The Van Buren press., 1872-07-23
+" "Anti-Humbug. "
VAN BuRES, July l3, 1872.
EDITOR Pass

VAN BuREy, July l3, 1872.
EDITOR Pass
Dear Sir: In your issue of July ID. we noticed
communication over the above signature, and as we
wero personally interested in the statements made,
have akon pains to get at the precise facts IN
tho case. We found in the first place that similar
articles had appeared in tho Little Rock Times and
Lewisburg Empire. and thai they emanated from
former attache Of the h. r. i +. S. Company, whose
wrath at his suspension from his position now finds
vent in abusing the men he could not supplant. The
statements made by Apti umbng are as false as
the man WHO wrote them is contemptble, and his
character for fasiyn is so well established IN Lit
tie Rock where he lives and Is known that similar
article. have been refused place in the Gazette. Re-
publican aud Jouraai. and doubt not, Mr. Editor,
had you known this maps reputation, you, too,
with your usual o9Te to what appears in year pa
per- would havs excluded the communication from
your valuable colhmns.
tits well known that the L. h. & F. s. Company
have promised from time to time that everything
should be arranged Immediately, that the money
was all ready to pay Indebtedness and that the work
would Immediately proceed, and it is also known
that subsequent events have been made with delib-
crate intent to deceive, " that not only in this but
in all their promises for the hst two years they have
forfeited all character for ruthulness. 1t will be re
membered that order appeared over tho signature
Of the President Of the Company, for all claims to be
filed with Gordon Ieay for payment. Were they
paid, Has there simple fact transpired SINCE to
show that the Company intended to pay them! Has
the Company paid other claims outstanding against
il? Is not the round house at Little Rock the sta
tion house at Palarrh uifacr mechanics lien now !?
Did they over pay theindebtcdness made by the road
during the ten months-it was run by the Company
with A. P. Robinson ss Chief Engneer' Why was
all the machneryfsr machine shops removed to ST.
Louis? Let "Humbus" answer these questions if
be proposes to show. that it has only been P, 5.
that have stood in the way Of the completion of the
road
We all know Col Steacy has stood in the breach
between the company its creditors offering to wait
any reasonable time for his claim. put insisting that
the creditors nust be paid and yet in the face of this
lIumbug " c' Anti Ilumbus" is misnomer) has
the mpudenee to say that p s. 4 Y. has been offered
enough to pay all their debts Your correspondent
says that company never had contract with P, S.
& Y. The question is, what and who is the Littlo
Rock and Fort Smith Company? Whom Fisher was
contractor he and his associates formed that body
| they owned a majority Of the stock. When Fisher
failed to meet his agreement with p, S. a. Y, in
steps Caldwell with a majority of stock, makes a
board to suit himself then declares the Fisher con-
! tract at end. and makes a contract with himself.
So he stands he is the company and con
tractor well board, just Fisher was before the
change. Truly - for ways that are dark and tricks
| that are vain" these Bostonans peculiar. Hum
bug says they, p, Y run the road for the benefit
of themselves and their employers, and that there is
no check their receipts and expenditures. This
is false the rest of the article the road being
in the interest Of the State the managers report
ing every month to the Receiver, and by he way,
| these reports show very different result from what
the road did the few months it was run by the com
pany While the roud and machinery has been
kept in good repair al all times, the hands have boon
promptly paid, ana all bills have been paid at the
regular time. Your spondent then goes on to
say that Colonel Steacy received bonus of ten or
twelve thousand dollars for allowing the ten miles of
track to be built, and after making some personal al
lusons, says that he believes it be shown hatP
S x have received not less than eighty thousand
dollars over and above expenditures since they paid
their creditors cent If this is So would like to
hear it proved as we have been unable to get any
evidence to show that they have received one dollar
except the SlS 900 paid brother of Colonel Steacy
for laying the ten miles Of trackGG this Of course
was earned by the labor performed, which by the
was done $50 a mile less than p s received for
the work from tho Cairo and Fulton Road they
receiving $4,000 for 20 miles, while Little Rock and
Fort Smith Company only paid $4,000 for 10 miles.
We believe Colonel Steacy has made every offer he
could make, that would secure the creditors and in
sure the early completion Of the road When it be-
came evident that arrangements would not be made
in time to pay the doht' and proceed with the work,
Colonel Stcacy made u propositions to the compa-
ny. The first was, thkt if they would give security
that the creditors SHOULD be paid in ninety days they
might give the laying Of the ten miles to whom they
pleased. This rejected by the company. Tho
second was that he would see that the work should
be mpletcd in time to the land grant, with the
understanding that all suits then pending should re-
main IL stptu quo. This offer was accepted. If the
company had any inclination to pay their debts,
they certainly would have accepted tho first offer.
The reason the ten miles was built and tho con
tractors rcccded from their position so far as to al
low it to proceed, is too obvious to need n lengthy
explanation from 1t was necessary in order that
the road should sonnet no be built the forfeiture of
land grant would probably end the work. and tho
prospects of the creditors would be blghted forever.
We believe we have answered and shown to be
false every statement made by "Humbug, " and
now u word in regard to Pierce Steacy K Yorston.
These gentlemen have stood up noby for their rights
and the rights Of their creditors, aud VIC have a
stronger faith than in them believing they have
done and will do exactly what they deem right and
best for the interest Of the road and s creditors and
that in Colonel Stqacy we have what Popo.terms
" tho noblest work Of God ''-lN HONEST MAN.
Hoping, Nr. Editor have not trcspassod too
much your space.
Yours, very truly. A CREDITOR.
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