The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-05-15
A VERY QUEER SUIT.
Dr., Towne Threatens to Sue
Hon, chauucey N, Depew
FOR ALLEGED ASSISTANCE
Rendered Him While Preparing his
Centennial oratIon-Depew says
the BILL is Exhorbltant, aud Is
Amused ut the Matter.

I
cey NJ. Depew, whose Centennial Grafton
is still the subject OF comment, shall
send his check for $500 to Rev. DR., Ed
ward O, Towne, late Of Cambridge, Mass,
but now Of Washington, In payment for
literary labor expended, upon Mr., De-
pew's written order, in preparing mate
rial for that Grafton, DR.. Towne declares
he will Immediately bring suit for $1,000
and use every honorable means to re-
cover that amount,
DR.. Towne was member Of DIR. De-
pew's class OF SO, in Yale College, and
since graduation the two gentlemen have
keptup their acquaintance, DR.. Towne
is a scholar OF reputation, having been
engaged in literary research and compi.
lation for more than twenty-five years
in the service Of the leading publishers
Of the country. On March l0Dr, Towne
received the following letter from DR.,
Depew:
MY DEAR DocToRj-on my return TO New
York from An extended trip in the West find
your letter addressed 10 me ut Washington, ]
regret very much that l was unable to go 10 the
Inauguration ceremonies and missed you. AN
delighted that you are having success iIl what
ever you may be Vt, and hope that you will com
| mAnd me for any help that | can render. Here
"a matter In which you can help me. ] aln to
deliver tho Oration on tho Centennial OF the In,
AuguratiOfOi Of the first President OF the United
States, on tho 8oth Of April. ! hRyeas yet done
ration. feel that with ali the cares and work
which deyOlyC on me In my business am really
ll AOme peril about tho operation TheoccHslOp,
Of course, IL u great one wish yNu would, in
your own way, abstract iaou tho Congressional
| Library, or other sources, such facts or EnggeS
tonS In regard to the occasion As would appear
To you TO be useful " me. desire to make It
matter Oi business aud 10 compensate you, Of
course, properly for your work.
Upon this statement DR.. Towne says
he put aside everything else and gave
thirty-two days OF unremiLting hard
work, until he received note, April II,
from Mr.. Depew, saying, ut will be un!
necessary to go any further in your ex-
aminations." at
Concerning this note DR.. Towne says;
"Dr, Depow wrote these last words that
| was still going on with work for him
and that had been from March and ne
very well knew that l had been hard at
work for large and thorough results, l
had gotfro him $50 on account TO cover
cash advances | had to make, but other
wise had not been paid anything. ! sent
him a bill and a second letter OF urgent
request, and he then sent a telegram
April 28, saying that he did not want |
any Of my results, and that he would |
write as soon as the centennial exercises |
were over. DR.. Depew waited until May
4 and then wrote letter, in which he
said in regard to the work which he
asked me 10 do and that which he him
aelf did, In lieu Of dependenceo on mine:
could easily have had II done here for s2j, but |
and could easily gather the facts, and expected |
whether they were oi value Or,IlOt 70 Seud you |
check for $40. lnade all the reseerclpa myself
IN three evenings and part Of Spudlyl ] found |
no ilGlc9lty in That lime Ia going through the
entire history Of the period. lnErcgard 10 my |
claim 70 have done; r is wG1 rot iot o1t lie
once, hut purely 10 Wow Of them IEill send
you my check for $3.50 more making tho amount |
iaut you 500, But do this providing ! hear |
from you that on reflection you arc entirely sat-
isiled with lheTcsult |
"Mr. Depew knows perfectly well,n
continues DR.. Towne, "that have done
50 days solid work in good faith upon his
appeal 10 me on March 0, and have laid
out over $50 on the work. He has sent
me $50, and he states that but for our
lifelong relations he would leave me less
than $50 TO pay for tho work, The in.
dignity and Outrage OF his proposals led |
me TO use reflection for charging him
s., 500 for my work, as my hote Of May
0 has informed him, aud to sue him for |
that sum II cannot otherwiseCollec it,
Mr.. Depew was found at his residence |
and was told the story Of Dr. Towne, his
claim and his threat. "sothe Doctor has
commenced bis war on me, has he?"
rThen you know DR.. Towne and ex.
pepted something from ihimY" was
asked.
"Yes," he replied, "the Doctor and l |
were classmates at Yale together. While |
I was thinking Of my Centennial ora. !
ton had letter from him stating that
he was in Washington, andl asking for
assistance. Thought he mightlhelp me |
in gathering The data that ! wanted in |
the Congressional Library and from
other sources In Washington which
could not find in the books / had gather.
ed. told him would compensate him
for his work. have received nothing |
from him except the ordinance OF 1857
and a sketch Of the life Of Richard
Henry Lee. went on and wrote my
Grafton and informed hinit was finished,
whereupon ] received an exhofbitant
bill $500 from him, he claiming he was
entitled to " for his work, although he
had not sent mo pything, heCauseq I had
stopped him with the Information that
my grafton was finished before he had
had time TO compile and digest his work.
l refused TO pay tho bill; though, on ae-
count OF our old relations, wrote him l
was willing to compensate him for his
mistake. He then wrote me II, ], did
not sepdhim 81 800 by last Thursday he
would try the case in the newspapers
and subsequently In tho courts. / con.
cluded az once the best thing for me 10
do was to let him 20 ahead"
Mr.. Depew was not overpleased With
the prospect Of a controversy with his
old Bchoolfellow, yet could not repress
Chuckle at its ludiCrous features.
A WESTERN ROOM,