Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-02-20
The Credit MObilier.

The Credit MObilier.
The Wilson Committee heard the testimony
of extension Commissioner Cox and Smith,
of the Land Office, showing that Hoover, Q
former witness, had a questionable character
After hearing the testimony of Hon. VIM. d.
Kelley, of Pennsylvania, contradicting Hoover's
statements, the committee adjourned.
A dispatch from Boston of the 9Th inst
says: Judge Wilson, Chairman of the Con-
gressional Committee, re-examined Rollins,
Treasurer of the Union Pacific road, to-day,
been given to J. F. Wilson, has on it the fol
lowing Endorsements, the initials at. A. s.
being in pencil: "Pay E.. H. Rollins, Score
tary, or order" 9igned) "B. W. Spencer
collection for Girard National Bank, Phila-
delphia. T. A. s." (Signed) "W. G. Shella-
dy, for Cashier" The $4,000 paid Rollins in
December was for services rendered at WASH
ington. He never received a dollar from the
company that he did not earn. The profit on
Ames' contract so far as appeared on the books
as divided was 500, 854, 965 in stock and bonds
at par, and that on the Davis contract $780,
1856 in the same material.
At the sitting of Judge Poland's committee,
on the It'll inst, John I. Blair was examined
testified that he was an original corporator of
the Sioux City and Iowa Falls and Dubuque
railroad, with Pratt Smith, of Dubuque John
F: Duncombe, of Fort Dodge, and W. W.
Walker, of Cedar Rapids. He detailed the his
tory of building the road, the Legislation by
Congress renewing the land grant in 1856 to
the State, and the legislation of the State Civ
ing the grant to the road, and testified that
not a dollar was expended in procuring such
legislation, either before Congress or the State
Legislature. The witness never expended a
cent for blackmail for any one, either a MEM
Der of Congress or private citizen. There was
not a single road across Iowa to-day that was
worth the money it cost to build it. The wit
ness referred to the list of subscriptions and
shares. He paid for his stock and
never got a penny for his services.
The firm of Samuel Hooper also had stock.
The committee heard the testimony of Mr..
to re-examine Speaker Blaine as to his former
testimony. During the examination, the
Speaker, upon being catechized in a manner
which seemed improper, characterized Steven
sons conduct as unbecoming, and said it was
against common decency. He added that it
could be shown that Stevenson had an animus
against him CBlaine). Judge Poland request
ed both to stop the contest. Stevenson
wanted to examine the witness in relation to
the transactions of Blaine of a private nature,
but Judge Poland thought the testimony al
ready covered the points. Cakes Ames was q
large subscriber. j. F. Wilson and Glenni w.
Scofield were subscribers also. The Govern
ment need not talk much of land given to
Iowa, as it amounted to nothing, nearly all of
it being worthless. 1t reminded him of the
Frenchman who had given away 81, 600 before
breakfast, and when asked how he made it,
replied: 81 have just marked my goods up"
[Laughterl.
B. F. Ham, Secretary of the Credit Mobilier,
and Auditor of the Union Pacific Company in
New York, was examined by the Wilson COM
mittee, sitting at Boston, on the 7th inst. He
stated he had searched the books for the cost
of the Hoxie contract OF the road between
Omaha and the Tooth meridian 1t cost
$12, 974, 416. "a, of which 81, 994, 769. Sc remained
unpaid. The 90, 600, 900 note was not given
on account of this Indebtedness. The cost of
building was 81, 806. 1873. 33: could not give the
cost of the first ffty-eight miles west of the
Tooth meridian. He knew no adjustment of
profits on the ffty-eight miles, but 81, 104, 900
were paid on it by the Credit Mobilier on 81
per cent. interest and the prospective profits.
The Credit Mobilier advanced $723. 600.S on
the Ames contract. No adjustment was ever
made to witness knowledge, and he knew
nothing of the cost of the 1888 completed miles
included in the Ames contract, nor of the So
of stock of the Union Pacific railroad sold dur
ing the execution of the Hoxie contract was
$5, 900, 600, a million and q quarter of which
went to the Credit Mobilier in Government
bonds. Have examined the balance sheets
presented by Crane yesterday, and find them
substantially correct. The Trustees profits
we're described as in securities and stock, of
which Crane gave the f~ootings, and several
items were testified to. The summary is as
follows:
Profits on the Ames contract. .s29, s59, $50
Profits on the Davis contract. ........... 1902, 1876
Profits on the Hoxie contract. ..-....... 5~,16s,232
Total profit to contractors of entire
road in stock and securities at their
par value.
A Washington telegram of the 8th says:
Judge Poland's committee, this morning, held
a secret session for two hours, and discussed
the evidence preparatory to a final report, to
be made within a week or ten days. They only
await the return of Ames to close the examine
ton It was decided to send the Sergeant-at-
Arms for him If he is not heard from to-day.
Two kilograms sent to him are unanswered.
After the examination of Ames, Mr.. Colfax
viii be allowed to offer testimony to show
where the 81, 200 deposited in the First National
Rank Cama from. lint the a0mmiffpa aYnq0t tn
hear all this evidence in one day and then
close. At the request of Judge Hale, counsel
for Mr., Cofax, the COMMITTEES directed that
Ames be notified to bring his memorandum
book, referred to in his testimony, on his re-
turn.
Thu Wilson committee examined no wit
nesses on the 8th.
Judge G. 7. Sherman, of Ohio, was examined
by the Wilson committee on the 10th. The
witness thought the prices allowed under the
Ames contract were double what they should
have been. At one-half that price the con-
tractors could have made fair profits. The
Hoxie contract was the one entered into while
the witness held the position of Government
Director. The manner in which the road was
constructed under the Hoxie contract was
satisfactory. Had not the Credit Mobilier
been formed and taken hold of the road the
work would have been stopped in sixty days;
If the Credit Mobiier expended $50, 900, 600
and made SIS, 900, 900 profit they made ne more
than fair profit. He did not think that $41,-
0OO, 900 was an extravaganza price for building
tu0 IOdo-
The Poland committee met on the 10th, but
nothing was done. 1t is probable that several
days will be occupied in examining the evil
dence before further action can be determined.
committee will ask leave to sit during the
of the Senate.
A Washington dispatch of the 18th says: |
Nearly the whole attention of Washington has
been directed to Judge Poland's committee
room to-day. Ames, after a discussion. pro-
viding that no entries, except in regard to the
Credit Mobilier, should be made public, pro-
duced his memorandum books for 1867, 1868
and 1869. They were diaries with a page-date
for each day in the year. On these, in the
proper places, and in entries which all agree
were made at the time, were all the transac-
tons with members exactly as he has testified
to them heretofore. In addition to the en-
tries in order of dates there we're at the end of
of the books a calculation of the amounts due
each member, and of the payments made to
each. Nothing additional was discovered ex-
cept an entry in the book for 1869 of a pay
to Mr.. Colfax, Jan. %, of $50. rs, being
interest on certificates for stock of the Union
Pacific road received by Mr.. Colfax as divi-
lends from the Credit -Mobilier. Judge Hale,
for Mr. Colfax. then began a cross
of Ames, almost the only effect of
which was to excite the committee very
strongly against Hale and call out several
very pointed and severe reprimands from
Judge Poland for the course Hale at
empted to pursue. The cross-examination
lid not destroy the force of Ames'
estimony in any material point. Judge Hale