The Cecil Whig., 1878-07-27
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
THIS COLUMN Is OPEN TO ALL.
BY ALEX ANDER McGIIL.
PoRT DEPOSIT, July 22nd, 1878.

PoRT DEPOSIT, July 22nd, 1878.
Mr.. EDIToR:-Seeing in your issue of
the 18th instant what is claimed to be an
unprejudiced statement by William Arm
strong of the late Port Deposit tragedy,
deem it my duty, in justice to the memory
of my late brother as well as myself and
the family, to correct some of the errors in
said statement.
AS to my brother William McGill being
taken into the family of his uncle, James
Armstrong, at an early age, it is incorrect;
he being raised by his mother and living
with her in the opposite side of the town
Granard, county of Longford, Ireland. on
a small property given to her by Eer former
employer, Mr.. Alexander Burroughs, and
consequently only a casual visitor at his
uncle's house. And who the member of
his unce's family was who this so called
captious disposition of my brother caused
to emigrate to America do not know.
am not aware that such a member ever ey
listed or that such an event ever occurred.
AS to my brothers rowing disposition,
have this to say-that it was not from choice
of his, but depended upon circumstances
over which he had no control, and which
made it necessary for him TO do so; as for
instance, by the burning of Messrs. knapps
Il Wade's iron foundry in Pittsburg, Pa,
he, with many other worthy mechanics,
was thrown out of employment; hence lie
was Compelled to seek it elsewhere, and
with his uncle, James Sherwood, removed
to ClarkSvile, Tennessee, where he ex-
pected to fiud work; but failing, he went
to Louisville, Kentucky, in search of en-
ploymcnt; bat still falling to find it, re
turned to Cla!ksville, where he engaged
with Whitfield 4 Bradley. and remained
with this firm up to 1860. When their
works closed, i'll consequence of that por-
tion of the State seeding, he returned to
Plttsburg, and failing to find employment
there, he enlisted rs soldier, and after
sometime, finding that he was fighting
against his principles, with fifteen others,
deserted and found his way to Baltimore,
from which point he communicated with
his brother Alexander, who informed his
brother Henry, and Henry informing JAS
Armstrong, the latter insisted on going to
him against my will. The money, which
paid his way to New York, was furnished
by myself and brother, and not out of the
goodness of James Armstrong; heart, as
asserted in the aforesaid statement. In
New \ ork, through the aid of a mutual
friend, he found a situation as fireman on
the steamship 1rtUa, plying between New
York and Liverpool. From the old coun-
try he corresponded with his cousin VIII
liam Armstrong, whose letters encouraging
him to return to this country and promis-
ing that he would set him up in business
in Philadelphia, were recently seen and
may yet be found amongst his etfects-so
that the assertion that his arrival in Port
tod ln
founded, as also that he was destitute at
that time. since he then had of his own
money one hundred and forty English SOW
ereignS, besides some other moneys.
As to William Armstrong; visit to Ire
land and my brothers. management of the
foundry during his absence, | have this to
say-that to Thomas and James his man
agement was satisfactory. So far as the
six weeks strike is concerned, it is not
true that it lasted six weeks, nor was it
due to any fault of my brother, but to the
increased work for the same price per piece
on an extension top stove manufactured
for the Robins Stove Company of Balti-
more. | was one of the employees at the
time, and remember that the strike com
menced on Wednesday and ended the fol
lowing Monday, and during these few days
James Armstrong wrote to my brother to
stand firm, and not to yield to the demands
Tor advance IL wages, and that he would
stand by him.
Now as to William McGill cxpending the
means and time of his employers in per-
tecting his inventions Or cruGG ideGS, 1t Is
entirely erroneous, as those patterns and
plans were worked out By his own hands
after working hours in the cellar of the
house he occupied as dwelling.
And row as to his re-entering the ser
vice of the firm in Baltimore, after the re-
turn of William Armstrong from the old
country, it is hardly credible that he would
have been employed or placed IN such an
important position, had his services been OF
such nature in the Port foundry as stated
by William Armstrong III The Ifhtg OF
July 18th, 1873; and it is quite certain,
also, that all those with whom the Arm
strongs had dealings, or who worked in
their employ. know that they were too
careful of their own interests and too
watchtul 10 allow either time or means to
be expended III truItleSs attempts by any
OF their employees.
And now as TO the stove patents upon
which there seems to have been placed SO
much stress III the Armstrong statement, |
VIII simply say that, in all enterprises of
the KIND, there are dlihcultleS to be met,
which necessarily consume time and re-
Qulre patience to over come; and yet wlthai,
the Armstrong firm, notwithstanding the
failures which they state were made by
Iliiam NcGill and the great expense into
which he run them, still had faith IL him
that he would eventually accomplish some
thing important to their Interests, and
hence furnished him with means to pursue
his experiments, after, however, he had