taDW 1 *
dad ooprof**"»*Aß. lw auvawob. w ««*
te TTOTiPAID WItHW THHBH'MONTH. » «*
IFWITHIN BIX-MONTHS. * M
NINB MONTHS, 1,6
Iff SOT PAID WITfIIN TWELVE MONTHS. 800
i:
H® ll.ooatl*<l»#o« wlllbiWIow«(l
: t>«»»P«l4. . ;' _
/ OUTJf AND UABILiTS OF POSTMASTERS
-1 ° M,iaa ,M,Kkw,, * l,w ‘ * he “" Bl "
! _
4
THE SPECKLED AXE;
Dr Franklin, in his'hutobiogmphy, tells
a story of a man who went one day to buy
art axe; nttd, having bought onohoex
pressed a wish that it had been bright in
stead of black i on which the smith who
had made the axe replied: “Oh! if you wil l
jura the grindstone we’ll soon make it
bright. 11 No sooper said than done, and
Ithoy Pet to work; but presently the pur
chaser felt tired, for the smith pressed so
sbeaWy oh tho atono, that the labor of tur
ning made# him sweat again, and he wan
ted to leave off. “Keep on, keep on !
' said tho smith, “it isn’t bright yet, it s on
lv speckled.” “Well,never mind,’ said
the buyer, “I think 1 like a speckled axo
best*’’. .
. In this incident we have an example, on
a small scale, of what takes place all
■; over the world on a large scale. And it
t struck me one day, as I was thinktngabout
: it. that the demand for the speckled axes
is dne that is always active ; as though
people could no more grow tired of buying
ihoso useful instruments, than they can or
; eating bread. It was curious I thought,
| that speckles should be preferred to perfect
$ brightness. .
(' . While I was cogitating thereupon.it
H cahio to my mind that perhaps some good
might bo done by setting down a few in-
S stances of buyers having been content to
l take the inferior article, when, by proper
f cure and judgment, they might havo had
;;c the best. And here is tho list.
m Whenever I see a man striving from
T? more vanity to make a name, and fancy
; irig thatho is made of different material to
; hjs fellow creatures, and that he does them
l a favor by living among them, and who
: deep not bam by what means he rises so
that he does rise ;■ then I say—He likes a
i apeckled axe best. . , • „
J .’Whenever l see a man in buisncss in-
I tent only making money, as tlbough
i that were the only thing worth living lor
And notcaring what wrong may be car
l jied on in h» establishment, nor how his
customers may bo tricked,so that he makes
s a profit; then I say— He likes a speckled
t* Whenever Tsee, as Ido pearly every
te
te.
tm 1
Reanot!
rii^i
Kudemi,;
pt raali*> > I
tlraul
■ aratati'
■wajaal
■ thatcaa*
Bud aata
r»ooro«'or
ptaX anil
fte
fc'BSfe
|U»«o^4
i knd put*
|adolffl.w
MafcSltj
AUKBW
heh’tnl^
.rare
obaddabta
». aa U t«t
U»;»a «aa
amakt eat
atoth*aatl>
aall* ea
!»ia. gala,
btrUif.kcc,
ttfcatpn*
e«sis
». .WewiU
aa^'BhoMi
ba»»t#i>j»
SETTEES ;
limbtifoa I
on BtflMU ■
laVtuT/ [
*jgs£ i
ibaCaifn
IVTt&,
day, a young man swaggering along the
iireet, with n cigar in his mouth, as though (
the pavement were hardly good enough lor ,
him to tread upon, fancying himself the ad- .
miration of everybody, when all the time
sensible people are laughing at him , and
While I wonder if ho will o ver know better
I faav—'He likes a speckled axe best.
