Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-01-20

mediately preceding the
present administration the
ratio OF extraordinary and
ordinary working expenses
to receipts was.......-......-61.69 per cent.
Ordinary alone ..............64.67 per cent.
For the eighteen months next
preceding the middle period
the ratio of extraordinary
and ordinary working ex-
penses was. .........."68.61 per cent.
Ordinary alone .................56.4 per cent.
"As regards the condition of the canal
then and now, the engineers report shows
that in July, 1870, it required ST., 500 to put
it in condition, and the report of the same
engineer shows that only $25, 000is required
to place it in the same, or better order now"
"The total amount of payments to bond
holders made by all administrations of the
canal in fifteen years from 1854 TO Deem
Der, 1869, was one hundred and fifteen thou
sand eight hundred and sixty-one dollars
and twenty nine cents. The amount of in
debtedness paid by the present administra-
ton in fifteen months, between July, 1870,
and November, 1871, is four hundred and
forty-one thousand three hundred and thirty
three dollars, and there are now in the canal
treasury, drawing interest, over eighty three
thousand dollars, to be expended during the
winter, and, after the water shall have been
let off, in repairing and altering the canal"
My term as governor having expired short
ly after the delivery of the message here
quoted from, my connection with the canal
ceased, and Mr.. Clarke shortly after retired
from the presidency, because Gov. Whyte
did not feel justified in continuing to pay the
salary necessary TO retain him, or to accept
the offer of the bondholders to themselves
pay the difference in salary to continue Mr..
Clarke's services; which he also hesitated
to accept, as paid by private parties to sala-
ried state officer.
Mr.. Clarke was shortly after called to the
presidency of the Illinois Central Railroad
Company at salary of $4,000, which, and
over, he has commanded ever since.
The result of his presidency of two years,
Ybey ono WRIT L nave uIentienei, was to'DfnfE
the bonds of the canal, which, when he was
appointed, were freely hawked about al
twenty five cents in the dollar without pur.
chasers, up to one hundred in the dollar, and
although | was in private life, General
Brown lin Mr.. Germans presidency wrote
me very kind letter thanking me for hav
ing appointed him director, congratulate
ing me upon the success accomplished, and
notifying me of his intended resignation, as
he had sold all his large holdings Of canal
bonds at their face value. Mr.. Corcoran
had previously retired, because of his age
not allowing him to take the active part he
thought he should in the management; and
at his written request to me, Gen. James. G.
Berret, of Washington city, had been ap.
pointed as his successor to represent the
bondholders, and has, l believe, been con-
tinued in the board to this day.
These facts and figures being undisputed
in 1879, and equally true now, what truth
there is in Judge Bouic's insane charge that
'there had been no proper management of
the canal since Colonel Spates' presidency"
which preceded Mr.. Clarke's, and how un-
just his other charges are, l submit to the
public to determine.
ODEN BOWIE.