1.11.XJ X JJXtXXJL ?J U JLtVJI UUUi.li.Ull).
131
Mr. Emtor: The article in your paper of
the 11th Aug., making som strictures upon
trie course ot Major vvoou m wierence to the
disposal of the public ftl ids in his hands,
iriay have the effect intended to jn-ctent a
wrong. The press is looked to for pubUc in
formation, and when wrongs are about to be
committed by a public officer a warning to
the people through it may enable them
protect themselves in time. The Major has
replied to that article and treats me as the
writer. That is all right.
In the outset, I will say that I extremely
regret the necessity of a controversy with
him. He says that I am actuated by per
sonal ill will towards him, and am aiming
at political effect. He is entirely mistaken
in that view. My sole object is to have him
do right with the funds in his hands. If he
is disposed to turn the controversy I have
with him as county commissioner into a per
sonal matter, I do not know that I can help
it. Whenever and as often as he attempts
to do acts as county commissioner that are
illegal and unjust, and prejudicial to my
rights, I shall resist him or any other man
who attempts them, let personal relations be
what they may. In my strictures on his
conduct, I have called things by their right
names, and have intended nothing more. I
have paid but little attention to the cultiva
tion of the art of saying one thing and mean-
ing another, and therefore hope the Mujor
I 1 1 1 1 ; a" x a. T
rfnK- is sufficient mnnf of the necrssi t v nf
tile public understanding the true state of
the case. If the people of Perrysburg con-!
eider it any object to have 731 expended for
the benefit of this road in their township
now is the time to pitch in while the Major
rides at anchor. If we neglect to protect
ourselves, who will do it lor us?
wilinot draw on his imagination that I mean
any more or worse than I say.
In his attempt at reply he pronounces my
article a " whole tissue of misrepresenta
tions,'' and then apparently forgets himself
and attempts to avoid it by several special
pleas, and then starts off upon a run, crying
ctop thief, and " if you pleas, between Esq.
Way's farm and town," and the like. I ad
yiit I wrote that article, and I hold myself
ready to prove to the tax payers on the Mc
Cutchensville road, whenever it becomes ne
cessary, the truth of what is there stated,
and also the truth of the facts that 1 may
state in this communication. I will begin
by asserting that every cent of the jSlcCutch
ensvillt road fund now in the treasury, in law
and justice uhould be expended in Perrysburg
township. But Major Wood, in our private
conversations, has told me that he must
spend most of it near the Ten Mile House
that the people of Perrysburg are able to re
pair the road in their township without it.
Being desirous to bring the Major to anchor
and have an investigation of the matter be
fore it would be too late, was the inducement
to write the article in question. His own
The Major, in his reply, seems to reason
that because the McCutchensville road was
.once a state road, no part of it can ever be
anything else. If he will take the trouble
to acquaint himself with the history of this
road, he will find that it was originally es-in
tablished as a state road Irom Perrysburg to
McCutchensville. That subsequently, in
in order to provide means to construct that
portion of it between Indiana Avenue, in
Perrysburg, and the south line of Freedom
township, the citizens of Perrysburg procur
ed the passage of an act providing for a spe
cial tax on a contiguous district of country,
including the town of Perrysburg. After the
passage of that act, and I think in the same
year, a general free turnpike law was passed.
The county commissioners then in office,
having charge of the construction of this
road, and the auditor, were governed by this
free turnpike act, so far as the same was ap
plicable. The act providing for the construc
tion of the tindlay road, was passed the
same year, and that road was also subjected
to the earne government. All which will
I appear from records in the auditor's office.!
to'sou
In 1850 there was an amendment to the free
turnpike act, (and a very wise on too) re
quiring all the moneys collected on free turn
pike roads to be expended in the townships
where collected. These, laws and proceed
ings under them made that portion of the
ate
j road between Indiana Avenue and the
h line of Freedom township a free turn-
j
Kvith Maior Wood in reference to that fund
. J . . . . . ...'!
nikft mnrl in flip nP in whtrh tliPV nrn mi.!
derstood, ond subject to the amended clause!
of the free turnpike act. Maior Wood is the!
first man, to my knowledge, who has ever!
disputed it.
If he should attempt to expend the money
on hahd in Montgomery or Perry townships.
there not be a dust kicked lip at once?!
Yet it would be no more illegal and unjust
to do that than to do as he now proposes i
to expend it in Wrebster township. It is I
un awful and wronsr to do either. 1 be eve.;
on the verbal statement of the county audi
tor, it is admitted on all hands that a great
deal more money has been collected in the
township of Perrysburg than has been ex
pended therein. I think it safe to say that
in the town of Perrysburg alone, nearly as
much has been collected as has been expend-;
ed in the town and township together. If
any one doubts these statements, the proof
in the books at the auditor's office,
In personal interviews that I have had
I have presented to him facts something like!
the following: That by the construction of,
the McCulchensville road, water is brought
from a great distance south to and emptied
into Crane Creek by the construction of ai
side drain. From this side of that point,
the water is taken into the main branch 0f
Creek, cutting across the south branch1
South Boundary street, and carrying
water along. That in high water, the road
South Boundary street and adjoining!
land are overflowed. That Crane Creek some-!
times vises so high as to empty its waters
the way of the road ditches into GrassyCreck,
and that the waters in Grassy Creek at the
time overflow the road and adjoining'
lands, and even run in the road ditches into
Third street in Perrysburg. That near the
school house the road has very much settled
the ditches become partly filled up,
that stagnant water remains there some time
after a rain, to the detriment of the health
the near inhabitants. I have solicited
him to repair the road near the school house!
and at Grassv Creek; to make a side drain
South Boundary street, (probably along
the south side of the street is the. nronerim
I nlnr.p.. snffinipn t tr carrv rvfF Mir nrnnpr sharp,
of water that should be discharged down the!
south branch. I have also called his alten-
tion to the necessity of extending the outlet
,i down Crane Creek. I have done this to show
;
him the necessity of using the money on:
hand in Perrvsbnrg townshin. and aemmint
him with our wants. To all of which
replied as I have above stated.