Whenever I see a young man m want of
d wire, 1 choosing a partner for life merely
because she hds a pretty face, or dances
well or sings a nice song, or plnys nimbly
on the piano, and neverasking whether she
cad make a shirt, or roast a leg ofmul ‘°“’
or whether she is one likely to make home
happy 5 then 1 sayr—He likes a speckled
“"vSnever I see a roan frequenting the
lap.room, or the tavern parlor n'ght aftor
Sjht, as so many are in the habit of doing
££ his wife flits at home, perhaps darn-
SK stockings, or making a frock for
' 85 £to one out of an old gown ; when I
l S his man bent on his own selfish grat
-1 Kfon as though he had any more right
nr money than his
*wiftj° hair; then I say he likes a speckled
ted*
fP ’ :
irtj'wort* :
ie!t «a Uu, <
MJ.Jldjotaf !
0 "1• ''
ifICCIW.
tailMsU
TtinluA
*TRKM*
: M
j.
iix&fa*
| the tow*
U Filbert
m towa.<4
ba*e
fbftf
Ltp&filbet
brflsi. wd
:**wSi'cter I see a boy at school looking
upon learning and knowledge assomethmg
invented for their torment, and forget mg
that vouth ia their only seed-time, that
Iw/narenta frequently have to make great
iSceato givethem an education, and
; SSt aB fair to deceive their master
!Sded they be not found out, although
iErnorence mhy bo the consequences; then
-t 8 Bay*wHo likes a speckled axe best.
? / Whbnever I seen man trying to make
himself believe that ho con indulge in se
! " nnd vices, if the world does not
I,
Li I go to a houso-whoro l see
1-1 ttfSSSI
I'SSSSSSiS*-**
15KSS5S»?«»j»
(.good turn whbn theopportunity cp_
uhia way-—not speaking a gpod ; , ,
i;hi» friend when his friend, need »». ■_
( ihg vory much moro abput hisbwn bo. *
iienco.and what the world willsaw
mf what conscience commands, then! )
__u o jikes a speckled'oxe best. .
I the lisHw many pages
• ; but here is ertouglt to
.wero it h nt j f or speckled axes
thav are, and Icaiihot help
i| ' , sisss^si&^
Lb«r-U>ib*
DteattttUi*
Rtr
tea
P^VS 4 I
Us.y|
kadte, i ,
IprcsuMii [>
}■>
I > iu;ri“
Li) !o
f parahw
lanMtJt
M'S
fte&b
JUo'3
o *
iRE.
;,-;i r.h ■ •«•"* .'• ■" >' >' r '' : ’ ■'• ' ; ; s’: t ;
• • •' ' , ~« ‘l
€temfiel!> fcpibficw^
A WEEKLY PAPER : DEVOTED TO LITERATURE, AGRICULTURE, MORALITY, A.ND FOREIGN ACT DOMESTIC INTELLIQENC^
Volume 4,
should the time come when they wish to do
so. It will be very melancholy -to look
back and say, I might havo had it bright
but 1 wouldn’t.
From all of which I nm led to conclude
that somo day, when the great account is
made up, the number of speckled axes will
be very much greator than people 14 those
days are willing to believe.
a short distance from the city o
Boston, there is now livings white huired
veteran, a soldier of the revolutionary war
who is 99 yoars of age, ono in whom the
firo of patriotism still bums brightly as it
burned of yore—and whoso oyes still spar
kle with the vivacity of youth, whan ho
relates the events of“thoso days that tried
mens souls ” Among the names of those
lhe delighted to honor, was the namo of
Gen. Jackson. That man he greatly rov
crenced —ho admired the man for his he
roism, and honored him for hiS devotion to
bis country. About the time that Jackson |
was elected to the. Presidency, a party of
men belonging to the town in which he re
sided, (they were Whigs, ofcourso)mndenn
effigy of Gen. Jackson, and to gratify the
malice they felt in their hearts towards him
and the party by whom ho had been elec
ted, they hung the effigy in a public place,
called the '•green." A guard of eight men
were stationed near to protect the image
and the men who were then endeavoring
to dishonor the name of Gen. Jackson.
