The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-10-27
PEARL River Navigation.

EDTToRs CLARION: In your issue Of
October 10th, you Published q letter from
Col Singleton, taken from the Carthagenian,
under the above caption. am at a loss to
know the purport Of the letter to which
thisis a reply, for certainly it could have con-
tanned no reference to naisappropriations Of
the government funds or e'skarp eOatrac-
tors" on upper Pearl river. While Col. S.
does mot care who may have had the con-
tract" I do, and under the circumstances
connected with the endeavor to open Pearl
river from Jackson to Carthage, | do not
propose to submit to any insinuation, from
any source, that there has been or is to be
any ''sharp contract" business in my connee-
ton with this enterprise. am interested,
and have been, in opening up Pearl river
between this point and Carthage. have
| done all the lCorE that has been done, have
the only boat trying to make the trips to
| Carthage, have, SO far, had no assistance
from any one except from the firm to which
belong, and no pay from the Government.
It was upon my application that the survey
was ordered Col s went with me to Gen.
W IlBub III W HA4Sh \
the proposition to pay the expenses, If the
government would send the officer. There
was 10 government appropriation sufficient
to make the survey, and | proposed to fur
nish the men, boats, provisions and camp
equipage, ETC., necessary to make the survey
If the government would send the officer.
This was accepted | sent the entire outfit
| by wagons to Carthage and the survey was
| made l paid all the expenses. Upon this
survey the appropriations have been based.
Without it, no appropriation could have
| been had.
| If anyone intimates that there is or has
| been any sharp or unfair dealing in this
| business, he simply makes a mistake for
want of knowing the facts, and does injus-
tiee without cause.
We have contributed SO far, more time,
/ labor and money, in opening or trying to
open, upper Pearl river to navigation, than
| the government, and all persons along the
river, and at both ends of the line put
| together; and why Col. s. should give pub
| lie expression to any suspicion that advant-
age was sought in the contract, or being
taken in doing the work, that would necessi-
tate his strenuous opposition" to paying
| for the work, no one acquainted with the
! facts can well understand. All this BUSH
ness is very properly, however, devoived
upon the engineer department OF the govern
| nlant, and not dependent upon sharp politl-
clans for their opinion or otherwise, but In
dependent, and to do even justice between
the government and those who perform the
government work. The work will be done
according to contract, and when 50 finished,
there will be no delay in It's being paid for,
after being inspected and received.
There is a large force now at work on the
river, and has been ali summer, and it will
be continued as long a time as may be nee
essary to the completion of the contract.
| will say thus publicly, that if Mr.. w.
Mcbride, Of Carthage, or any others, wish
to Join in this enterprise and desire to as
sst in this work, to become interested and
participants in the contract, and see that
the work is properly done, | will cheerfully
let them join me, and let them take charge
of the work, they paying their proportion
of expenses, and receiving their proper
ton of all the government appropriations.
Is this fair?
If ana parties wish, now is the opportu-
! nifty to become interested in the improve
| ment of Pearl river, to take charge OF the
work, to see that it is properly done, and
be equal participants III the contracts. l
earnestly hope some persons interested will
Join us in this work, and eyince their pa
triotic desire to open the river in some
other way than talking about it. If the
"people along Pearl river are deprived of
the usual facilities ola convenient market"
as Col. S says, will they join with gentle
men at Carthage and jackson, undertake
this work in real earnest, and open the
river? We will contribute our proportion
!; of labor and money and keep at work until
it is finished If none are interested to the
extent sufficient to induce them to join in
the enterprise, would it not be as we'll to
let those alone who are trying? 1t is not
best to censure or suspect those who are
trying to serve us, without good cause and
la full understanding of just what is wrong
or injurious to us or the community. In
this instance, there is no cause for either.
: Very truly,
JONES S. HAMILTON.