The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-09-08
prpIY TO SENATOR VANCE.
rvE OTHER SIDE OF THE
STORY.
UrsrERN NoRTH CAROLINA
RAILROAD COMPANY,
lr.,.-

m-r I Iaa Hh "a
IN vour issue Of the 9th instant YOU
..,I,I-h an interview with Senator Il.
Vance, one Of the Commissioners
..;oted 10 examine the work on the
%ll.fern North Carolina Railroad,
.rt..I contains grave charges against
both a. u man aud an officer of the
t-..r.u North Carolina Railroad Com
,..-. II would be easy to brand his
rye, Of fraud as false but | prefer
.4glait a plain statement OF facts to
-. r.cpIe OF North Caroiina and to
Lave them TO Judge between Us.
Tb- main question upon which we
- ;..ue is whether the extension
,.,-,.e granted to Mes.rS. Clyde, Lo-
- and BuiOrl, BY Governor Jarvis
-.iUr Worth, in Nay last, was Oh
mel hg fraud. and whether |, who
,.,.rs-en ei those gentlemen III that
,-.a-artion. am the person who ON
w,,tei the alleged fraud.
senator Eance says: The claim to
,,4 extension is founded In fraud -
ain that the claim was obtained from
... IL them DR.. Worth, I'm u fraud
Eli, manner" and still again that I'VE
f.torr the grant on the ground of
md Then, as if anticipating that
..ne lwver I'm North Carolina might
.ve the presumption to deny the CON
.I.inu 10 which he has come, or might
IRE u doubt the accuracy Of his legal
Irwapt. he adds by way Of denuncia
,u ut this imaginary foe, that no
swver who knows the circumstance
will ever honestly give a favorable opln-
ina. to the legal or present operation
nalhe instrument by which the exten
sion they claim was granted
Il Is true that the Senator, after
,~ee,iug on his words, has deemed it
i-u!ent to make corrections of the IN
f.rview" in Il card which he publish
81. in the Observer of the 18th but
mere has been no retraction or qualii-
cation of the charges of fraud which he
made in the first publication. | am
reureiled therefore 10 furnish the facts,
and publish the documents to the PEG
HE OF the State that they may have d
Irlc history OF this matter.
On the 18th day of March, 1880, the
legislature OF North Carolina passed
an "A"t To provide tor the sale OF the
STATE interest in the Western North
Carolina Railroad, aud Mr.. Best and
lis "a ocIaies bccLIae the purchasers oi
that r. tcrest p condition that tGtN
wouIa rommence work In two months
Tow the 18th of May, 1880 and that
among other things they would pay the
semi annual interest on the fist mort
g.ee bonds of the road.
Mr.. Best found himself unable to
ratse this money, and finally on the 3lst
dav Of July. 1890, foHr mouths at er the
, - Il, .r lo frn,,tI- osLIy,nl
4liis rights under the contract TO w.
l.. Clyde, y. ). Buford and i. NJ. Lo
gan. tor the consideration OF 1900
ares Of stock Of the face value OF
$-5D,U0a.
The ~a.>ignees were induced to come
t. tho I. sc Ie Of Nj. Best at this late
day by solicitations aud assurances from
prominent gentlemen III North Carolina
who felt great app%rehenSions at the
threatened failure Of this scheme.
these gentlemen iie~srs. Clyde, Lo-
gan aud Bdford, began work ON thi,
road and made ONE progrts, before the
winter OF ls,O-sI sat in, but they en-
couuIered Two obstacles which In the
~langua-e of the act very greatly hin.
Gere.t and delayed their operations
aui tpr which they were il no wise
responsible
rust: The STATE, iii the act above
cited. stipulated Il, one OF the condI-
t5y.s Of the sale, That DARN. the con
struc;ion of SAID rail- and until The
>aue shall be completed, said State
sudiI furnish 10 SAID grantees of then
assigns not less than ,HCe huRdr,d able
tr~;,ti cOHrtcts.' These convicts Wer,
Net furnished, and the work was cor
r-spondingiy retarded.
Secondly: The winter Of lNS0-'Sl wa
tn. >eyerest ever known IN the history
OF he State, the thermometer at time.
slnLIng 10 II degrees below zero, and II
Va, more than human nature could en-
dGre to be *! osed IN the work Of con
s;rIctlou during such weather. Short
IL AFTER the beginning Of the work, all,
from time to time thereafter delnaut
was made upon the State for the cUui
PIGMENT OF convicts, but they were III,
furnished, while the Ist of july. tn,
Dltg fixed by the act Of the Legislator,
ivr the completion of the read to Pain
l'.vk and Pigeon River was rapidly ap
preaching, and it was evident that thos
points could not be reached by tha
f."te. The I'D section of the act pro
vides:
That should the granite s or thei
assiguees be hiudeIed or delayed by an
cause for which they are in no wise re
spc"Slble, then the said commissioner
shuh allow a reasonable extension Q
I'm" for the completion Of said lines Q
road"
~ President of the Western Mort
Carolina Railroad, acting under the &C
wee Of the assignets. | determined t
apply to the commissioners for an "e1
tension OF time .ssuming that | wa
entitled to 1t as Il matter of right an
that it was the duty OF the commission
els to gran: it, AID ! supposed it woul
be their pleasure to do so under til
circumstances. On Friday, the set
lay Of April, 1881, | presented to III
commissioners a petition asking for sa;
extension. | appcud below a copy {
that petition II arked "a"
The commits ioaers after considers
ton returned 1t To Inc, with a memo
randum in Gov. Jarvis handwriting
the amendment which they require
before granting the extension. - is ;
follows:
"lhe additional laborcrs referred
IN this COMMUNICATION will be employe
and put upon the work us sOOn as II
TUDOR cnn be emptoyed at reasonab
compensation, either in hired labor
by contract, and of this six hundre
additional laborerers or their value
contracts We will employ at least on
hnI4 -