The old soldier, at this time more than
seventy years of age, was informed of what
was gmng.on, and of the threats that were
made to shoot any man that should attempt
to cut down the imago. Fired with indig
nation at the insult offered to Jackson, ho
shouldered his axe, and went, notwlthstan
ding the remonstrance of his family, who
trembled for his Bafety, accompanied only
by his youngest son, who would not lot
his father go alone on such a dangerous
expedition. The firmness of Ins step—
thedetermination which his whole domoan
or expressed—his well-known attachment
to his country and to its noblo defenders,
conspired to speak out his purpose, and the
axo on his shoulder needed no comment
as he marched boldly up to the mock gal
lows. , , ,
"Halt!” shouted the guard— “advance
another step, and you are a dead man .
and they leveled their weapons, pointing
them directly at the old veteran.
“ Fire if you will,” said he, “111 cut it
down, if I die for it !"
And down it went— not only down, but
hewed up into fragments by the hand of
the old soldier. Tho guard were perfectly
astonished—they were awed by the bold
ness of that aged man, with his white hair
streaming in the wind as he bant him to the
task, and they could not hurt him—but
they quailed before tho fire of his eye, as
he marched off in triumph before them
they had not expected an attack from such
a quarter, and it took them by surprise.—
They would as soon have looked for a
ghost among them as that venerable man
whcwo head was white as snow. Ihey
said it was nothing but his while hairs that
saved him from personal violence—ho was
an old soldier and they could not lay hold
of him. _ ,
To such men, under God, we are in
debted for liberty ! Long may their noble
deeds be imitated by their sons,and them
selves honored by a nation that reaps tho
benefit of their labors.
Infobmation Wanted.— William Nott ]
left his homo in Mt. Solon, Augusta Co., j
Va in July last, and when last seen was
in Chambersburg, Pa., on his way toward ,
Canada. He was for the last twenty-five
years previousa useful minister of the 8 0S "
pel He is n man of about 50 or 60 years
of oge and probably a little over six feet
high; stoop-shouldered; hair very gray ;
shabbily’dressed, and apparently much
broken down in body by age and mental
affliction. He imagines himself pursued
by enemies seeking his life for his hereto
fore fearless opposition to Slavery, and
said ho would only be safe in CJnoda.-
He left a respectable family and conne
tion of relatives who are totally “““
ted with his whereabouts, if the above
, person is taken and confined, he wHM)
, sent for and all necessary expenses paid
upon receipt of the intelligence of his
1 whereabouts. Address, Daniel Funkhou
’ B er, Chambersburg, Franklin co., Pa.
“HbHAS not AN I’VHeha.sn t!
well sorry for him For ho has
mlfthty little character who has noencmics.
Hois nobody, who has not got plucjc en-
K to get an enemy, Givens ratheraaour
many enemi .. . vn r -,rrht 6'mcerity,
‘''' lovo o( tho things he
candor and fea 1 ma n of earnest purpos
fasioned 9S 'l n • {-nows hqvy
VdMiitewWw itme„ ;
cs-c«ry a: BwtfeM. ?r.l«*«Mr*.
recehtiy‘manned his tenth i ,
Clearfield, Pa., Sepi. 3, 1853.
THE CHINESE REBECS AND THEIR RELIGION.
Tho following communication from tho
Rev. James Colder, one of our mission
aries in Chinia, gives tho most authentic
statement of the religious aspect of the
present movement in China that has come
under our notice :
Hong Kong, China, Juno 4th, 1853.
Recent dovelopements of tho revolution
now progressing in the Chinese empire,
havo brought to light a fearturo of that
movement which has arrested tho atten
tion and secured tho sympathy of the en
tiro foreign community. I allude to its
religious aspect.
