Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-06

| day school or missionary address was t.
be delivered by prominent layman"-
| invitations which he made it q rule
never to decline. He easily ingra
tiated himself into the good gracel
of Gov. Fletcher, and when the Atlantic
| and Pacific Railroad scheme, of which
Fremont was the progenitor, was sough
to be disposed of by the State, Gen. Fisk,
Judge James Baker and B. r. Bonner,
ESQ.,, were appointed commissioners,
whose duty it was to audit and allow Ger
tain claims alleged TO be due for necessary
outlaws made by Gen. Fremont in estab.
fishing and building the road. His CO.
commissioners, having the utmost con
fidence in his executive ability and integ-
rity, selected him for the chairman. In
1868 a company of Eastern capital
lists formed themselves into a society
and resolved to purchase and run the
road. Fisk, IS fast as claims were pre-
sented, allowed them, and it is said by
those who are high in authority that
many thousand dollars were paid for
which there had not been any valuable
consideration. Mr.. Fisk was, however,
still held in high esteem, and when the
new company had obtained the franchise,
and named it the South Pacific Road, the
General was appointed Vice President,
Superintendent and land agent of the new
enterprise, at salary of 800 year.
In the fall of 1868 some of the directory
came West, and, after making a minute
inspection of the road, its equipment and
general management, became fully con-
WINGED that the doughty warrior was not at
all fitted for the position he had been
placed in. When the directors met, there
fore, he was retired from the Vice Presi-
dency and SUPPLEMENTARY, leaving him
simply the company's land agent. This
position he continued to hold until the
spring of 1869, when he was deposed.
He still remained director, and as such
had access to the books of the road should
he desire to examine them. This he did
not do, and, it is said, never again visited
the office nor attended any of the meet
ings of the board. At the meeting held
few days ago he was dropped as director.
This of itself would prove nothing
against his personal character, and would
merely indicate that the stockholders had
ceased to regard him as of any great value
to their enterprise.
A serious charge has, however, been
made against the General, which involves
a considerable sum of money. 1t is stated
upon very good authority that while act
ing as agent for the State large sums of
money came into his possession which it
was his duty to pay over to the new road.
One sum of $4,000 was demanded of
him, but which he has refused to pass
over, claiming that the law which Gre
ated his position did not make it his
duty to so dispose of the funds, and, as
it did not belong to the State,
naturally enough he was to re-
main its perpetual custodian. This awak-
ened much suspicion, and, in order to ar
rive at a correct and detailed account of
his proceedings as a commissioner, he
was requested to turn over his books and
vouchers. With his proverbial suayity
he responded: Certainly, gentlemen;
they are at your service, and may be
found at the Office of the company. A
rigid search, however, failed to disclose
their whereabouts, and he was again
spoken to concerning them. This time
he was more positive than before, and
responded that they were not only at the
office, but had been examined in his pres
ence by one of the officers of the road.
The different employees were called
into the Presidents Office and
were questioned, when it was testi-
fed by one of the lads about the
Office that he had packed them in box,
by orders received from Gen. Fisk, and
that they were subsequently carried away
by a negro hand-eXpressman, in obedience
to his directions. These facts have been
since verified by affidavits which are now
on file at the company's Office. Repeated
demands have since been made for the
books, but to this day they have renamed
in possession or under control of the Gen
eral, unless, as is strongly suspected, they
have been destroyed. The circumstances
has tended to cast suspicion over some
of the Generals other transactions, which
have been more than confirmed by facts
that have since transpired.
Gen. Fisk was afterward seized with
desire to visit the European capital, and
departed with the promise to return in
sixty days. Twice sixty days have elapsed,
and still he is roaming over the continent,
and when last heard from was doing up
the Ecumenical Council and other Roman
novelties. 1t is even given out pretty
strongly that he has shaken st. Louis dust
from his shoes, and never intends to re-
turn. This report is somewhat strength
ened by the statement that he has disposed
of all his property, real andpersonal, even
to his horses and carriage, and in his own
name is the owner of no earthly goods,
except what "ducats" he may have slowed
away in foreign banking houses.
When he babe adieu to the 'dear old
flag" for which he had fought, bled and
grown rich, he gave out that the object OF
his European tour was the Introduction OF
a financial novelty.
He had associated himself with Hon.
Henry c. Murphy, former Minister to the
Hague, and now a State Senator in New
York, for the purpose of establishing in
gay Paris an international BOurse for the
sale of American stocks and bonds. he
was to be the Paris operator, while
Mr.. Murphy would represent the new
Rothschilds at the seat of empire in the
New World. To another he stated, and
so it was published in some of the West
ern journals, that he was the accredited
agent of the Southern Pacific road" for
the negotiation of its bonds; but as there
is as yet no such road in existence, the
latter story was disbelieved.
Such is brief sketch of the rumors
current concerning the movements and
doings of the truly loyal Brigadier Gener-
al, Sunday School Superintendent, Kali
road King and Radical Stump Orator,
Clinton B. Fisk, and, as they are reported
to us, we give them to our readers.
1t will be remembered that Gen. Fisk
was prominent candidate for the Radi-
cal nomination for Lieutenant Governor,
but declined in favor of Gov. Stanard.
lie was even spoken of in connection with
| the Gubernatorial chair, and had he not
fallen from grace would have been pre-
scented with all the energy which the
Young Mems Christian Association could
have brought to bear. He was an ardent
friend of the late Susisky, and with Mayor
| Thomas, believed him to be an homes
man. AS affairs have now turned out hC
probably would have thought no less Of
him if he had been convinced of the con
trary.
| CARD FROM MRS. GEN. q. b. FISK.
ST. LOUIS, May /, 1870.-Editors Mis-
souri, Democrat: A long article appear
in the st. Louis Times making charge
against my husband, Gen. Clinton B
Fisk.