thesecohd
letter'of the admirable correspondent of
the Charleston Meps, relative to the
Blue Ridge Railroad swindle. Governor
Scott is.stiir pre-eminent in this interest
ing drems and is given, all the promi-
pence by .Lu1" which he, SO richly
+ COLUMBIA, s. O., July 20. /"
To THE EDITOR OF THE News: Since
containing the expose Of the machipa-
tions of the Blue Ridge Railroad Ring,
his Excellency Governor Scott has been
as GROSS as q bear with sore head. No
wonder. It is not pleasant to have pro-
fitable little game held up to public scorn;
nor is it any consolation to know thnt
there is good chance of $1,000, 600
(which his Excellenoy expected to make)
slipping through ones fingers. The
whole radical ring here was struck dumb
with astonishment when it was found
that Scott intended to gobble up 80 big
ashare of the party spoils. The under
strappers are mad, and Scott will either
have to go snacks with his followers or
make another contract in which there
will be less room for stealing.
So !. GOVERNOR SCOTS REPLY.
do not know whether Governor Scott
intends to attempt any reply to the ques-
Gons 30 pithily put by the Ne,cs. You
might have saved yourself the trouble,
in any case. No one can disprove the
main allegations of my previous letter;
but in order to satisfy some Of the Quid
Names here, will say few words in re-
gard to the amount of the bids of the
different contractors, the responsibility
of the different persons Offering to do the
work, and the reasons why charge Go
vernon SCOTT with having pecuniary in
terest- direct or indirect-in the con-
tract awarded to Cresswell, Tor Crissvill,
Idon't know which, Patterson and Sell
lers. ss's
7 have before me, as write, detailed
statement Of the price at which each
part of the work was proposed to be done
by the different contractors. This you
can have if you want it. At present, I
will only give the gross amount in round
numbers of each bid
j. nj. Christy & Co. $500. $40, 200, 900
Dudley. 3ardwell G. Co... $3.50, 600
Cresswell, Sellers q &c. 10, 600, 600
D. Tyler .& Co. $3.50, 900
j. &. Hunt. ................ $3.50, 600
B. D. Hassell & Co. ........ 1900, 900
j. D. Champlin G. Co. ...... S,3OO,OOO
Engineers estimate. ....... 1900, 600
These are not the exact figures, but
they are near enough. Now, contend
that Christy's bid was only put in to be
higher than Cresswell & Sellers bid. It
was offered by MIR. Kelly, representing
Christy & Co.,, who. after the ring was
exposed, was charged to his face by Mr..
Champlin with being Interested" in the
bid OF Cresswell & Sellers. Kelly ap-
pealed to Colonel Low, chief engineer of
the company, to say whether Christy's
bid was not bona .fde one. Colonel
Low made no answer. Kelly then denied
that he was, s'interested" in Cresswell &
Patterson's contract. A few minutes be-
fore, he had told another gentleman that
tract. So much for Christy.
AS have already said, the amounts
given show the original bids. When
Scott told the contractors that the bonds
must not be touched, and that money
must be found to carry on the work for
nine or twelve months, those who had
not been in the secret (that is all but
Creswell & Co.. claimed the right to
modify their bids. All of them put in
second bids, except B. D. Hasseli, who
Joined in with Champlin. The second
bids ran about ten per cent. higher than
the first bids, except Champlin's, which
was increased very little, if at all, leaving
it by far the lowest offer. Mind you, ali
the contractors were now on the same
footing. But what did Scott do? He
deliberately proposed to Cresswell & Go.
TO take the contract at about 1000, 900,
and they consented to take it, Here are
the naked facts. The work, by chicanery
and double dealing, is given out at
$4,000, 900, and assert here, and it can
not be gainsaid, that the whole work can
be done, and done well, for $1,000, 900
cash, or 100000 in first mortgage
guaranteed coin bonds. There is about
$4,000, 900 profit to be made as the job
stands What will be Scott's share2 AS
his tine is short and he has other irons