, 1873-10-18
GILMAN, CLINTON & SPRINGFIELD RAILROAD

LYMAN, Ford Co., Ill.,, Oct. Is, 1873.
To The Ettttor gf The Chtcaao Tribune:
Sin Reading your articles on tho Gilman.
Clinton & Springfield Railroad fraud, am much
interested in the staten,ent you mako of til 0
higher transactions Of tho Company but there
aro sono things you hayo not told Of yet. I nm d
resident Of Lyman; was nonresident when
tho township voted 225, 900 bonds to the rail-
road WAS disnatisfied about it at tirat but now
think Ii convenient to hayo station at hand.
But about tho construction, al it came 10 my
knowledge:
a gentleman named A1egill, Of Clinton, had
the contract Of grading tho road at 35 cents per
cubic yard. This llo sul-1et to another man
ramcd Brown, for q cent8 per yard, who III turn
Bnb-let 1t to othor small contractors by the mile,
at 16, II, and NJ low na IL centa per ynrd As
many as 1ivo or six persons bud contracts in this
locality, who, as soon nn thoy camo Oh,
got every team they could to como to
work, aud to secure boarding places for their
| workman. These runners met with great suc-
cess, eithor from tho railroad feeling Or tho big
| promised wages, which 1t WAS quite evident thoy
| could not begin to pay at tue low rate they had
undertaken The work. Soon nearly every team
wan on tho road, and cvory house filled with
boar doris women folks wore working day mud
went on, every one earning lots of monoy, till at
lust 1t came to finish, when ult had their ac-
counta made up, which they were quite ready
for, owing to the loss Of crops the preceding
| yenr, and oyery ono having large storc-0ills to
| pay for goods Gus raroad-la6orers arc not to DO
boarded for nothing). Hero thoy assembled dny
after day, Whiting for the contractors to como
with thoir money; but they never put IN an ap-
pearanco; aud of all men that ovor Ind tho
blues. these credtors woro tho bluost. Some
few followed the contractors up and got some-
thing ont Of them. Others bud them arrested !;
but aaw ia tho indictment always gave them
release,-the, plaintiff partios having to pay
costs, and beng glad to got OF ut tint.
I was told the liabilities III this township
amounted to $4,000. So, when tho farmers did
thoir work for nothing, and boarded the work.
mon, who got nothing but their board, you can
figure Up what the grading cost. I believe it
WAS quite profitable to the construction-ring.
When they were surfacing, they could not got a
man boarded, but had to keep an engine and
hst-cars to carry tho Workmen out from Gil
| man and back every evening. Thon came on
the locating Of tho station, nj it WAS one OF the
terms Of tho bonds to have ono Two parties
got to coptonding for it,-one on Section II, and
the otlor on Section 21. The tlrst uamol had .
very handsome Ind paes Ttn groye t an pqno
nothing whatever to recommend it. Tho rail-
road-otliciala stood between them for some time,
and smiled on one to spur on the other, az II was
money no wanted. The party on II 1nado up The
Koborts|. If our railroad-lebt is to bo levied
on the whole State, no may bo benefited by it :;
but dont heliavo it is fair or just to have other
people pay the debt VIC contracted for the Gil
man, Clinton d Springfield.
But there is another road. through the
south part Of tue county, by Paxton, which is
not worth cents to any QUO III this township aud
much less to those north OF us. To this we have
to pay some $40, ,000 md interest thereon, aB our
share OF tho count, subscription. should wish
that those who voted 1t on to us should be mado
to pay 1t Themselves, II the Gilman Clinton l.
Springfield Company can loase the road. it is the
best thing tloy can do, NJ tho earnings would
pay nothing. The towns aud countios will never
got my return for their subscription. 1 for ono
would ehenrfully gtyo up mine il thoro waa any
thlng oom'ngto It's; VIC would only got cheated
ont of 1t. only want them to keep their cars
runnng and cRrry freight as low as other
I may have mado some nlsstatomtn,a ,,a
therefore, leave this opon for correction. Ref.
ofence, III. q. pierco, ''or any otAor man in
| TyMAN