New-York tribune., 1879-10-31

hundred dollars for right of way, two thousand
five hundred dollars Tor engineering. three thou
sand five hundred and thirteen dollars; for
turn. tables track. tools, and other lmn'e-
ments necessary to operate tne roau, .' Nv Z
for round-house foundations for turntables.
water-pipe rails for sdings extra uack-laylng at
round-house and timber for repairs eleven thou,
sand. four hundred and sevcntv-one dollars ana
eghty-four cents for un Der, plumbing and pant
iug, ore thousand dollars; aud for operating the
road for one year. eighteen thousand dollars"
From these documents it will be observed first
that between the time when Mr.. Pilsbury first Of
fcred the lease to Mr.. Dickson and July l follow
ing Mr. Weeds partner in the iron company organ
lied the railway company which finally got the
lease at 81 year for 100 wears; aud second that
the Legislature. apparently pending the negola-
tIons between Mr.. Pilsbury and Mr.. Dickson for
the lease, passed appropriations for furnishing and
operating the road that beng gwen away TO the
total amount of $72,S65 81.
CONTRADICTORY ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN.
The lease bears date of July = but il Is evident
the negotiations were concluded some time pre-
vousy certainly they were begun long before.
Superintendent Pilsbury. In defence of ms part IN
the operation, lately said that. having determined
hat the road could not be operated by the state
except at a loss (he had then been operating
IL in an unfinished condition less than
Two months, he "entered into corr, spondence with
Mr.. Dickson. president Of the Delaware and Hudson
Canal Company, and also of Tie NoN-Yorl and
Canada Railroad Company, tho result of which
was lease OF the road to the Cus,caug5y Railroad
Company of which he i also plc~id mt on terms
which believe will save large amount of
money yearly to the state NJ. Dick
son. in letter 10 Tie Uorid, published
yesterday. says: In February or March last re-
ccIved "A communication from superintendent Pills.
bury Offering 70 lease the Dannemoia Railroad to
the Delaware AID Hudson Cana Company propo-
sit'on which promptly declined"
This is on It's face fiat contradiction, but in fact
while Mr.. Dickson did decline to lease the road
which he describes as " not worth dimc," though
il cost the state to build 1t, under Mr. Piisbury'S
direction. nearly 100000 hc aftcrward reopcncd
negotiations. This subsequent, however, ~ his
loan 20 Smith Weed Andrew Williams and W. T.
Smith of q large sum of money on their iron mines
and about the time Messrs Dickson, Williams and
Noycs incorporated the ChateaugIy Railroad Com
pany. As matter of fact. MessrS. Dickson. Williams
Weed and the others wanted the State road as soon
as the company 10 build the extension TO the valua
bic iron mines was created. And they paid tor
what cost $2OO,OOO and was not worth dime,"
exactly 81 year. Mr.. Dickson and Mr. Moves went
into the railroad company 10 secure themselves
for loans TO the IRON company. Their mortgages
are said 70 amount to 100000 on property which
was sold 10y L. Lawrence Rogers. of Baltimore,
through Smith Weed, to the Chateawgay Iron Com
pany for less than $4,000. Mr.. Rogers, after the
sale, alleged in a suit against Weed that he had
been deceived as 20 the value of the mines
GETTING HOLD OF UNITfD STATES PROPERTY.
One OF the lncOrporators of the Chateaugay Rail
road and also of the Chateaugay Iron Company
already frequently referred to, Is Andrew Williams
Ii wilt be perceived that he is the link between the
two Siamese twins III Clinton County finance ss
well as a useful connection between the Demo-
cratic and "Smth Weed" Republicans. He is n
merchant of Patsburg. and an intimate personal
friend of Weed as well his partner
in the Chatoaugay Iron Company. He IN the
XLIVth aud XLVth Congresses. THE TRIBUNE has
been Informed that he introduced in the third ses-
sion OF the latter Congress- the bill cedmg part of
the United States Military Reservation at Patts-
burg for tue use of the State road. This
ceded land is at the terminus of the
road on Lake Champlain. Naturally it seems
only proper that for any services which Mr. Will
iams may have rendered the State IN securing such
a valuable Property for nothing. the State should
rent il to him and his associates for century or so
at next to nothing. and that Is what Governor Rob-
lnson, Controller Olcctt and Superintendent Pills.
bury have apparently done, doubtless without
having seen Williams OF " eed for six months pre-
viOusly.
One Of the incerporators of the ChateauGay Iron
Company with Weed its head and Williams. the
hcature which binds it to the Chateaugay Railroad
Company, is William Ernest Smith, who is the taIl
of the concern. This young man is only nominal
stockholder in the IRON company. but he is Mr..
Weeds law partner i'm the firm of Palmer, Weed N
Smith at Pattsburg (See United States Busl-
ness Directory. He Is also member of the
Robinson State Committee. and is recognized as
being personal representative of Weed even more
servile than John O'Brien. the Man. Afrad-of His
Contracts Mr.. Smith is young His father is still
living, and is now physician of Sing Sing.
LAME DEFENCE BY IHE GOVERNOR.
Governor Robinson, in his defence of his cOnnec-
tion with the questionable transaction of leasing
this road saws he did not know Smith
Weed in the matter. A great many persons would
like to believe Governor Robinson to have been
only negligent Of his duty in the case and to think
that Mr.. Weed in his approaches TO tho State
House. could get no further than my son DAVID
But as Governor Robinson is known to be an apt
pupil of Mr. Tlden, it is not likely that his claim of
not hearing of Weed in tine matter" viii avail
him more than the declaration of Mr.. Tilden that
he knew nothing of the cipher operations of Weed
and Pelton. Negligence, such as that of Governor
Robinson In virtually giving away fran
chise which cost 100000 without consid-
Grafton is not apto be lightly considered or readily
forgiven by the people despoIled He might as well
plead guilty as negligent of duty or ignorant of
what he was doing. 1t is very evident so far as the
Governor is concerned that he approved without
strict inquiry TO the persons TO be benefited "a
disposition of State property of great value for a
practically indefinite period.
TIE CONTROLLERS EFFORT TO CLEAR HIMSELF
Controller Olcott. too. came forward in his own
defence, and made several neat points. indicating
alleged inaccuracies In the former account of The
TRIBUNE, most of which explained in the fore