Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-12-24
For the TelegrApl

UHct ~ ucNOtcu 10 III 81 Dlttef ana NlnulctlVe
attack upon the A, c. Plank Road Company.
Published, when as the editor says, suit in
favor of tho road was pending, and "about to
come off, before a magistrate in Jefferson, 1t
prejudgcs the case denounces the road, die
tates the course to be pursued by the Justice,
and he verdict to be rendered by the jury, and
is calculated, il not designed to prejudice the
minds of the court and prevent fair and i'm
partial trial and decision, as well as to create
and excite an unfavorable public sentiment a.
gainst the road
Believing the Plank Road 10 be a public
benefit and worthy of conlnendalion instead
ol reproach, propose 10 state a few facts in
relation 10 it.
The large amount of heavy .ravel between
jefferson and Ashtabula renders ii impossible
to make good road from its stiff clay soil
II cannot he done. This was proved before
the plank road was built Portions of the year
the road was almost mpdssibc-entirely so
for heavily loaded teams. The necessity for II
better road led to the building of the Plank
Road and the stock was taken with view 10
the public good, Ms much as to private profit
True, the stockholders hoped, aud some few of
them. perhaps, believed that it would be pc
cunlarily good investment But if 50, they
soon learned their mistake.
The road was built from Jefferson TO the
Lake, in 1850, at cost of $4,000 For year
or two few repairs were required, and one
dividend offs per cent and another of per
cent were paid TO the stockholders, and these
are the only cash dividends that they have eY-
er received. For a few years, however, a div
dend of one per cent in toll tickets, was paid
TO the stockholders, but even this little pittance
has not been paid for some years past
AT the solicitation of many of the citizens Of
the eastern part of the county, and believing
that il would be not only benefit to the peO-
pie along the line, and those wishing 10 use
the road, but to the towns of Jefferson and
Ashtabulo, by turning additional travel and
trade to those towns, the Dorset Extension was
built in 1862, at I'M expense of about Sl2 800
No dividends have ever been n1e on this
part OF the road, but it accomplished some
Of the objects for which it was built. 1t ac-
c0mmudatcd the travel of that part of the
comfy, increased the value Of real estate along
the line oil the road, and has been of much val
ue to Jefferson, and--to less extent, perhaps
TO Ashtabuia.5 The company have thus paid
in building this road for the benefit of the pub
lie, $36,500 and for twenty ycais, have kept
1t up as well as they were able expending up
on it every dollar of tolls received, except the
trifling dividends above mentioned, and deriv
ing no more bcneft from it than their fellow
citizens who have contributed nothing towards
it, and losing their whole capital invested. For
the stock is not now, and has not been for
years past, of any value.
But the story is industriously circulated by
some who are more willing to use the road
than to pay their toll that the officers get high
salaries, This is as false as the many other
misrepresentation. have carefully cxamm-
ed the hooks Of the Company, and am there
fore able 10 say that the whole expense, inclu.
ding the amounts paid to three gale keepers,
Secretary, Treasurer and seven directors is
only $500 per annum for the four years last
past and from cursory examination, think
ii would not exceed that sum for manv years
previous; and the amount actually expended
forrlpairs during the past fOur years is more
th IN the whole amount Of toll received.
Again the company is bitterly denounced
for relnquishing to the county portion Of
the road. Is there any just cause for this ac
cusalon? What are the facts upon which
this charge is foundedg They are briefly
these. Early in the month of September last.
the Directors of the road having used all The
new plank Ola hand, and expended in making
repairs, every dollar they had received for
tolls, in addition TO several hundred dollars
they had advanced on their own private re-
sponsibily. found il necessary to make further
repairs, to prepare the road for winter. What
should he doneY Should tie Directors be re-
quired (ts seems 10 be demanded by the editor
own expense! This would be very much like
the old Egyptian taskmasters, requiring the
Ira,lits to make bricks without straw
In debt, and with an empty treasury, the Di
rlctors declined the task. There was, then
no alternative They must either abandon
the whsle road. which was not desirable
at that season of the year. or rclinquish part
of it, t0'ehabe them, by using the old plank
to repair the balance. They took the latter
course. AS matter of necessity, and not Of
choice, they relinquished to the county piece
at each en1t of the road, and the County Com
misslontrs not being disposed TO be governed
by the example of the old Egyptian taskmas-
tiers, or the dication of the editor OF the .Senti-
mel, in the exercise of sound discretion, ac-
ceptcd the relinquishment, as they were
bound IN simple justice to do. On the whole
line Of the road from the ridge 10 Jefferson
there is not half a mile where the plank could
b taken up with as little deriment to the
road, as that between the ridge and the toll
gate, about which there is the most violent de-
nunciaton. The dirt track on this piece was
in good condition; it's drainage, its southern
exposure, and the soil for great part of the
distance, were all favorable-and bad as this
pic of road now Is, it is in better condition
than the whcle read from the ridge TO
Jefferson, would have been to-day, if it had
been abandoned by the company at any time
during the past year But il should be borne
in mind, that the necessity fer the relinquish-
ment of this part Of sthe road was caused
mainly by those who now make the loudest
complaints against IL If they had promptly
paid their honest tolls, The comRany could
have kept the road in repair without giving