Year: 1861

MARYsvILLE, Jan. 18th, 1861.


have Iust received the following com
muuication from Messrs. Lowery and Fou-
shce, majority of the Board of Trustees Of
the State Reform School:


WHEREAS, We the undersigned, members of
the Board of Trustees of the estate Reform
School" having become satisfied that Nelson
Wescoatt, the acting Architect and Superin-
tent of the State Reform School Building, is
unable to perform the duties tdevolving apon
him by law as such Architect and Superin-
tendent; therefore be it


RsSoigsd, That the said Wescoat be, and
he is hereby discharged from said office cf
Architect and Superintendent for inability to
perform the duties of the same, to take effect
from and after this date, Jan. 10Th, 1861.


JOHN LowERY,


II S. FoUsHEE,


Trustees State Reform School.


Attest A true copy.


IL. S. FoUsHEE, Sec'y


Being present at the above named meeting
at 10 clock, A. NJ, according to appoint
ment, the above named gentlemen requested
me to resign my office as Architect, or they
would proceed to discharge me forthwith. l
demanded the cause for this course on their
part, and wished to know in what the "in-
ability consisted They refused to give me
any direct answer but said that they were
satisfied that could not be there all the
time on account of the duties of my office Of
Surveyor and Engineer. i informed them
that l had employed deputy to attend to
all those duties, and that directed all my
time to furthering the erection of said build
ing; that had been at the building every
day since the first brick was laid, and that |
had spent from two to six hours each day in
assisting to get the building started as re-
quired by the plans and specifications. |
also asked them to give me time to bring the
Foreman of the work, or the Contractor, and
let them state whether had not done every.
thing that could have been done by any per
son to further the work, and also to have it
done strictly according to contract. But this
they refused me. They coolly informed me
that the "matter had gone too far, and we
must go through with it now," from which |
was forced to conclude that the whole thing
had been cut and dried for the OCCASION
that they had decided to remove me without
cause, or without giving me an oppor unity
to refute their groundless charges And fur
ther, that they had agreed upon my success.
sor, and that all that had to do was to step
out, and let their favorite "outsider" step in.
Now, for such men as John Lowery aad ii.
). Foushee to decide on the ability or in
ability OF an Engineer or an Architect to do
this thing or that thing, think will appear
to any person knowing them, perfectly ri
diculous, and particularly in this case when
we consider that the latter gentleman has not
been on the site of the Reform School but
once, aud that before there was brick
moulded and long before the contract was
signed. And as to the former individual.
Notwithstanding he is the Superintendent of
the Board, he has not been at the Building
but once since the foundation was laid and
then he was there on other business than that
connected with his office of Trustee or Super.
intendent | say when such men, under snch
circumstances, take it into their heads to de-
eide on the merits or dement's of the me-
chanic, architect or engineer, and thev do
decide without cause or without foundation
in truth, as they did in the above case,
think 1t is high time for me TO Secede-not
from the United States, but from the Board
of Trustees of the State Reform School and
l take this opportunity to state to the pub
ic-and particularly to the citizens of Marys-
ville-that ! shall no longer operate with
men that have proved themselves SO devoid
OF principle and honor as they have done in
this case much regret that l am COM
PEELED to take this course, for | feel deep
interest in the success of the School and in
the early completion of the Building. | have
at all times used my best endeavors to pro-
mote the above object, and have within the
last week used my private means to buy ma
terial to keep the Building from coming to
dead stand lowing to the assessment not be-
ing pald-cause, empty Treasury But
cannot condescend to cooperate with men
who have strayed so far from the path of
rectitude as they have done in the present
transaction. Therefore, | shall wash my
hands-cleansfng them from any impurities
consequent upon remaining some nine months
in such company. In being thus forced to
resign my position, l mustconfess that it is
something like leaving ship adrift upon the
ocean, half manned, poorly provisioned and
without rudder or compass; and the only
eonsolatory reflection that have as see her
drifting ont on the mighty deep is that of the
captain, who, after his mutinous crew de-
prive him of his vessel, watches the noble
craft disappear in the distance and consoles
himself with the reflection that they have no
further use for honorable men.


NELSON WRscoATT.


N B.-I have just learned that Mr.. j. b.
Mcdonald has been appointed to fill my
place. The injustice of the whole matter will
now fully appear, when it is generally known
that Mr.. Mcdonald is not, nor don't pretend
to be practical Architect, and never has
figured as such. N, W.


TIE OLD HuNrER=The Cnrnner,s Inru In