At various times since tho commence
ment of the revolution reports have been
circulated, stating that those engaged in it
were worshippers of tho one true God
believers in Christ as tho Saviour of the
world—and that they were uncompromis
ing opponents to idolatry in evory form.—
For the most part those rumors were dis
credited, but recent investigation has
shown that, strange ns they may appear,
they have their foundation in trulh.
The British steamer “Hermes” convey
ing Sir Geo. Bonham and 6nite, last month
forced her way to Nankin, which is now
held by the patriots, and while there her
officers witnessed facts, and were able,
through tho great kindnoss of tho revolu
tionists, to collect documents which forbid
any ‘ further doubts as to the religious
character of tho new movement.
One of tho works issued by tho Gov
ernment, called “The Book of Religious
Precepts or the Thae-Ping Dynasty,” has
been translated by Rev. Dr. Medhurst, or
Shanghai, and has occasioned, as indeed
it well may, an agreeable surprise to all
who desire the salvation of the millions of
China. It commences with tho declar
ation that all men are sinners, and that it
is the duty of all, subjects, as well as sov
ereign; to woriship and servo God. It
next presents an argument showing that
anciently the Chinese had a knowledge or
tho true God, and, subsequently, that in
worshiping him they will not bo imitating
foreigners, but their own ancestors. It
next presents “A form to bo observed in
seeking the Forgiveness of Sins, alter
which is the following.
Fon a. penitent sinner.
i, thine un worth son or daughter, knecl
ing’down upon tho ground, with a true
heart, repent of my sins, and pray I hee,
the great God, our heavenly Father, of
thine infinite goodness and mercy, to for
give my former ignorance and frequent
transgressions of the divino commands.
I earnestly beseech thee, of thy groat fav
or to pardon all my former sins, and en
able me to repent and lead a new life, so
that my soul may ascend to heaven : may
I from henceforth, sincerely repent and
forsake my evil ways, not worshipping
corrupt spirits, [gods,] nor practising per
verse things, but obey the divine com
mands. 1 also, earnestly pray thee, the
great God, our heavenly Father, const
antly to bestow on me thy Holy Spirit,
and change my wicked heart; never
more allow me to be deceived by malig
nant demons, but perpetually regard me
with favor, forever deliver me from the evil
one; and every day bestowing on me food
and clothing, exempt me from calamity
and woe, granting me tranquillity in the
present world and enjoyment of endless
happiness in heaven, through the merits
of our Saviour and heavenly Brother, the
Lord Jesus, who redeemed us from sin.
I also pray the great God, our Father,
who is in heaven, that his will may be done
on earth as it is in heaven. 1 hat thou
would st look down and grant this request
is my heart’s sincere desiro.
This book also contains a “Piayer to
God, for Morning and Evening;” a thanks
giving tn be offered at Meals ;" “A Pray
er for Times of Sickness and Affliction,
and directions for conducting religious ex
ercises on various occasions. The follow
ing is given as the—
fobh xo be used in teaming god.
We praise God, our Holy and heavenly
praise Jesus, the Holy Lord and
Saviour of the world.
Wo praise the Holy Spirit, the Sacred
Intelligence. .
We praise tho three Persons who, unit
ed, constitute one true Spirit, [God.]
1 But perhnps, the portion of tho work in
which your readers will be most interest
ed, is that containing the “Ten Celestial
Commands,” tho resemblance of which to
! the commandments us given to Moses, is
I very evident. Theso I will subjoin, omit
; ting, however, tho hymns which, jn the
original, follow the “commands, and
which are but a repetihon in verse of the
sentiment of the toxt;
TUB TEN CELESTIAL COMMANDS, WHICH
ABE TO BE CONSTANTLY OH3EUVFD.
The first command.— -Thou shall honor |
and .worship the Great God. . . i
The Great God is the universal Father
of nil men, in every nation under Heaven.
