Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-07-14

naiT6s19x HoaB a5a5 1sTitsa 5ra esgod
| for the payment of the County in
debtedness as a means to that end.
| Tt is evident that in acting upon
| this proposition, the question, whether
| the bonds We're obtained, as alleged.
| by fraud and misrepresentation, is a
very important one, and that any in
formation which will tend to a truth
ful solution of the question, is not
only pertinent, but that it will now
be duly appreciated. For if it be
true, that under the the decisions OF
the courts, the question Of fraud in
obtaining the bonds cannot be gone
Into. and that there is no defense
which can prevent the obtaining OF
judgments, it must be a great source
| of satisfaction to know that no frand
or misrepresentation amounting to
an equitable defense could have been
established, If. the widest latitude had
lIbeen given in the suits, for the inves-
litigation of the question. And if an
investigation of the subject shall now
show that these bonds are not sun
4 just" rascally," 3 Infamous sin,
Iiquitous,'' and a "robbery,a it will
be far more consolatory to those who
may be compelled to pay them, than
such compulsory payment would be,
| if the debt was believed to have been
conceived in sin and brought forth
in iniquity.",g IT, bzsz.-oarrsibf o.
/ q THE PURPOSE or THIS PAPER. !.
! To which this long preface is only
Introductory; is to show, by bring
| ing to light the facts. connected with
the history of the issue Of these bonds,
/ which have been so long covered up
! OF forgotten; that there never was any
such fraud or misrepresentation as
would have amounted to an equitable
| defense in any court. in a suit upon the
/ bonds or coupons, or as would have
afforded a considerable reason for their
Reputation to a community disposed
to discharge it's honest obligations.
! II This exposition cannot be made
without a free use of the personal pro
noun, which I would gladly have
avoided. / ii. .ra1a.r sH3 1 a@-aas
r.. R.GHARTER.e b. s4.Ea7 :
| The act to incorporate the Mineral
/ Point r. r. Co., was approved April
18th, 1852. [ had nothing to do with
the inception Of the enterprise, or the
| getting or obtaining the charter, and
/ my name does not even appear in it.
| The reason for this was, that was re-
| garded (truly) as a Milwaukee man,
rather than a Chicago man, and was
/ at the time actively engaged in en-
deavoring to secure the location of the
Milwaukee and Mississippi r. K. by
! way Of Arena, Dodgeville, Bonner s
| Branch and Platte River to Dubuque,
instead Of the present route to Prairie
| du Chen, in which / have no doubt /
should have. succeeded if Mr.. Kill
bourne had remained, at the head of
the affairs of that Co. He and his
friends however were defeated at the
| election Of Directors in 1852, and as a
consequence. my hopes and plans in
reference to the location of that road
were defeated also, = ~. -.'.', t,-- r
Z, Stock subscription books ) Is, the
Stock of the Mineral Point r. 4, Co,
opened in June, 1852, and after great
| efforts for many weeks, the amount of
stock necessary for organizing. J was s
subscribed and the first instaslmenlt
| paid. Directors were then elected by
the Stockholders, and on the 22d of
October, 1852 was elected President.
This was the date Of my Identification
| with the enterprise, and it continued
/ about three years. But little was done
during the,year 1852 except to make q
preliminary survey and estimates and
to procure additional stock, subscrip-
tons which ultimately amounted to
about $3.50, 900. ar f9aaa gods m )
ACT AuTHoRfzINGi COUNTY, BONDS. q
/ BY the direction and approval of the
/ Directors, I drafted the act, by authors
lity of which the County Bonds were
issued; handed it to some Of the MEM
! bers from Iowa County to- be intro
/ duced, and paid all the attention to it,
during its progress in the Legislature
which was Necessary to secure It's pas
i sage. EsT eroT IL g1aao9 att 81 rfegHso3 ] 4.
The very first lines of the act were
in these words, 4 1T shall be lawful
!. for any county, through any portion q
4 sohiczA sarg part Of the Mineral Point
I Railroad shall run, or. anJr town or in
!. corporated city OF. village N such county
Ito to issue and deliver to said company
| its bonds, &c: The. title of the act /;
(which is no part Of the act itself; and
/ is only designed to. give +; an imperfect
/ idea of It's general objects; was ito
| authorize the, counties and towns
| through whice the Mineral Point Rail
road passes, to .asd IN its construction
i The anonymous author. Of the history
referred to-. Sc, disordered in his mag
| nations by constant visions Of fraud.
| deception and linisrepre ntations say 5,
j the title. st:was evidently so worded, to
/ deceive and mislead those who pass
i ed it, and to prevent any; Opposition
\ to it, by the people interested,n In