Middletown transcript., 1904-01-16
MIDDLE9owN, BEL, JAN. l6, 1904.
COMPLIMENTS

Commissioner Armstrong, in
accordance with his threat OF
last Thursday, "paid his COM
pliments" to the majority OF the
Levy Court, which had paid the
contractor for the repairs to the
Voshell mill dam. In the course
of his remarks, he stated that the
work was not done according to
the specifications, and accused
Commissioner Willis of being
related to the contractor. If this
is a sin or crime, Mr.. Willis is
guilty, but it is not his fault, as
he had no part in the selection OF
his relatives. But, if Mr.. Arm
strong intended to insinuate that
MIR. Willis was Influenced by
such relationship, we believe
that the people of his nelghbor-
hood know Mr.. Willis well
enough to repel the insinuation.
His whole course as a public Off
Ger and as a citizen are known,
and his friends have no fear OF
his being swayed in public affairs
by personal ties. Of the same
type is Mr.. Armstrong; state
ment that the six gentlemen who
united in a letter to the Levy
Court requesting that the Court
pay Mr.. Lockwood for the work
done were relations of Mr.. Lock
wood. The names signed to this
letter were Charles P. Cochran,
Richard R. Cochran, Samuel F.
Jones, Julian Cochran, Harry K.
Armstrong, and Daniel M. Coch-
ran. With the exception of the
last named none of these are re-
lated to Mr.. Lockwood. All are
Democrats except one and he is
a colored Republican, a large tax
payer and highly esteemed in
this vicinity. The same can be
said of the white men whose
names appear and who are among
the best known people of West
st. Georges Hundred.
AS to the charge that Mr..
Lockwood had not lived up to
the specifications, we have seen
the contract andquote therefrom:
"The said S. M. Lockwood, for
himself, his executors and ad-
ministrators, does covenant and
agree to and with the said Levy
Court Commissioners and their
successors at his own expense to
make certain improvements to
and about the mill dam road at or
near Voshell's mill in st. Georges
Hundred, by filling in, repairing
and building up the dam breast
in accordance with the annexed
proposal or specifications. F" Then
follows item as to completing
the work in As days. There is
also a condition that the money
($450 is to be paid "when and so
soon as the said material, work |
and repairs to the said dam breast
and mill dam road shall have |
beon furnished and the road in
spected and the work accepted
by the said Levy Court Commis-
sioners. Attached to the con-
tract is a clipping from the news
paper advertisement signed "J.
G.. Armstrong, Levy Court Com
missioner, asking for sealed pro-
posals "for the filling in with
earth the breaches in William H.
Voshell's mill dam in st. Georges
Hundred in accordance with a
bill passed at the last session of
the Legislature in relation to the
same. Breach No. 1 is about
forty (4O) feet long, nineteen (19
feet deep, entire width Of cause
way, to be filled two (2) feet above
level Of old dam, and to be twelve
(12) feet wide on top when COM
pleted. No. 2 is wash on side
of dam about forty-two az feet
long, four az feet wide and about
twelve 12) feet deep. No. 8
about twenty eight (28) feet long,
eight (s) feet wide and twelve (12)
feet deep, each to be filled in
same as No. l." The "bill (?)
passed at the last session Of the
Legislature" above referred to,
contains nothing in the nature of
specifica tions to be added to
those contained in the adver-
tisement. Therefore, all that
Mr.. Lockwood was required to
do, was to fill in the breach and
the two washes in the dam with
earth carrying the new work two
feet above the level of the old
dam and to a width of twelve feet
to the top. He did this and the
Levy Court as a body visited, in
spected and approved the work.
There is no word about the dam