'Every rhdh‘is.produced and norished by
•him ; every man ought,'therefore, morn
ing and evening, to honorj and worship
him, with pcknowledgmenta of hia gpaa *
S- U ?.9m]W% spyyift
en produces, nonshes and £ftfec<f
Also, that being provided with food, we
must not deceive Heaven. Therefore,
whoever does not worship the Great God,
brooks the commands of Hoovon.
The second command. —Thou shall not
worship corrupt spirits (gods.)
The Great God says, Thou shalt not I
have othor spirits (gods) beside nio.
Therefore, all besides the Great God are
corrupt spirits, (gods,) deceiving and de
slroying mankind. They must on no ac-
I count be worshipped ; whoever worships ,
I the wheie class of corrupt spirits (gods)
I offends against the commands of Heaven.
The third command. —Thou shall not
take the name of the Great God in vnin.
The name of the Groat God is Jehovah,
which men must not take in vain. Who
ever, tekes God’s name in vain, end roils
against Heaven, offonds against this com-
The fourth command. —On the seventh!
[ day, the day of worship, you should praise
! tho great God for his goodness.
In the beginning the great God made
heaven nnd earth, land and sea, men and
: things, in six days ; and having fimshod
i his works on the seventh day, he called it
I day of rest, (or Sabbath ;) therefore all the
men of the world who enjoy the blessing
of the Groat God should, on every seventh
dny, specially revorence nr.d worship the
Great God, and praise him for his good-
I ness. ,
The fifth command. —Thou shalt hon
or thy father and thy mother, that thy
days may bo prolonged.
Whoever disobeys his parents breaks]
this command. . '
The sixth command. —Thou shalt not
kill or injure men. ... ,
He who kills another lulls himself, nnd
he who injures another injures himself.—
Whoever does either of these breaks tho
above commnnd. . .
The seventh command. — 1 hou snail
not commit adultery or anything un-
All the men in the world are brethcrn,
and oil tho women in tho world are sts
tors. Among tho sons and daughters ot
the Celestial Hall the males on one side
and the females on tho other, and not at
lowsd to intermix. Should either men or
women practise iowdness, they are con
sidered outcasts, as havingoffendcd against
one or the chief commands of Heaven
The casting of nmorous glances, the har
boring of lustful imaginations, the smok
ing of foreign tobacco, opium, or the sing,
ing of libidinous songs, must all be con
sidered as breaches of this command.
The eighth command. —Thou shall not
rob or steal. ...
Riches and poverty are determined by
the great God but whosoever robs or plun
ders the property of others trangrepses this
command. . .
The ninth command. —Thou snnlt not
utter falsehood. , . , ,
AH those who tell lies, and indulge in
devilish deceits, with every kind of course
and abandoned talk, offend against this
command. ,
The With command. —Thou shall not
conceive a covotous desire.
When a man looks upon the beauty or
another’s wife and daughters with covet
ous desires, or when he regards the ele
ganco of another man’s possessions with
covetous desires, or when he engages in
gambling, ho offends against this com
mand. , .
As the leaders or the revolution not on
ly teach but also observe the above “pre
cepts,” and ns unvarying success has thus
far attended them, may wo not hope that
the “good time” for China is not far dis
tant 7 Let all who would speedily see this
vast empire brought beneath tho sway of
King Immanuel, lift up their hearts and
voices in earnest prnyer-to God : and the
n niver of the faithful will bo heard, and the
present contest will result iu the downfall
of idolatry, and the establishment of
Christ’s kingdom in the hearts of this
icople.
Uncehtainty op Law. —A laughable
illustration of the heading of this article
occured in Ulionis lately, as will be seen
by the following from the Peoria News :
'Mr B. was out hunting with his rifle,
nnd crossing the field of Mr.C., a French
man, C’s largo dog attacked him savagely,
whilo C. stood looking on, without attempt
ing to call off his dog. B. getting out of
patience, shot the dog, and he felt appar
ently dead. C. in high dudgeon, forth
with got out a warrant, and had B. arrest
ed for killing the dog—swore to the killing,
and was corroborated by two of the neigh
bors, who were present at the shooting.—
The magistrate fined B. ten dollars ahd
costs, which amounted toaboutten more.
