The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-08-23


jealousy and enmity of many less saga
cious, less prudent, and consequently less
fortunate
Men who desire TO know concerning q
mans character do not usually go among
those who are strangers to him TO inquire;
they would go rather to men of integrity,
who had known him longest and most in
timately in business relations, and their
testimony would be considered conclusive
as against that of strangers equally honest
who knew him only by reason of his con-
nection with some other person who failed
to meet his financial obligations and so
brought disaster to them. fried by this
rule, the evidence against the truth of the
rumors in circulation in the localities af-
fected by the Clark failure is absolutely
overwhelming. Mr.. Horr has been asso-
ciated in business as partner with S. S.
Warner and E. F. Webster fourteen years !;
with o. p. Chapman, w. A. Braman and
n. Huckins ten years; has been partner
and director in the Savings Bank of Elyria
nearly ten years with T. W. Nelson, Judge
Boynton, Judge Hale, S. X. Laundon and
]. G. Hill; has been in partnership with
about twelve butter and cheese makers in
charge of different factories; has been a
director in the First National Bank of
Wellington over ten years - altogether
during the past fifteen years has sustained
the relationship of general or special part
ner with over forty citizens of Lorain
County, men of we'll established business
reputation and of unimpeachable integrity,
men whose character precludes the sup
position that they would continue to be in
timately associated for a term of years
with a man who is tricky and dishonest;
and 1 assert unqualifiedly that not one of
all this number will fail to corroborate
every statement have made.
Still further: The books, papers, etc,
showing every business transaction be-
tween Clark, and Horr, Warner & Co. are
still in existence, and if any in and around
New London who still think the firm
guilty of fraud will procure Judge Wick
ham, Judge Fox and Mr.. Gardner, or any
other three men of equal ability and can
dor in whom they have confidence, to
make an examination, every facility for
which will be afforded, and they do not at
the close give unanimous verdict
1st-That Horr, Warner & Co. retained
no more of John Clark's money than they
were both legally and morally entitled to;
2d-That they did not in any way cover
up or help Mr.. Clark to retain money that
belonged to his creditors and so defraud
them; and,
3d-That they did nothing more crimi-
nal than to efectually protect thmselves
by legal, honorable methods, then 1 will
undertake to see that the firm subscribe
and pay a thousand dollars toward the
building of that new Baptist Church which
is being erected in your village. If they
are guilty as charged there can be no
easier way of aiding worthy enterprise
than the one suggested.
In conclusion, l have not entered this
controversy by solicitation or suggestion,
but on my own motion, solely because my
knowledge of the facts and the man made
me unwilling to see so baseless slander
go longer without correction. 1 may add,
with perhaps excusable frankness, what
those who know me will indorse, that if
1 did not know what have written is
true-so true that it will bear the closest
scrutiny Of whoever chooses to examine,
and that whatever sins G. W. Horr may be
guilty of, dishonesty is not one of them, no
earthly consideration could induce me to
risk my reputation for candor and honesty
in his defense. The worst that can truth
fully be said is that he took care of the in
terests of the firm of which he is a men,
Der by providing against possible loss, and
when the crash came held to his security
instead of releasing it for the benefit of
Mr.. Clark's creditors, to do which would
the other parties had the case been re-
versed. Smarting under the sense of a
great wrong, it is not very strange that
many of the patrons took for fact a mere
suspicion, and the subsequent prejudice
and passion has prevented an impartial
inquiry after the truth, if, indeed, it has
not made them unwilling to listen to il
when presented. am confident, how
ever, that no man who desires justice and
hates iniquity, although he may have been
a loser in this affair, can make such an ex-
animation as Horr, Warner & Co. will
cheerfully afford the opportunity for doing,
without an absolute conviction of the
truth of the facts as / have presented
Them
1t had been my purpose to publish this
article in my own paper, but this feeling
isnot confined within the limits of my cir
culation, and it would not, by that means,
reach those for whom it is designed.
Thanking you for the opportunity you
have afforded me of bringing this matter
before your readers, am.
Yours, truly, ]. w. HoUGHToN.
Wellington, O., Aug. 10, 1882.