The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-03-15

RADICAL EAT RADICAL.
How No Tass csr. y end E:std" yer
From the New York Would.
"A strong effort is to be made /, e,
trlcate ex.Sepator L. ynlee, Of Florids
from the disabilities which obstruct hi
entrance<p Che Senate Chamber of tn
United at, 50 thak he can Be chose
tQfepr6 Mt bis dist Ut il that body. =
| There seems to be little of interest
any one but politicians in such an an
nouncement as the above, but behind j
all is Story of Sucf. -inafvelous viilain,
SooS S lsHs11 shst at II squ1 EdssfS9
like a cunning romance than like al
earnest met. 1T runs-as fUiiuws.-ffscA
in the year 1865, one George w. Sweet
son, of North Carolina, acting witt
Governor Holden. projected railroad
to be called the Western North Carolin,
road, whose general locality the name
sufficiently. indicates, and which is about
the only trace of it now existing. A
highly-colored prospectus of the plan OF
the line and the immense benefits which
the State must devive from it was fol
lowed by o call on the. Legislature for
100000 to assist in constructing it.
Being strongly backed by Holden, that
body passed a bill uttering the requisite
quantity Of State bonds TO comply.
Swetson was made President of the
road, and was given complete control
Of this great amount Of money. Asmall
show was then made of commenoing
the road, while Swetson pocketed the
bonds and came to this city to negotiate
them. Failing to do this readily, he
caused them to be Hypothetical, raising
by this means some $500. 900 available
funds. His duty to North Carolina was
not sufficient inducement to divert his
course again in that direction, but from
New York he went straight to Tallahas.
see, Florida, which from the commence
ment of his operations with Governor
Holden seems to have been the objective
point.
In the State Of Florida there exists a
law called the "Iuternal Improvement
Act one of the provisions OF which re,
quires all the railroads in the State TO
pay at stated periods to board of trus.
tees of internal improvement certain
yearly tax. The law is not only very
exacting, but invests the board of trus-
tees with most arbitrary power toward
delinquents. A road failing to pay its
internal improvement tax promptly on
its maturing may, under the act, be in
stantly sold by the board, and from their
action there is no appeal. But it is
provided, however, that it must be sold
for cash, after having been duly adver-
tised, to the highest bidder, the trustees
selecting their own time and place. 1t
was about the time that this tax fell
due that Mr.. Swetson found his way to
Tallahassee. For short time prior to
his arrival there, hewever,it was noticed
that Mr.. Houston, the President of the
Jacksonville and Tallahas see railroad,
had been clearing the stocks of that
corporation by every means he could
invent, buying up small lots when of.
Tered cheap enough, SO that when Mr..
Swetson appeared the stocks were in a
SO unstable that, acting in
with Houston, they had little |
with the money at their COM
nand, in securing most Of the securi- |
lies OF the roai. Meanwhile the time
or paying the tax had arrived, and, as
vas evidently anticipated by Swetson,
he road was unable to pay itwhen due.
20 it was ordered to be sold, the date
liked upon being the 18th of March,
1863; place of sale, Tallahassee: terms,
IS under the law, cash. Swetson looked !
lpon the acquisition of the road as q
oregone conclusion He held q large
hare of is securities, and had more
eady cash at his command than any
me or every one else in that part Of the
country. By purchasing the road at
he sale he.could completely clean out
Is President and his recent associate,
4 his share in their transactions.
me eventful thirteenth came around, +
nd with il a large delegation of i'm
carpst.baggers aud native
IadicaIs from Jacksonville, at the
cean end OF the route; they were
lique OF spendthrift politicians who
ad not only exhausted all the plumber
hey had secured, but he had exhausted
he source OF supply, 50 no competition
'as apprehendsd from them by SWEET
On. But they had heard OF that gen.
leman's supply Of cash, and had come
tier some OF it. So they secured the
cooperation of the board OF trustees,
ho, just before the auctioneer mounted
ae stand, ordered him to announce Is
ne terms of the sale . small amount
l cash, balance at sixty days. Swetson
ardly discovered his dilemma before
e found himself outbid and the road
nocked down to the Jacksonville
ny, who, having nothing to lose end
to gam, hurled their bids of
lousands at him most reckl essly, and 9
'cured the road. Now here was fix.
vetson had invested so heavily in the I
lad that hia ruin WAS imminent for | Y