The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-09-15
More Railroad Correspondence .!
President Buford Replies
to Messrs. Jarvis, Vance
and Worth. Gov. Jar
Wis makes a Prompt
RejoIndeF!

ReJoInder!
There is enough or Railroad new.
this week to fill every line of orr space
In fact we find it impossible to give more
than q summary.
In the daily Obserrer appears a new
batch of letters. Number one, Is sign
ed by Jarvis, Vance. and Worth. Com
m~issiouers, and dated Aug. lst. II no
tilted the Clyde Syndicate tor r. i ID
X Il. that on the 25th day of May.
they, the commissioners. agreed with
w. j. Best. and company, that if be
should deposit $3.50, 600 with them, a,
4 fund TO re coup the K. Il ID. r. Il
for its advances in building the Western
K. r., and if he Best should farther
show himself ia earnest in regard =
building a trunk line from Goldsboro TO
Salisbury, etc. etc. then they should
give him all possible aid IN carrying out
his projects, recovering the VI estern
Z. X etc.
Five days later, the K x d. people
(signed w. p. Clyde, I. NJ. Logan and
and A. 5. Buford). wrote in reply but
Gov. Jarvis says the letter WAS not re
ceived until Aug. 29th.
n1r-Let those who have blamed the
Farmer and Acch,tntc for is course III
this III alter, carefully reflect upon the
sentences which we have italicized In
the foregoing extracts.
BUFoRD b co. 70 JARVIS s. co
After expressing surprise at the mott
hcatlon, they give the ieason; 10 VII,
because -
The commissioners, especially Gov
ernor Jarvis and Senator Vance, are ful
ly aware OF the peculiar circumstance
Attending tht assignment made 10 Us by
MIR. Best, aud were fully cognizdnt oil
Mr. Best's utter aud acknowledged in
ability at the time Of making his assign
ment to us to take the first step toward
the fultiliueut of his undertaking. That
made sensible by numerous representa-
tious directly dnd miuectty from tie
conamtsstoaer aud other prominent and
inf uential citizens of the State tha,
consequences most disastrous 10 the IN
tercst of the Sta.e and It's people wouiu
ensue if 1t then became apparent thai
The Best act was a failure, and that with
the full knowledge OF these things you
not only consented to it but were largely
Instrumental in inducing US to accept
the assignment. More particuarly.is il
worthy OF note In this connection that
Senator Vance was pie,ent at several ol
the interviews held IN New York with
Ar. Best, and was active III promoting
the negotiations, then thought by our
selves, IN common with others of the
State, TO be important AMI essential TO
the interests OF the State, and of those
citizens of the State who had been ac-
lively Instrumental In procuring the
original law aud the contract thereunto
to be enacted and made. 1t Is, more
over, proper to say that the commits
sioners are, and were at the time, aware
that this assignment was not sought by
US, but only taken at the urgent solicit |
tatiOn of those who were most deeply
Interested in its successful consumma
ton, yOuTSeiCcS most c~OllSptcuruslJ and
influential among the nam ,cr, and that,
under these circumstances, we stepped
into the breach when every other re
source had failed, and assumed an oner-
Gus burden which all others had dcclin
ed, and MereGy duertei tie disastrous
consequences opprehendea Ly yourselves
and others from a future.
Inspired by your appeals for our aid
at an alleged crisis, aud to prevent the
indefinite suspension of a great work OF
long cherished value to the people I'll
North Carolina, we assume this under
taking, and, if not Interrupted propose
to stand by it until it is executed
JARVIS KEPLIxs.
Five days after receiving the forego-
ing, Gov. Jarvis, as a private individ-I
ual, wrote Col. Butord a very sharp let
ter as follows -
But from whatever motive you act
ed, you certainly cannot say you entered
into the contract at my solicitation. /
did not ask, nor did [ even know you
and your friends had done so till alter
1T was done. 1t IL true that | knew |
there was trouble between Mr.. Best and
his associates, and they were likely not
to be able to organize. Col. Andrews
had been for years my warm personal
friend, and was then, as now, a member
of my staff. asked him to go to New
York and see what the trouble was, and,
if possible, remedy it. | also telegraph
ed to Senator lance to 20 to New York
AMI aid in the adj ustment. | felt thar
t was a crisis in the history of the road,
and that If the contract broke down and
the work failed, then it would be a long
time before the people Of the west would
see the road and hear the whistle Of the
engine. | also knew that you were In |
New York, and that you did not wan,
the work on the road to stop or he |
contract to fail, and | supposed the fact
that you knew the road would be an i'm
portant feeder to your line had %sonIe-I
thing to do with your anxiety and feel
ings in the matter, But, as befor.
stated, | did not know who assumed the
responsibilities of the contract till after
it was done. There is not connected
with this whole matter, from the day
Mr.. Best first came to Raleigh to the
present time, one single act, word OF
line of mine that would have concealed
OF kept from the public. | therefore
beg that you will cease to write In such
vague general terms, and say what it
was that | did to induce you or your
friends to take up the Best contract.
What promise did | make or what in
ducement did offer? Now, let US have
1t all out IN plain, unmistakable words.
giving time, place and circumstances. |
do not wish to evade any obligation or
responsibility | am under, but [ do want
to know what it is. | write to you thus
individually, because | know you well.
while barely know Ger. Logan and do
not know MIR. Clyde at ali.