The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-02-10
ees, and 161a per cent. interest on total

The ditch not being nearly completed
at time of making up the ditch dupli-
cate, Gt is not done yeti the Auditor
had to estimate as nearly as possible
what would be the entire cost of the
same and put each mans proportion on
for his tax. Thus, if the Engineers
report. as approved by the Commission
ers, showed that the ditch would cost
81 900, and your apportionment was
800, Auditor would put you on the
duplicate for 10 per cent. of what he
estimated the entire cost would be.
Under the usual orders by the Board
you would be given five years to pay
this in, % per cent. the first year, 30
per cent. the next three years. At the
end of the fourth year, all bills being in,
the Auditor would sum up all the items
of expense, deduct from it the collec-
tions for the four years, and collect
enough to pay the remainder.
ANY person who is taxed on a ditch
can see at any time. just how much has
been collected on the ditch, what each
man has paid, and the amount to cent
that the ditch has cost, and who got it..
Mr.. CHM labors under the belief that
he can fool the people all the time. He
states that he builds pixies and bitches
l CAC-b OACaROk UudA ally OGu6E 6u.
gineer. The tax payers on these bitches
know this is not SO; He is building the
Zanesfeld depot pike, little over z, Zoo
this pike, considerably less that half 9
mile, at over $4,000. The construction
alone he estimated at $2,7O0, and il
looked very much as if he had it ar
ranged to sell it for some 2,5OO.
The Commissioners at the last mo
ment found that Mr.. McKittrick, VIII,
was doing contracting under Mr.. CHM
had had no notice of the sale. and go
him to attend the sale. Mr. CLARK, an
other contractor who had had no notice
came into the Auditors Office just befor
the sale and the Auditor induced hin
; to go in and bid, helping to raise the So
deposit necessary. Mr.. Clark ran tn
bidding down to $1,O15, and Mr. Nc
Kittrick got it at 81 900, over 81, 700 les
than Engineer Ginn's estimate. TIL
Middleburg pike, which was stopped b,
injunction, was estimated nearly a
high per mile. The Greenville Treat,
| pike built by CHM has already beel
shown up as rotten, and am told tina
; instead of five inches OF gravel that tn
contract called for to be put on tn
crushed stone on the EARLY pike, tn
contractor was allowed to put severa
; inches of clay from the side ditch o.
the stone and whitewash it with gravel
The gravel had to be hauled long dis
; tance from up in Hardin county.
His explanation of his misconduct il
the limiting of the stone bids in th
Middleburg pike to a Bellefontain
firm is not true and if the pike had no
been stopped by injunction the matte
would have been shown up.
5l In the McCleary ditch, the farmer
interested complained to me that he ha
charged for % days work, when he had onl
put in six days or so. told them to lay tn
matter before the Commissioners, and
, that was so, to refuse to pay 1t, but they di
' not have the nerve of the Union townshi
z farmers.
DI did not know whether it was so bad
not, but they were men whose word col
, sidered good. Ever since he took his ofiG
2 have been bothered with complaints that
had no means of knowing the truth of, bl
} from men that satisfied me he is not At f
CHM, personally. He is the cleverest fello
in the world. II you want the farm next
promise to get it for you in two weeks, an
forget 1T in two minutes. He accuses me
prosecuting him because I have told hil
some plain truths, and because l hay
blocked some of his games. / urged I'll
Commissioners not to appoint him Engines
> on the Red Slough ditch, not because Of pc
q sonal feeling, but because / felt sure
would get them into trouble.
On the Renick ditch he has cost the coul
D ty hundreds and the taxpayers on the ditc
' thousands of dollars above the contra,
: price.
The Brandywine is another sample, an
E | the Blain ditch another and there are otl
r ers. As a sample of his cheap ditch work
a would only mention the Antrim ditc
Uriah Mann has cleaned out this ditch thrt
3 times for about what Mr.. CHM charges fl
8 one time.
J The Auditor is constantly being impo
o tuned and sued to hold back money elaine
9 to be due from Mr.. CHM to contractors an
other parties. Contractors come in an
a complain that they are unable to get the
forfeit money back that they posted at ditc
sales.
n | Last Spring Joseph Brubaker, Treasure
. of Stokes township, bid off section of
ditch but did not get his forfeit back. Late
] he took a job of finishing up a contract
| d. B. Bayer for $74. When the work ws
completed he sent in by John BOgart for h
, money and also a demand for his $40 forte
9 money. Mr.. Bogart brought him back tt
, money for the ditch, and also his forte
, money, and he supposed everything was a
l right. But on settlement with Mr.. Bayer
was found that the Engineers estimate, ii
z stead of being for s74 was sS5, and Mr.. Br,
? baker, instead of receiving his $40 forte
money out of Mr.. Ginn's pocket had $1l b.
9 longing to Bayer.
, Very Respectfully,
r. G. ID. CAMPBELL.