The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-09-15
dants. 1t has been said that the plain
tiffs' board appointed three g. to act
IN the premises. 1t was necessary that
tfey should all act together

aII II 1t be said that the act OF sale
makes the decision of a majority Of be
commissioners binding. the auswcr is,
the principle still remains and for Z still
stronger reason, the two which cUasti
tute the majority should act togtthe5. ,
tur'hoT ma:utain that under the act 1t IS
Necessary IN order to render the action
OF the two commissioners valid all three
should De present when such action j.
taken See the reasoning Of JUICE
Pearson IN the State Il Lane 4lredrli,
334
1t would seem indeed that Col. A
dreHS himself l. aware that the extern
slon i not legal, icr 1t was presented to
the board at It's meeting on the 23d u
June, In Asheyilie; was not acted upon
and Is still pending. Il will be observed
too thai according TO the condition.
upon which Gov. Jarvis signed il, lie
could now legally withdraw his assent.
At that meeting, fifty four "a days
after their application was made for AZ
extension Of time, the commissioners
found as a fact, and entered it on their
record, that mot finding the number Of
laborers on the work which Mess.
Buiord, Logan and Clyde agreed ii their
application for extension Of time t. put
there, took 10 formal action as commits
sloners sitting together upon the applI-
cation"
Having now disposed Of the personal
matter between Col. Andrews and nv
self, justice to myself requires that
should speak more as large with refer
ance to my action as commissioner. ii
will be remembered that during the
yesr 1879 serious apprehension came TO
be entertained that there would be dlih
cultyln continuingt the appropriatioDsf0r
the competition Of the Western North
Carolina Railroad. 1t had been on
hand So long and SO many nisfortunes,
not to mention worse things, had at
tended its construction, that MANY
people began TO fear it would swamp
the party which undertook to carry il
to completion. These considerations.
induced me to listen favorab!y to the
propositions of Nr. w. j. Best for its
purchase when he approached me on
the subject. | believed it a favorable
opportunity to secure the completion
o. that great and important work with
out further taxation or political ~diSquiet
to our people. The negotiations tnen
set on foot resulted as is known in the
call of a special session of the Legisla-
ture and tue passage Of the act author
lZing its sale to Mr.. Best and his assn
Clales. 1t must not be forgotten that
The chief consideration of that Sale -
the building of the road from Asheville
t. Ducktown. At the tine of the sale
ne great obstacle, the passage o. the
Blue Ridge. had been overcome and
tae cars were running almost to the town
OF Asheville. From there the short liae
down the French Broad wss d matter
Of easy accomplishment, one thisi be-
ing slre ,dy graded. The State could
easily have flashed it in a short time
with convict labor, or could have found
other parties quite ready to take il off
her bands. The great object was to
find parties who would cut through the
mountains, l45 miles, to Duck:ewn.
AS is known, Mr.. Best, 10y the descrtion
of his associates, was left unabie 10
perform his contract. How this hap
pened it is not necessary to inquire. |
will only say that | had then, and have
now, the fullest confidence in bis good
faith. Finding himself thus unable to
perform his obligation. to the State, he
finally succeeded IN borrwing II portion
of the money needed from Messrs. Blu
ford, Clyde e Co. At his request |
went to New York and aided aim to
accomplish this as much as was in my
power. These gentlemen discltimed
the slightest desire to assume Mr.. Best.
contract. but expressed an anxiety for
the completion Of the road as II desirable
adjunct to their business arrangements.
at one time desired them or supposed
from their language that they desired
to become owners of the road. They,
however, came into possession Of 1t by
the failure Of Mr.. Best to repay n m
their none in July of last year. Re
~luctant as | was to see this road fall
into the hands of a corporation that
had already done so much to reduce
North Carolina to a state OF commercial
vassalage to an adjoining State, by di-
v, ring its ira lie from ~ owntowns and
cities, yet SO great was my anAlety to
see this work completed that L deter
mined to aid az much as | couid the
.ssigncssto prosecuted with all possible
diligence and energy, depending for
the protection of our people upon the
/ UIOtiSiOu III lilC L vi odiC nv "
bids determinations against North
Carolina town. and cities On the part
of the assignees. soon found, how
ever, at least came to believe, that they
did rot intend to build the Ducktewn
branch. In other words that they did
not intend to pay the price for whlch
.he road was sold to them. | ape to
believe also that in defiance Of the law
they we're determined so to discriminate
against the interest of our own people
as to ruin many and greatly injure all.
By degrees they have secured control
of nsarly every road in tbs State, or
leading into it west of Raleigh. Tbes
have now SO got the commerce OF North
Carolina in their grasp that they can
crush to death all of it, except that
portion which they foster for the bene
ft Of Richmond. | came to believe
also that they die not intend to prose-
cute the work even on the French Broad
line with the ''diligence and energy
REQ Tired by the contract, but intended
to take their time and finish it at their
convenience. The circumstances which
induced me to believe that they did
not intend to build to Ducktown are
many. In the first place, the fact was
stated in my hearing at q conference
in September last, between MessIs
Best, Clyde, Logan and others, IN the
city Of New York, and was not denied
by any one present.
Another reason is found in the sworn
testimony of Col. Buford before the