Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-08-18
How the Iron Mountain Wa. ..sold. ;.

How the Iron Mountain Was ssSold."
Of all the dishonest, corrupt things done by
| the republicans in that golden period between
1Sj5 and 1870. truly golden period to republic
an legislators the action aiken with reference
to the ST. Louis & Iron Mountain railroad was
inc most outrageously culpable and completely
discredits all that part of Maj Warmers Soda
| la speech relating to the day of repu blican
RUE. plain statement of the facts, supple
| ln's7ted by the testimony OF republicans then
members OF the assembly is sufficient proof Of
| republican corruption and misgovernment.
Tie ST Louis s Iron Mountain Railroad Co
defaulted in payment Of interest maturing jan
| uary I, 1882 and the Cairo & Fulton on the in
tere5t falling due January l. 1850 The roads
are associated here because they were associ-
ated in the plans Of the thieves.
According to the terms of the mortgage to the
state, the Iron Mountain was sold September
%. 1865, and the Cairo & Fulton October l. 1885,
and both were purchased by the state for the
amount of the states lien Gov. Fletcher ap-
pointed b. G. Farrar, w. Watt and Charles
S Rankin to take charge of and operate these
roads for the state.
Under an act approved by Gov Fletcher the
roads were advertised by the above named
commissioners to be sold November II, 1866, the
purchasers to extend the Iron Mountain south
to intersect the Cairo & Fulton in three years
and to the Mississippi river, opposite Column
bus. KY, in five years: and the Cairo & Fulton
to be extended to intersect the Iron Mountain
in three years. Now for the records.
They show that on that day the following
bids for the Iron Mountain road alone were re-
ceived and opened:
Samuel ?. Dinsmore s. Co ............S.0 21 600
j. Z. fremont l,pOo,OD
J. A Sumner & Co NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 10000
Southwest Missouri Railroad Co... $4,000
a J. Mckay and others so, 900
Separate bids were made for the Cairo s. Full
ton, which was then separate and distinct
property, as follows:
Southwest Missouri Railroad Co ....-...s 81 0,00)
j. A Sumner & Co. Observation-Disclosures 1'C.o
Joseph G.. Read and others. ........-... 80, 300
Two of the commissioners, Farrar and Wall,
awarded the Iron Mountain road to the lowest
bidder. a J. Mc<sy and others al $3.50, 00) the
three joined in the award of the Cairo & Fulton
to Joseph c.. Read and others at t35J,OoO and
Gov Fletcher approved both awards The re-
publican legislature had authorized and ap-
proved some very strange financial operations
in regard to the releasing OF the states lien
railroad property, but this action of the COM
mjSsioners in awarding AMI that of Gov.
Fletcher in approving the sale of the Iron
Mountain to the lowest and worst bidder,
a new departure, and n committee was APP
pointed by the house at the regular session of
the Twenty fourth general assembly to inveSti-
gate it
RcttennesS Unearth ed by the Investigation
The republican committee, OF which Hon
James c. McGinnis, of ST Louis was chairman
as appears on page 63J house journal of regular
session in 1867, took large amount of teSti-
mony and reported to the house the conclusions
reached therein, to wit: That Mr.. DinsmOre
and his associates were ready to carry out their
bid had the road been awarded to them at ST.
O21, 0l0 which was $4,000 more than the sum