The New York herald., 1871-10-08
MIR. KEYSER'S LETTER.
=. v-,.,.,.. 49, -
His Extenslve bus'~.sea transactions with the
city-His integrity in the Past-His Frugality
and Charibes- He Has Nothing to Confess

oA~ SA0lApoS-de mas N0LnlnB 70 COnleSSs
~
TO yHE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
rhe press have misapprehended the nature Of my
assignments 10 Jackson s. Schultz, and have mis-
construed his statements to the Committee OF
Seventy. The error does me great injustice and
desire promptly to correct ana explain. During
PERIOD OF nearly three months the press and the
public have alleged that have delrauded the city
out Of large sums OF money It being variously esti
mated at from one to two millions of dollars.
have been threatened with civil suits and criminal
prosecutions 1t has been charged that have
burned my books and have Decn making Drepara-
tions to abscond. I nave renamed silent under
these accusations, hoping the time would soon ar
rive when they might be judged dispassionately by
the public,
MY TRANSACTIONS
with the city government investigated by COM
pctent authority and their character and my
character INDICATED before the world The
gricvous injustice done me by some OF the daily
journals compels me To speak out now. have not
burned my books have not Intended and do not in
tend to abscond. have even refused to take the
recreation which my physician ADVISED me, and
which | felt was necessary to my health and which
Is usual at this OF the year. lest might be
interpreted into flight have been at all times
ready and willing to explain to the Committee OF
Seventy, and have explained to them whenever
they desired IL. the nature OF my business with the
city, ana offered my books In vlpdicaton OF my
assertions in tnat respect have sometimes been
compelled sell my claims against the city in order
to raise the sums necessary to carry on my exten-
slve mechanical operations; out sucn sales have
never been made with any intention on my part TO
delraud the city, or to enable others 10 do 80.
For every dollar which have received from the
city have given full value in labor and materials,
and the city is now indebted to in about $500 O0o
which
HAVE HONESTLY EARNED.
and it can be traced and Identified. ] have done
work for the city and county since 1854, ana the
bills paid in 1869 ana 1870 are for work covering the
entire period since then. THIS work mas been done
upon all the city and county buildings, and 1t
embraces plumbing, gas work, all the stove
and heating work, nearly all the roOnng ami
repairs to the roofs, mason work, chimney
WORK, iron railing and reDairs to the various city
parks, all kinds OF castings for the CrotOn Water
and sewer Departments and Bureau OF Lamps and
Gas. Added to this, 1 have had the exclusive
work during the past two years OF the repairs on
the connected with the sewers and culverts
and with new sewers and alterations. / am now
completing sewer repairs and alterations at Forty
sixth street and East River, and other work OF the
sewer and Croion Boards, to suspend which would
pubic.
70 enable me to do all this work properly and so
that 1t should be OF permanent utility, have been
al great expense in erecting foundries constructing
moulds ana patterns and in making necessary ex-
perments. For this vast total OF labor ana material
have received no more than Just and fair COM
pensaiion. The published accounts charge that /
have received upwards OF
TWO MILLIONS or DOLLARS
from the treasury. Among the warrants which
rurpor. to h ave been paid to me for county work
alone there are upwards OF eight hundred thou
sand dollars which ] never received nor saw
and the endorsements on which in my
name are clear and unmstakabe forgeres. II was
nevertheless. urged by many who have long been
my personal friends tnat may have been in some
matters Negligent, aud that might be ned to a re-
sponsibIty tn the city on that account ana TO meet
the charges that intend TO abscond ana dcrraua
the city out OF any claims which might in any
be found against me | assigned property sufficient
to cover any such clalm III trust, to discharge ~
when properly established. ! dId so however,
claiming and still claim that the result OF an
accounting Will snow that the city Is indebted TO me
and not TO the city.
whlle am answering publicly some of the ques-
answer The query which has been so often made:
who is the CO.. Of keyser Co.T' II has been
wM M. TWEED is MY PARTNER.
He s not now and never has been my partner or
interested with me in any way In any business oper
acn. The only ''Co.n which have had for years
have been my employees and clerks, VINO have re-
ceived a percentage upon the amount OF business
done III lieu OF salary ana last year dlvided among
them about thirty five thousand dollars, according
10 their positions and abllity.
The name "Lonn IL. keyser Con- was estab-
lisned many years ago, when had a business part
ncr and was Afterwards continued because OF It's
value as designation well known TO my customers
and the trade generally.
II has been also publicly stated that have
peatedly
FAILED IN BUSINESS.
and have never paid my debts. This Is untrue. At
my first faiiure paid every dollar OF Indebtedness IN
paid IN iull my share and the whole OF the con-
fidentals to the last penny and received an honor.
able release from my creditors My BUSINESS trans
actions VIII compare favorably, am confident, with
those OF any merchant IN this city,
As To the amount OF my property do not own
dollars worth which nave not fairy earned. oc.
cupy plain house IN the city, which bought ior
$4,000 In 1861.
MY .IsLAND,o
about which so much has been said purchased III
1857 for 200. Ine house upon II, alleged 10 nave
cost hall u million. I erected under contract lor
&4,CO0, anu nave since expended $1,000 upon
IL In extensions and improvements. Inc
salt meadows adjoining have purchased az va
nous times since for about fourteen hundred
dollars. The otner expenses about the place
have consisted OF moderate repairs and trnlng I'M
provements from year to year Ny costly sratu.
airy" was bought OF Mr. ioungs, co, net oi Inird
street ana the bowery for $500, and the principal
yaue of the place arises from It's location and the
rse OF subu rban property OF Norwaik. The rest Of
nv earnings beyond the capital necessarily EN-.
Moved IN INV business, have devoted TO the found.
mo and maintaining OF the hQSpltaI corner OF