One of the Major's special pleas why he
should not make a side drain at South Boun
dary street is, that it will cost three or five
hundred dollars to do it. If he is in earnest
that assertion, he is either not familiar
. with the cost of that kind ot work, onsen-
i
tirely unacquainted with the ground.
hundred dollars will accomplish all that is
required lor that place.
By way of special plea, he again says, that
no loss has accrued by his delay in not let
ting out jobs before this time, because the
summer has been so wet that no work could
have been done. This plea is like the Tex
ian's for never having a roof on his house.
I have been credibly informed and believe,
that one or both the supervisors in Perrys
burg have been kept back for a long time in
their work, waiting to know what Major
Wood will do on the road near the school
house, so that they can apportion their work
according to what they have to do. lhey
i know that that piece of road should be re
paired by them if he does not do it. The
road l'iere and at Grassy Creek and the ground
at South Boundary street, have been in good
condition to work for some time.
There is one more special plea that I must
notice, as he introduces it with a flourish of
trumpets as though it would triumphantly
sustain him and knock me into BlackSwamp.
jife says that he has made a proposition to
the owners of lands on Grassy Creek, that if
! road Pitches shall be discharged as near as
it LT. iL. t 1 i ... I. ......
they will do SO Blld SO, he will do SO and SO.
uiul w'Ul nis trumpeters at their posts, asks
that f he living ten miles irom Perrysburg
can cl so rnuc" lor 'issy Ureek, what will
Ksq. Way as director in the plank road do ?
Gracious "Heavens ! Is he about to kill the
Sood Pe0Pl " Grassy Creek with his liberal
would Uy. provided they furnish him the means to
do il ? MaPr I will accept your challenge
011 lhe following conditions. And as we
bolh profess to be governed by that code of
nonor Known 10 miiuia omcers, l uusi mere
will be no backing out. The conditions are
these : If the directors in the plank road com
pany think proper to divide the funds on
hand between themselves for expenditure, I
will put my share to deepening the outlet
drain on the Skinner farm, and extend it far
enough into Crane Creek to clear the water
from the plank road at that point. I will
jals0 deepen and extend the Devil s Hole out
is let far enough to clear the water from the
: roatl at lnat P01nt so tnat tlie water 111 the
practicable into trie natural streams where
the water hY natue 3 wont to flow. By
doing ?o, I can help the people on Grassy
, Cre,el the m03 effectual way. INow you
raake lhe sie ral at South Boundaiy street,
i and extend sufficiently the outlet ditch into
i Crane Creek, and we shall obviate the neces
Grassy Slfr.v of doing anything on our part in our re
near UsjSpecUve official capacities towards clearing
out tlie main Grassy Creek. These improve
near men Is would be what ." Black Swamp" calls
rnmnS water down hlU according to law,
yttin8 the creeks and drying the roads and
lands. If you please, "just stick a pin there,
As to the bridSe fund, I have never claim
same ed but what the commissioners can spend it
anywhere in the county they please. But I
jd claim that the interests of those who pay
the taxes "Sht t0 be consulted in the expen
and So!diture- If one. township pays more taxes
than another, its interests and wants are
probably greater and therefore should be con
of sidered. There may however be cases, and
they frequently occur, where il is right and
I proper to expend all the bridge fund collect
near ed 111 several townships to build a large bridge
one township. In such cases, it 18 sup-
posed that all the townships have an infer
est m that bridge. But where the bridges to
b.p constructed are small and on local roads,
the case is different. There is a rule for these
expeuuuuresi wunueu in reou ana ju&uce.
Hie law creating the bridge tuncl anclplacing
it at the disposal of the county commission-
he!ers contemplates they will be governed by
reason and justice. Perhaps Major Wood is
influenced by these considerations in expend
ing the amount in his hands. If so, as he
has appropriated but $75 in Perrysburg, he
ought to be able to account for the balance
satisfactorily. As Perrysburg township has
been assessed 8291.94 on the bridge fund for
OneexPendUure in 1855, if she can have but 875
out of it, some account ought to be given to
her tax payers for the balance, whether ex
pended on local or public objects. Unless
some better explanation is given of the use
of this money than is contained in the Ma
jor's statement of last week, he ought not to
complain of publications like the one head
ed What will become of it V W. V. Way.
No Rot There. At Newburg, on the
Hudson River, 2,000 bushels of fine pota
toes were sold by a single dealer, on last Sat
urday, for 28 to 31 cents per bushel. There
are tens of thousands of bushels in the riv
er counties ready to be contracted at very
low prices. So in varions parts of New Jer
sey this important crop has matured in per
fect order.