Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-27

pOSlteu VIII DAWsOn a. 20. his ID eTrOr NO.
2, by the same author. and ought to be cor
rected.
Mr.. Rice says that under the bridge law
members of the bsidge commission are not
allowed to have any interest in the bridge
funds and yet several bills have been pre-
sented and allowed to Dawson Il Co.
The facts were, and Mr.. Rice knew them we'll
that N the spring of 1875 when the bridge
commission first organized they had no money.
and it became necessary to employ an engineer
to make preliminary surveys, and to send some
one to Washington to assist delegation
there in procuring the right of way through
the military reservation, as we'll to secure
aid from Congress to assist in building the
bridge. At that time Minneapolis was trying,
to prevent us from getting aid, as she seemed
to fear the bridge might interfere with her
navigation. To obtain these essential funds
all the bridge commissioners signed a note.
Thomas Cochran, Jr., had it cashed at the
banking house of Dawson q Co. We sent our
man on to Washington and had bill passed
granting SOS QUO and the right of way through
the military reservation.
paid the note, and this is what Mr.. Rice calls
one of Dawson Co.'S illegal bills-presented
and allowed by the bridge commissioners.
This is error No. 8, and ought to be corrected.
On last Monday 1 explained to You how
1854. 80 came to be presented and allowed.
and yet the same author calls this an illegal
bill. This is error No. 4, and ought to be cor
rected.
As a matter of fact which l can prove by
H. P. Upham and Albert Scheffer, Dawson &
Go. paid interest to Mr.. Rice, county treasurer,
on $10,3l3 for about twenty days, while the
ten bonds were going to Boston and returning
amounting to upwards of twenty dollars, which
was an actual loss to Dawson & Go.
MIR. Rice saws that the bridge commissioners
" 21Sn
ing the contract between them and Horton d
Co.
Mr.. Rogers, county attorney, drew this con-
tract and the commissioners paid nothing
for it. This is error No. 5, aud ought to ne
corrected.
several bills presented and allowed
Dawson & Co. had no bills presented or al
lowed by the bridge commissoners-tbey were
simply paid back Inc money advanced by them
to the bridge commissioners and the county
treasurer. This is error No. 6, and ought to be
corrected.
Either Mr.. Rice or his interviewer is made to
say that Mr.. Cochran did not sign the bill to
refund the money to Dawson d Co. Here is
his signature to the bill-look at it and see for
yourselves. This is error No. Z, and ought to
be corrected.
MIR. Rice says Mr.. Lindeke is mistaken when
he mentions lnoseness with the bridge funds
and yet Mr.. Rice contrad;cts himself by saying
that Dawson & Co. had several illegal bills
presented and allowed by the bridge COM
mission. This is error No. s. and ought to be
corrected.
MIR. Rice jumps from the bridge commission
to attack me as chairman of the county COM
missioners, and here l must acknowledge
cannot defend myself so we'll.
Section l, chapter GIG, laws of 1873 says the
salary and compensation of the treasurer of
hi L. q
mum and no more; all clerk hire necessary for
said treasurer shall be paid by him out of the
above sum. and fees or compensation received
by said treasurer. over and above said sum
shall be paid into the treasury for the use of
said county.
Mr.. Rice spoke to me about getting Mr.. Dou-
gan some one else and said unless he or
some one else was employed to attend to col
Letting personal tax, large sum would be lost
to the county, and as / knew Mr.. Dougan TO
be an excellent clerk and an honest man,
consented that Mr.. Rice should employ him
and the county pay the bill. This 1 am in
clined to think was irregular on my part.
But as MIR. Rice was attending the river and
harbor convention, and, of course, could not
collect this tax. thought it better the county
should lose $500 or S40O than So, 700 or $1,000
This fear was irregular.
But when MIR. Rice appointed the arch-en-
envy of st. Paul, the Hon. w. D. Washburn
chairman of the most important committee,
and ignored the name of st. Paul in his CORES
pondence with the Chamber of Commerce of
Montreal-this conduct on the part of Mr.
Washburn was undoubtedly regular, for it was
consistent with all of Mr.. Washbarns actions
toward st. Paul. l now presented certified
copy of Mr.. Dougan's bill.
Had Capt. S. Lee Davis, who is plain, blunt
soldier and not great statesman, employed
Mr.. Dougau to do the extra work imposed upon
tlo hut Re r. tho 10
treasurer, and then simply certified that Mr..
Dougan's bill was correct perhaps the county
treasurer would have paid the bill-after it had
been allowed by the bridge commission.
There is one thing rather funny about this;
the bridge commission have been getting anony-
nous letters-warnine them not to- interfere
between Rice and Davis, lest Rice should turn
in his wrath against the bridge commission
land rend them"
IN CONCLUSION
1 will now state that after many annoyances
and delays the bridge is almost fnished-and it
is a model of beauty and strength.
1t is a credit to the able engineers who
planned and superintendent it. I mean Maj
Charles j. Allen, U. s. A., and j. 8. Sewall. of
this city. and it is my opirion at this moment
that finer bridge was never built 10 the
United States for the amount of money spent
on it. Mr.. Wells. the United States inspector,
told me he never saw az good masonry done
for the price paid for this bridge. The iron
work also was done at o low price. l am in
formed that it could not be duplicated now for
less than 0000 more than we paid.
There has not been one dollar stolen or mis-
applied. Our records are public property. open
to the inspection of all. We court investiga-
ton and we fear no fair and honest criticism.
Wehave not been guilty of 'looseness" in
handling these funds.
And the compensation the bridge commits
sioners get for all this worry and annoyance
would hardly pay their livery bill, If they had
hired livery and not used their own teams!
A Communication from Mr.. Delano upon
the propriety of anchoring the.bridge, re-
suited in the adoption of the following order:
Ordered, That the engineer be instructed
to cause the bridge to be anchored to the
piers at cost not exceeding S40O.
City attorney Murray requested informa-
ton concerning the completion of the bridge
for the benefit of the committee, who have
in charge the arrangement for its formal
opening.
Mr.. Dawson stated that he had visited the
bridge recently and that with the exception
of the test it was ready for travel.
Mr.. Sewell stated that he had decided to
make the test with ice. He had contracted
to have it cut at twenty cents per ton and it
would require five hundred tons to make the
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