B. paid the fine and costs, and when the
parties got horpe from the trial tho. dog
had come also,"and was «?t killed. B.
then got outa warrant against the French
man and his two associates'for parjury,
in swearing B. had 'killed the.dog
were frightened, nnd made peace with a.
paid h»m back his twenty dollars, and ten j
rtiore for his trouble—and no trial was had;
and when the parties got homh from the,
last suit, lot the dog was dead, i ! ; •
wonted of Jolin Leh
raan . whp with his; two row !M0
■ • *' ( * 1 i*i '* <**-■ .’ ■ ..
. . :;,i. . • !' ■ ‘‘
Number 34.
BEPORT OF THE CANAL COMMISSIONERS.
In reference to the recent “ Strike on the
Allegheny Portage Railroad.
The undersigned met nt the Mountain j
House, on the Bth of August., for the pur
pose of enquiring into the causes which led
to the recent strike among the operatives
on the Alleghany Portage railroad. A
committee which had been appointed by
the parties aggrieved, were in attendance
land ready to afTord every facility in their
! power to a full investigtion.
' That the mntter might assume a tangi
ble form the Board addressed the following
note to the committee:
Mountain House, July Bih, 1853.
Gbntlemkn : The board are now inses
sion at thisplaco, and are prepared to re
ceive (and invite) any communication
which your committee may have to make
in reference to tho recent difficulties be
tween the operatives and officers of the
State on the Alleghany Portage railroad.
Whatever charges you may have to pre
fer against any of the said officers, you
will please submit in writing, and name the
witnesses by whom the charges are ex pec
teb to bo sustained. The Board will af
ford every opportunity for a full invest*ga-
I tion ; and if tho result shall show that any
! agent of tho state has been faithless to his
trust, ho will be dealt with accordingly.
Resncctfull}'! yours,
WM. T. MORISON, Pretident.
Thomas Collins, Esq., nnd others, com
mittee on part of operatives on the Alle
ghany Portage railroad.
To this they received an answer as fol-
l0 " S Mountain House, July Bth, 1853.
YV. T. Mon ison Esq.,— President of the
Board Canal Commissioners:
Sik In reply to yours of this date,
wo make tho following charges, and sus
tain them in the following manner;
Our first charge as set forth in tho ad
dress of the operatives of the Alleghany
Portage railroad is : That many of us have
boon in tho employ of the common weak 1
for months, without receiving any pay.
This charge wo will prove by the follow
ing persons : By Daniel Brophy, wo will
prove that at the time of the strike there
was between fifteen and sixteen months
wages due him, and that every time he
knew there woe money paying out by tho
superintendent he tried to get it, but did
not succeed. That William bhiels, do.
eleven months. Harkins Ott, between eight
and nine months, Terrence Hudson, do.
between ten and eleven months ; William
Kerns had fourteen months due him. We
can give any number of names, if neces
sary, for similur periods. ,
The seoond charge is : That hands
have been compelled to sell their time at a
discount. . _ ..
We will prove by Riohard Trotter, en
gineer at the head of plane No 4 : That
ho had to sell three months of his time at
a discount of ten per cent, at a broker s of
fice in Hollidaysburg, after the passage
of tho appropriation bill. That Homy
Downey and O. H. Kelly sold at the same
place, at the same rate. That Daniel
M’Manamy sold six months time amount
ing to 842 dollars, and had to pay ten per
cent, discount; part of this time was sold
to A M & R- White and the rest to Bell,
Johnston, Jack & Co. Those persons are
now present, and any amount ol names
can be had of persons who were compelled
to sell. But these we consider sufficient.
