The Opelousas courier., 1904-01-16
BLAwHARDs THRILLING ESCAPE BY THE COTTON BELT ROUTE, AS RELATED BY HIMSELF:

ry to defendants was $5,901.07. The
eases were taken to the Supreme
Court and the judgments sustained.
We do not known what fee was paid
for their services in these cases, but
certainly not less than TO per cent of
the amount of the judgments, or $780,
OF, more than he amount which Mr..
Blanchard was afterwards condemn
ed to pay on the bond.
RICHLY REPAID.
Of course we can only surmise as
to the amount of fees received. 1t is
probable, however, that no fees were
charged or received, but the Cotton
Belt from the first paid its attorneys
a fixed salary, as is customary with
railway companies. If such is the
case, one hundred dollars a month or
twelve hundred a year would be a
low salary. Taking the date Of the
bond as he beginning of his attorney
ship, May Z, 1887, it will be seen that
he represented the Cotton Belt nearly
ten years, and putting the salary at
100000 the firm received $11,900.0 90.
Assuming that Mr.. Blanchard shared
equally with his partner, he has re-
ceived from the Cotton Belt railway
SIS, 10000 {. His share of the bond was
only $536.46 (half Of which was no
doubt paid by his associate if at alb
yet he has the temerity to say that he
refused to subscribe to the school tax
because his fellow-townsmen had not
yet caught up with him in his munifi-
cent donations to the cause Of public
improvement.
AS ATTORNEY OR CITIZEN.
If we have misquoted facts, the rec
ord will show it. lie we are wrong in
our surmises Of the amount Of money
received by the Judge in fees or sala-
ny from the railway company, he can
give us the exact figures, also the ex-
act amount actually paid by him in
dividually, if anything, to the rail-
way company. His fellow-townsmen
would like also for him to tell them
whether at. the time Of signing the
bond his firm was not the retained
counsel for the railway company, and
if not, how it happens that the bond.
is on record in his own hand writing?
Is it not a fact, then, that he acted
for the railway company instead of
the ciizensq
OTHER BONDSMEN PAID TAX.
Judge Blanchard does not name the
other gentlemen who a private cit
not interested as attorneys for
Of the ten other parties to the
bond, one, N. Gregg & Son, had left
the state, and two others had no tax
able property in the city when the
tax was collected. A. Currie, Jno. r.
Jones, w. B. Jacobs, S. G.. Dreyfus &
Co., composed of S. G. Dreyffus and
Isaac Barron, Henry Forshem and
G. II. Minge & Co, paid their pro rata
of the bond, but when the school tax
proposed they did not dodge be-
nind the judges fimsy, hinty excuse,
but gladly gave their portion in aid of
5he cause Of public education. And
let it be borne in mind that none of
gentlemen have ever received a
sent from the Cotton Belt, nor have
fed for twenty odd years at the
crib. These are the kind Of men
hat Caddo loves to honor.
LAST TAX.
To show his friendliness to public
,ducation, in his Jewella speech the
Judge says: when the petition for a
,peeial tax Of $4,000 for school pur-
,oses was presented to me two years
lgoA signed it willingly. for the con-
sIdons That existed on the first occa-
ion did not then exist We ag1ee
With him that the conditions we're
hanged. on the first occasion he was
defeated candidate for the United
;tateg Senate, on the latter he was an
spirant for the Goyernorship. Fur
her the first tar was purely volunta-
v, no one who did not subscribe hav-
az to pay the second was q 1sgal tar,
rhich having carried By q lority
ote, every one had to pay. H would
ave gained nothing by voting gainst
|, as the sentiment ii favol bf the
was almost unanisnd s
But what the Judge Ans, Of
curse, is that be was no longer sew
raj laps ahead il the matter Of con- J,
Iibnting 10 public enterprises that
| last bis felloW-citizens haa reach
! bib plane Of hlic stance. /