Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-07-13

were not accompanied by 4 Poll-list, the whole
number Of votes cast sat said electionoa the cues
ton, was twenty-five hundred and thirty-two
I22553221 That the number of votes cast for tbe
Railroad Proposition was thirteen hundred and
forty tive l345l; thai the number OF votes east
againt the Railroad Proposition, was eleven hun
dred and eighty seven flls7]
In Witness whereof, we have hereunto set on,
hands this 18th day of june. a: d., 1858. :
Samuel Thomas, Q
81 Justice of the Peace.
Ha Edward Coad ys ! 3
Justice of the Peace. :
sf Attest, James B. GRAY,
83 -ai1 Cfk BID Snprs, Iowa Co.
This is the proper place to consider
the charges of ao a @5Gf &
MISREPRESENTATION AND FRAUD q
which are INDUCED in SO freely by those
who justify the reputation OF the
County Bonds. @
can only meet wholesale and ln-
specified charges of misrepresentation
and fraud, by general denial of their
truth. Such denial, it is true, amounts
to little; but it amounts to Just as
much. as the charges.
The specific charges OF misreprc-
sentation and fraud, so far as / under
stand them, or as they have been de-
fined, are,
first, That it was represented by
those who advocated the issue of the
County Bonds, and especially by the
Directors OF the X. r. Co., and more
particularly by myself, that if the
bonds We're issued, the Railroad should
be extended northerly through the
County.
Second, That the Railroad Company
would pay the bonds, principal and
interest, and that the people Of the
County would never be called on to
pay one cent.
Third, That the election itself was
fraudulent, and the apparent majority
was obtained by illegal and fraudulent
votes. -.--s -
/ know Of 10 other specific charge
unless it be that the official signatures
Of the Chairman and Clerk were OBJ
tanned by " deceptions and influences
used, themselves an infamous history"
These specific charges / will en-
deavor to meet in a spirit of truth and
candor, and shall nothing extenuate,
nor set down aught in malice. That
| have made mistakes and committed
errors is no wonder. My responsible
tiles were large, and my experience
small. The wonder is that my mis-
takes and errors were not more mum
erous. And while /, forgive all who
have injured me by word or thought;
| hope for charitable consideration
of all my shortcomings.
REPRESENTATIONS OF RAILROAD En-
That it was represented, that the
Railroad should be extended northerly
through the County is most true. That
such representations were made by
many Of the II. r. Directors, / learn
ed from them at the time, and have.
no doubt that they were made by many
other citizens of Mineral Point, and
SO far as | am responsible, ! freely
confess, that upon every occasion when
/ thought that it would make the is
sue of County Bonds more acceptable,
] pledged myself to do everything in
my power to promote such extension.
But it is equally true, that these rep
reservations did not increase the vote,
as an analysis of it shows that in the
localities interested in such extension,
the proposition received but very few
votes.
But whatever may have been their
effect, the representations, so far as |
was concerned, were made in good
faith, and ] have endeavored to give
effect to them, whenever there was
any hope of success. ! made arrange
ments with r. & G. L. Schuyler to ex-
tend the road to the Wisconsin River,
whenever they had completed the
main line to Mineral Point, and they
would have done it, but for their dis
astrous failure in 1854, which not only
caused suspension of operations on
the main line Tor nearly two years, but
defeated all hopes OF the extension
for an indefinite time. ! resigned the
presidency OF the Railroad in 1855,
and have never since been officially
connected with it The road was not
in operation until ] s57, when the finan-
cial disasters that oyerspread the whole
country rendered it impossible to OBJ
tain aid for any new II. X. scheme, and
the country had mot recovered from
these effects when the Southern Re
belllon brought on civil war, which
rendered hopeless any efforts To ex-
tend the VI. =. X. r., until some time
after that war was ever.
During the years 1866, g. and '6s,
l was engaged as attorney for the
County, in eildeayorin4 to realize some
security for the County Bonds, by a
foreclosure Of the mortgage given to
secure the violated undertaking of the
X X. 60, 10 pay them. While so en-
gagged | was. as consequence, placed
In such a hostile antagonism to the
owners Of the Railroad, who had the
deepest interest in its extension, that
it would have been idle to attempt to
cooperate with them; and, moreover,
| hoped and believed that the County
would itself become the owner OF the
K. r. SO that nothing could have
been done towards extension While
that litigation was pending.