Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-02-17
PEORIA AND ROCK Is
LAND RAILROAD.
President Hamilton Tells
4 Plausible Story.
sANd 70 Exp0ssA bv .Wr. Holasss
and Others.

OseO OeHevo.
Ne ADMITS nInE.1fnrms OF rMf
CHARGES.
TME D.AH.ErPORT SUE.
SCRlPTlO.v,S.
o1on.'
The Davsspert subscribers 70 ,hs stock
Of the Peoria 1 Rock Island Railroad Gem
pany, and other citizens interested in rail.
road matters, assembled Il the City Hall
yesterday afternoon st 3 o'clock, to listen
to speech frsu Dr.. Hamilton, President
Of the company. who was present for ths
purpose Of convincing The people Of this
viciaisy that the action Of the company in
selling cut 70 Cable wss happy thing for
Davenport. and that it was for the interest
Of the subscribers to willingly pay over
their Subscriptions.
The steekhsldsrs we're fairly represented
and nsst Of The different breaches Of trade
and manufacturing we're also represented,
% that the meeting vas just what could BE-
wished for the discussion Of 90 Important .
subject.
The meeting was called to order BY Nr.
Daniel Gould, upon whose melton. william
Rsnwiek, ESQ.,. wss called to the CHAIR
Geo. h. Ballsu was appointed Secretary.
The object Of the meeting was stated %
absvs, and Dr.. Hauiltes invited 70 address
the meeting. The Doctor prsfaced his re-,
marks with tAs prsssnptien that most Of
these present we're oekhsldsrs, end then
vest - 70 pride hi.sslf upon his honesty
and fair dealing, stating that the people Of
Peoria hsd Implicit confidence In him; that
hs pridsd himself upon bic franknsss that
hs had meyer doas . dishonest act in his
life that he knew Of; that IL be had svsr
msAs mistaks in his aetisn in reference
to the Psoris read it Va III the heart and
net Of the head Jet II he had erred he
could not see It. nor should he change his
esarss to please the people Of Davenport il
they never paid their subscriptions. He
had never made promise 70 any people
that be did not intend to keep.
He then proposed to give . es~pists re-
view Of his actions in connection with this
railroad project. stating that the position
Of Pfesident Of the Company vas not
sought BY hiu-shat Il had been feresd
upon him. lie then gave . review Of the
different surveys, stating that one had been
made sjo Carbon Cliff. and that No man OF
sense would think Of building By that line
-that for the past six months hs had bson
convinced that the Goal Valley route was
the best; that to build BY Carbon Cliff,
they should want 100000 more than by
Csal Valley, e thing never before msds
known BY lhis ssnmuaity). He he'd these
estimates with him when hs west 70 New
Ysek, 10 August, 70 ssssult With Mr.. Frest
Of the T. p. D W. r. r.. and Ar. Themp-
son Of the Psnnsylvania Central; that Mr..
FROST said hs didn't care which route they
took; that no there made = proposition to
finish tho road for $4,000 per mile, and
pay the Company 25 per cent. Of the gross
sarnings, which be CDR. H. did net think
was - favorable = proposition - NJ.
Cables. He then reviewed. the action
whereby they had eadeavorsd to intsrss
Mr. Allen in tho contract with Mr. Gable
Thus he. had held the matter until the
meeting in January. when the whole MATES
was left to an executive committee consist
ing Of himself, Maj. Gould and Ar. Cruger
Up to this time, during ninety dsys, they
had held Mr.. Frost's proposition open
with none from Mr.. Gable. He then stated
that be went to Chicago to meet Mr.. Gable
and that he there made . prspssitien. 81
then saw ssms Of The directors asd gsl
then to assent to the adoption Of NJ
Cables proposition. He then hurried 4
see Msj. Gould, aud in less than .)sss dsy,
il WAS accepted.
In reference to the pledges asserted
that hs he'd made in Davenport, nush u
the surprlss Of oil present, hs said .that b
nsvss made enc in his life that hs wsSlt
not fulall. He stated that Mr.. Cable had
aerssd - sell his read. and take his pay
10 bonds or stcck-fos the same a. any
other twelve miles Of The road would eost
(Which 10 contrary to statemsnts made b.
Ar. Cabls.) He believed but for the oppo-
sitisn made By this city, that they weult
now own and operate Mr.. Cables read, ,ans
that NJ. Frsst would nov have the lease
bat that il became necessary 10 make ssn'
tracts Ter irsn. 50 they hastened 70 secsp
NJ. Cables proposition that several town
ships he'd refused to issue bonds, uslss
they esuld 80 that he work wss going q
that they we're lsesisg confidence in th'
read, but that nov they had placed ths
whels shise in the hasds Of NJ. Cable IL
sssd wsuld b completed. and trains rnn'
ming By the first Of January next.
So far - Davenport subscription. ~
esncssnsd, he thought the subscriber
were 10 duty bound to pay It. and tha
such wss The spisien u ths Attssssg .
ths read. In regard to coal carrying, Nj
Gable had repeatedly pledged himsslftha
every psrssn who wants Il, shall have th
privilege Of earring coal on equal term
with hinsslf. But still the Doctor thsssh
IL weuld have bssa iar better for Davss
pert and Rsek Island today 70 have hs
an arrangement made With Mr. Frost, On
such wsuld have been the ease teddy, ha
net there been % much said il the two ell
lee. The papers 10 Davsnpsrt and th
Uaisn iu Rosk Island he'd dsns Mr. Cabl
thousand dollars wsrth Of benefit ia thi
matter, whore he, the speaker, hsd bsasfit
ted hin ten essts wsstb. He said thae d
stsries absut bic being bought wsss fals
- saything could be.
The speaker then reed section frsu
The charter Of the csnpany 10 reference Il
ths right Of the company 70 lease The road