, 1875-08-24

ita OWL eourse anil s4nd prairs Donds will soon bring
their se.l va1ue. bc the or loss.
..-. ...-.......------e ..---e
THE GREAT MASSACHUSETTS BORE.
The HoosAc Tunnel wns bore for twcnty
years in moro senses than one. While tho
contractors were boring through tho Lnrd,
granite mountain, the public was bored with
Hpasnlodic rostponemcnts OF its completion
md constant iteration of tho detais of con-
ssruction. 1t bccnme to America mora than
tho Mount Gents Tunnel was to Europa. We
wero taught to believe TINT, when done, It
would not 1noscly ho tho most magnificent
specimen Of engineering on record, but tint
it would establish through competition be-
tween Boston aud tho Westt mud be of mt
tnnl benefit to the New England mud tho
Western States. And now, having recovered
from tho excite1nont incident to tho celcbrn-
ton of tho opening, and having time to coolly
survey the cost mud results, It is found TINT
tho 11oosAo Tunnel is far from being the boon
to mankind which WIS confidently Anticipated.
A writer in tho Nation makes comprehensive
review Of tho work from the beginning, md
botrays familiarity with its history which
commands confidence. From this review tho
conclusions nre inevitable Tint ~ the IIoosao
Tunnel cost great deal too much money !;
{a) it will require still further and enormous
expenditures to render it entirely safo; {I it
lacks tho connections necessary to carry out
tho purpose Of constructing it; and ~ it is
now nothing more thnn ilolo in tho ground
which cost $4,000, 900, md at present will
not earn sufficient money to keep 1t in re-
pair.
An entirely new revelation in connection
with the I[oosac Tunnel is that it afforded
the first application for the system which has
since become notorious under the namo OF
Credit Mobilier. Long before the War, the
State Of Massachusetts, loaned its credit for
81 600, 600 for tho construction Of tho tunnel
to the Troy & Greenfield Railrond, on condi-
ton that certain amount of stock should be
subscribed, with cestain percentage
paid in cnsh. It was found impossible
to SECURE the necessary subscription in
tho regular way, but b1essrs II. HAurT
T. Co. subscribed for stock to bo paid for by
construction work. As tho State scrip was
only Issued in installments ~ after certain
amount Of cash had been subscribed, and (2)
after a certain amount Of work was done, 3Ir.
HAurT borrowed 100000 from bank for
an hour or no, paid that am cunt for stock,
and received it back Immediately In payment
for contracted work, After this little trans-
action, the State scrip came to hand regular
ly in inatallments of 100000 at time.
Meanwhile A1r. HAupr was acting aa occasion
required, either as Chiof Engineer to certify
to the work, or as member Of tho Finance
Committee to audit the bills, OF as Director
to vote approval In fact, 3lessrs. II. uAurr
l. Co. took all tho money that came In from
the 6tate or from the stock subscriptions,
or from any other source whatever, in-
eluding a receipt Of London exchange at
S4.4{ to tho pound whom it was really worth
$a.01 to tho pound. This Inter transaction
alono Ia said to hAvo nottod the anterprising
firm the neat. little sum OF Fifty thousand dol.
lars.
It became necessary during the conatruc-
tion to build road through ama1l section
Of Vermont. Mesars. IIAurr l. Co. had some
friends socuro charter aud build tho road,
which they subsequently sold to the State of
Massachusetts for double its value. After
the State had bought this listlo road, the dis
coyery was malo that 1t had been leased In
perputuity TO New York corporation, md
the State Ind no more control OF 1t than 1t
had before buying 1t ut an e1orbitant figure.
OF course tho bonanza which Nessrs. HAurr
l. Co. had found was too big thing to
last for ever. and finally tho State Of blassa-
chasetts foroclosed Its mortgage on the Troy
l. Greenfield Railroad and took possession,
including the unfinished tunnel. There was
nothing for the State to do but to go on with
tha boring, which WAS done now fairly aud
now badly, according To the compa.
tenoe or incompetence OF tho State
board Of Commissioners. The final contract
for The work was lot to tho Canada firm who
completed 1t, and who seem to have done what
they agreed to do honestly enough, But the not
result Is, that work estimated at first to cost
81 200, 900, and TO bs lnishcd In two years,
has required twenty years Of tins and $l4.-
600, ,000 Some Of this may be accounted for
In the unexpected obstacles encountered In
tue character OF tho rock and tbs amount
OF tie water; the rest must be traced to the
early extortions, yacllIating coursa after
tho State took hold Of 1t, official salarios, and
bad management.
And now what has Massachusetts, to show
for this enormous uxpenditure9 The Nation
writer sums up the situation "a follows;
But assumins tbs tunnel - b. ready for uss, Whist
Il it, prnaeut aituSuon. and ~at afo IT. future ptos
pscas, The hols IL Indeed through tAa mountain !;
but who viii 60 through lbs hols aud pay for th9
privilege Of dnluY4 This "a sttAt question: aud
only ~ II u successfully an4ws1sd can ths sunnsl