The third charge is : That the check
rolls sold to the brokers, &c., firstffind their
way into tho treasury. That M. M. Ada™
a member of this, found audited in the Au
ditor General’s books, a bill of his, which
from the time he sold, to the date of its au
diting, did not exoeed two months. 1 hat
it was for materials furnished for the road
and amounted to over eleven hundred dol
lars That he sold tho bill to Bell* John
sion.Jack & Co., and paid ten per cent,
discount on it.
The fourth charge is: That there was
800,000 of bills and check rolls which
found their way into the treasury, which
had not passed through the superintendents
hands. This charge was not made by the
men on the strike. But was told by Mr.
Crawford, and also Gen. Ross,
By a statement of Mr. C. Connor, audi
ting clerk, to two of this committee : That
immediately after the passage of the appro
priation bill, one of the clerks of the 1 reas
ury office carried in two bundles of check
rolls and bills, amounting to between 875,.
000 and 880,000, which were receipted to
F. R- West, Esq., late Superintendent Al
legheny Portago railroad. Ho said that
aomeof them wore audited, and the balance
wero sent back to the Superintendent s ol
fice in Hollidaysburg, as they had to be re
ceipted to Gen. Ross before they could bo
nudited. They were sent back qnd prop
erly made out, und all nuditod, with the
exception qfn few bills. The noxt eharge
ia : That men have been discharged With
out being paid, and were compclled_tQcal
several times for their money. This i
such a common occurrence op .the road,
I ad render's it almost, useless to any any-
I thing about it, as every map \yho knows
I anytbing obout the road, knows tbis ta Bio
madner of doing tartyMftjffi.&,»&
•teen inserted that the officers of . tpo /oad
n ussvav. mu p
3do 8 monrht. 4DO j ooTumo 8-<»ooth». ,}^
do 6 moothi. 0 601 do B H® yptfl
do,, 19 month!. Bqo l- /do* ,18 ,do, . . -WYC
AW.nI (•dnath'd willb* mail* 'toM»i»t>Bnlii(»<lol.h»»
«*ho.ndvertlia hytbayaar. ■ ../ti.rtad bv
Oor papiioltonlauiinererr nelahboihood .anait'tt". _
noailr overt fanlly la tha coonty-ond ihMaroto lj
oontfnlentand cheap meant for Iha bntlnett men ofiOiw
obanly— tha merchant. mechanic,and nil olbttt-Jo dJJJJH
the knowledia ol their lecalion and bntinete We ihoiiig
Mb ato insert"'A Cord" for ovary M.echapjOe M>tonhnt. nno
Professional man m thootwoty. W» bavo P 1
Ltik/iniencafoaohlnf Qpoo oorreadlnx coinm»s,and oomajh
S?lSsiti^ebni“ne»rwilllo»ebyaUvertl»m*.M»»Wo»«2
jSfta aSSSStImV tha morooUen.jvsl* a «ao adf.iliHd
thagfentof willbabUproQta.
Boots, Jobs and Blnnks,.
OF EVEBY DEaummON. PRINTfinjINTHE
BEST STYLE, AND ON THE BIIOBTE3X
notice. at the office op the
"CLEARFIELD REPUBLICAN.”
know nothing of the strike. This is rtc*
true, as one of this committee, Cornelius
Collins, had a conversation with Jessp R.
Crawford, two or threo weeks previous to
the strike, and told him that the strike
would come off. Crawford said that the
men on the road had not nerve enough to
strike. These aro all that 1 hnvo been ap
pointed to answer. Some of the other
members of this committco haye soma
charges to make, which will form a sepa
rate communication. . , Truly yours,
THO. COLLINS, Chairman ,
Without attempting to review the. <OH»-
mony which was taken by the Board, in
detail, it may be remarked generally, that
it was abundantly established that otilio
lime of the “strike,” there had been money
due some of the hands for three, six, nine,
twelve, and some even fifteen months.
