The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-19
BELIAIRR's PIXIES,

An ugly Tpnglp Reing Unrnvelsd BY the
! Comfy Commits 1hsTs over the River,
For some time past there have been
ugly rumors OF great discrepancies be-
tween the amount Of stone put upon
the new pixies now being built by
Bellaire and Pultnsy township, and
these rgmors took the form OF testi-
mony before the county commissioners
at the Belmont house in Bellaire yester-
day, Commissioners w. S. MeChem,
Miles r, Hart and silas Bailey sat as a
courtot inquiry, with President Mechem
presiding. They were accompanied by
auditor Joseph "A, Henderson, who Is
clerk OF the board, and Prosecuting At
torney Hollingsworth, Dewitt Danford,
Esq, was also present as attorney Tor
Engineer Dawson, who is superintend-
ent Of construction OF the pixies under
contracts made by the county COM
missipners,
The inquiry was commenced by the
presentation OF a petition in Which
charges OF gross Encouragement are
made, and also the allegation that but
ST., 900 Of the $4,000 appropriated for
the pixies Ia lett, and that the bridge
work and culveFts will cost $40, 900 addi-
tIonal, and asking that the management
be changed at once. Accompanying
this was several attidavits, one by Geo.
NJ. Wise reclting that he had called En-
gineer Dawson's attention to the fact
that the boxes at the stone crusher
(which held u yard and a hall when fill.
cd were not filed, and that the required
amount Of stone was not being put upon
the road, ETC., etc. one by O. O, Tarbet
who said he had seen the boxes at the
crusher on his place hundred tlmes
and only saw two full ones; one by ]. II.
Day who said he had called William
Drugan'a attention to the fact that the
boxes lacked five and six inches Of be.
Ing full. Drugan was employed by the
engineer and, commissioners to watch
the interests OF the county crushers.
John s. Keyser said he saw many boxes
and had only seen four full ones,
Then the compiainanla offered testi-
mony as TO why Mr., Dawson should be
removed as superintendent, and George
NJ. Wise, ]. II, Day, William McFar.
land, William Humes, Alex Nef, Frank
NeR and Mr.. Futhey, OF Mead town,
ship, all gave testimony. Mr.. Neh said
that he had sold stone In the quarry to
the contractors for section six Of the
pixies, and that the records show that
about 1000 yards more were paid for on
that section than he received pay for as
having been taken from his quarry,
The contractors say they got the balance
OF the stone out OF the creek bed for
section six, though they offered no testi-
mony yesterday at all,
No examination whatever was made
by any one but the compliments, and
they were given full scope. The wit
nesses were examined by George NJ.
Wise and James NJ. Anderson In turn,
and the complaints assumed rather a
serious aspect in some respects.
1t is claimed by persons on the inside
and who know whereof they speak that
II the allegations OF the complainants
ore true that more stone has been paid
for than received, either through de-
ceiVing the engineer or connivance with
the county's guardians at tho stone
crusher. or in any other way not lawful,
that the contractors and their bonds
men are responsible for the overpay,
and that the amount can be recovered,
but as only one side Of the case has yet
been heard in the way decided, this Is
mere speculation. The commissioners
finished the examination here yester-
day evening, and adjourned to meet ut
st. Clairsville January 80.
It but justice TO Engineer Dawson
to say that he has superintended the
building Of about all the pixies buili by
this county for a long term Of years
and has never experienced any trouble
before, save that at the last county con-
vention that nominated county sur
veyor he was defeated for renomina-
ton by disgruntled contractors who
chad It in for him." What the result
will be OF the present controversy can
only be determined whom the testimony
is oil in.