The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-09-27

grand jury is mistaken as to the
amount Of the note, the same
being for $2300.00 and not SOU
When this note was given, tins
same gentleman who was EN-
ployed by the grand jury as cS.
pert to examine into the RECORDS
Of the county, was clerk OF the
board of County Commissioners
It was his duty to make proper
entry Of this outstanding note
and this it seems, he failed to
We were aware however, al
along, Of the existence of The
note. it's terms, when payable, tc
whom ETC.. as we had other mem
oranda showing the existence o:
the said note. We desire *
state for the information Of the
grand jury and for this Honora
Bile court, that this note was
given on the 25th day Of Octo
Der, 1904, bearing date that day,
payable January goth, 1906, in.
terest after maturity, to Good
Roads Machinery Company OF
Kennet's square, Pa, for the
sum of S25O0.O0 and was the pur,
chase price of one traction en-
cine. to be used in the place OF
mules, with which to pull road
building machinery, and also
covering the purchase price for
six rock cars, to be used in
building causeways. This note
is not yet due and we expect to
meet its payment when the same
become due.
V. Replying to so much of the
grand jury's presentment as
States that the road engine above
mentioned was out of fix, we beg
leave to state that sometime af-
ter we received this engine, and
had used it, portions oft became
out of fix. which is no unusual
thing in the operation of ma
chinery. We endeavored to get
the parts necessary to make the
repairs, but found at the time,
that the factory which made the
engine was burned, and we had
to wait some little time before
we could get the parts to make
the necessary repairs. The fact
that the engine was in the
weather. did not hurt it in any
way, and we had no convenient
place of keeping it at that time.
This engine has since been re
paired and we are now using it
successfully and advantageously
on the county's roads.
VI. Replying to paragraph s
of the grand jury's presentment,
we note that we are charged
with handling the county's money
in an "unbusiness-like, careless
and extravagant manner. In
order that we may reply to this
general charge against US, it
will be necessary, for your Hon
or's intelligent enlightenment
and understanding, that we go
somewhat generally into details
concerning the county's affairs.
It is a fact and necessarily so,
that the largest expenditures of
the county's funds applied to any
one source or branch of the coun-
tvs affairs, are made in main
tanning and keeping up Of coun-
ty roads and bridges. All Of
these matters we have been in
the custom of keeping under the
head of one general account, all
claims. OF course. when the same
are presented to US, showing
specifically and accurately what
the claim is made for, the date
of the services rendered, etc.
This chaingang account includes
the hire of guards, the purchase
of provisions and supplies for
convicts and guards and mules,
and in such purchasing, we have
always used the best business
judgement and tact thatwe could.
It has been our custom to award
contracts every three months to
the lowest bidder for supplying
these provisions. We usually
receive bids from the merchants
in the town of Manning who deal
in such articles. and award the
contract to the lowest bidder af-
ter an actual calculation based
upon the prices furnished, and
then the supplies are furnished
for three months at those prices.
Upon an actual calculation made,
covering several months IN the
past. we find that we have been
able to feed the convicts and
guards at an average price of
from $3.50 to $3.50 per head per
month. Up to a short time past
it was necessary for US to employ
three men to act as guards and
superintendent in carrying on
the work Of the County Chain
gang. These were employed at
salaries as follows: One at S35.0 90
per month, one at $4,000 and one
at $500 per month. In pur-
chasing hay and grain for the
chaingang mules, it has been our
custom to buy the same in car
load lots and pay only brokerage
commissions. In regard to the
purchase Of lumber for the coun-
rvs hri1p pac 1yo 6oSira To state