Tho effect of this was that many of them
were obliged to sell their claims at a dis
count of ten per cent. The Board cannot
too strongly condemn a policy which would
lead to such a rosult. Most of these claims
were in the hands of meritorious men who
had served the State faithfully by night
land bv day, and it was a humiliating ad
mission that a great Slate like Pennsylva
nia should permit her honest creditors to
sacrifice a portion of their claims in such
a manner; and the Board earnestly hope
that thore may never be a recurrence of
this kind from any cause or combinatkn
ofcausos, whatever.
This brings us to the inquiry—“ How
was this stato of things brought about T
In answor, it may be stated, in the first
place, that the appropriation for repairs and
motivo power expenses, on the Portage
road, for 1852, foil far, very far, below
the actual amount expended. By reference
to the late report ofthe Canal Commission
ers, it will bo seen that the expenditure*
exceeded the appropriation the sum of one
hundred and forty threo thousand nino hun
dred and seventy six dollars. In other
| words, there was at the end of the last fis
oal year, Ist of December, 1852, an uotual
i reported debt of the abovo amount. A
I portion of this debt was caused by the road
being kept open day and night, during the
winter of 1851-52, A double set of hands
the whole time was indispensible, yet tbe
measure seemed to bo demanded, as well
by public sentiment, as a duo regard lo
the accommodations of the travel and
trade. To this enormous deflect, it is ap
prehended, may be added a large sum
which had not been reported by the late su
perintendent at all. Should tho apprehen
sions of tho Board, in this respect, be real
ized, they cannot conjecture how it hap
pened. The most charitable way that it
can be accounted for, is to say that it was
tho result of inexcusable negligenoe.—
Should any officer hereafter be guilty of
similar conduct, and it be discovered while
he is within tho reach of tho Board, he
will be made a public example of at once.
The appropriations to pay tho debt on
this road and the current expenses of the
present year, were not made until the
19ih dav of April last. Thus it is appa
rent, that the disbursing officer on the
road had no means within his roach loppy
this debt, from the time of its creation in
1852, until after the 19th of April, I8f».
nor had he the means of paying the cur
rent exposes of the present year. Under
the act of assembly, the Superintendent
can only draw thirty thousand dollars at
one time. Ho must then disburse that
sum, return his vouchers to the Auditor
General’s office, and have them audited
before he con draw any more.
It appears from the books of the State
Treasurer, that the superintendent had
drawn between the 10th of April, 1853,
tho day on which the appropriation bill
passed, and the 19th of June, tho day on
which the “strike occurred, the sum ot
8101,886 58 all ofwhich had been disbursed
This was a much larger silm than tipd
been disbursed in tho corresponding period
of last year, if indeed it be not more thqn
has over before been paid out on that road
in the same length of time. Ofthe ftbqve
sum, about 882,000 had been purchased
by sundry persons from labordrs, and ptn
ers, at a discount. In the opinion ofthe
Board, these claims should not hove poen
paid at the lime. \
They had been purchased on speculation,
and should not have been paid until all flts
claims in first hands had been discbatgjM.
the proprieiy of this course isriPW the
more obvious, since itis.known.that f
appropriation will he exhausted boffin* the
whole debt will bo liquidated, and thufl Ilia
parties who mirchased theso sftwka .W »
discount, will have,been roimbursqd.jvhjja
many of thoso meritorious men who
sorved the State faithfully, (anf Spina Of
them top, in limited circumsmOePi) jWjjl
have to Wait, perhaps nhothoi'year, • ,
It is due the disbursing officer, hoWeVdr
to say|’that at the time these pjalma WPta
paid, It waa bcliovod tho apptoftruMh
would cover the entire .indebtedness Af-tWe
I road. The views of the Boaro in njmni
to the future course ofna auperinlqdMWa
as well as supervisors, in'this respect,
sufficiently indicated it]
which wore
burg in Juno, and nflerwaMa ddndwd Rf
the boatrd at Johnstown, pn ihe