The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-05-07
An Answer.

To James -Wrlght, MO0resbarg,
Tenn Before answering your COM
munication made short time since
in this paper, addressed to the ssHon-
orable Commissioners. &c. / will
simply preface this by saying that
one or two such articles, over a fic-
titious name, appeared in the Rog-
ersville paper some time last Fall
Those articles being anonymous, the
Company concluded to treat them
with silent contempt. The Editor
refused to tell the name of the wri-
ter, but said they were from Moores-
burg; and since we are 'once more
called upon and you have tie cour-
age to poke your head from be-
hind the screen, we will willingly an
swer. 1t would be prudent for any
one before ''meddling" to inform
himself Eith the facts in the CASE
Now, to show that you do not even
know their name, and address us as
the Honorable Commissioners APP
pointed to locate and make a road
from Sneedville to Moeresburg,"
when the company is known as the
Mulberry Gap and Rogersville
Turnpike Company :" further you
think that the company had no other
road, only your road to build, and
forget that we have built a road
from Mulberry Gap to RogersviIle.
l would advise you to read the Char
ter of the company, which will be
found in the Acts of 1869-70, pages
1877 and 8, and see the duties and
requirements enioined upon US
You will here find that we were re-
quired to make a road from Null
berry Gap to Rogersville. with pow.
er to construct the branch road of
which you speak. As is meant by
the Charter of the road from Null
berry Gap to Rogersville was to be
made first, after which, should any
funds be left, then the company, ifI
they SdaC proper, may expend the
same in building your branch road.
Had the company been disposed,
they could have expended every dol
lar on the road from Mulberry Gap
to Rogersville and not have given
the people living in the lower end of
Hawkins and Hancock counties the
benefit of a single dollar; but they
were disposed to do justice to all,
and so kind were their feelings to-
wards your people that they even
erred in building 81 miles of your
road from Clinch river over the Flat
Gap, before they had made the road
from Mulberry Gap to Regersville
as required by their Charter. 1t is
true your road is ont of repair at
present, but whose fault is it?-
Shortly after it was made the County
Court received it and appointed
overseers to keep the road in repair,
and still I hear of you complaining
about the condition of the road and
saying many hard things of US. We
have made the road from Mulberry
Gap to Rogersville, q distance of
thirty miles. crossing many noun
tains and ridges, and 13l miles of
your read making in all 431 miles
at cost Of 1862 so per mile, Is
not this average cost per mile reas-
onably low considering the country
through which it is built? The COM
pany has made settlement with the
State Commissioner. whose report is
now on file at the Executive Office, a
copy Of which l will here insert as
furnished by the Governor private
Secretary, so that you may see the
expenditures of the company:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE STATE OF Ten
NEssEE, Nashville, Apr. 14th, 1873
Mr.. VIM. Greene-Dear Sir-Your
favor of Mar. goth, 1873, has been
on my table for several days unan-
swered owing to press of other mat
tiers. I send you herewith copy of
Report of James White, Road Com.
for East Tenn. so far as it refers to
the Rogersville, Sneedville and Null
berry Gap Turnpike Company. as
follows: This Company received
from the State fifty bonds, which were
sold. net proceeds, $24,469 10 cents.
The company, after due organization,
commenced their work at Rogers
vile, in the county of Hawkins,
directing the same towards the ter
minus at Mulberry Gap, in the coun-
ty of Hancock, distant, twenty seven
miles; thence by way of return as
in conformity with the chartered
from Sneedville to Moores-
burg, in the county. of Hawkins, six
teen miles; in all IS miles. One
branch OF their work. to wit: the
81 miles of road from Rogersville to
Mulberry Gap, crossing the Clinch
and Stone Mountains and three other
ridges, is of character or grade of
road highly creditable to the officers
of the company The other branch
from Sneedville to Mooresburg is not
by any means a first class or well
built road, but it is plead by the CON-
pany that want of sufficient means !
was the reason for such deficiency. |
/ have, therefore, to say that the
Rogersville and Mulberry Gap
Turnpike Company are debtor to net
proceeds of bonds.........S24,46 9 10 |
Credit by vouch-
ers on hand, ..$16,267 IS
By orders paid,
mot legitimate
vouchers, 3D.. 514 50
Book account. 1926 so
Credit by money
advanced to
F. NJ. Turner,
commissioner $500 60
$24.469 10 |
It is proper here to state the
money received by Mr.. Turner, to /
wit: $3,6606O, he claims to have
paid out on orders for work and Ia