The Toledo And Ann Arbor Railroad

TO THK EDITO OF THE ABOUS. In reply to repeated inquirios which ars being made of me peraonally and by letter, touching the proposed Toledo and Ann Arbor Ruilrouil, permit me to say, in answer : lat. That the road is to ba a " standard " and not a " narrow gauge " road. 2d. That work on the road will begin as soon as the " right of way " is all secured, the f 80,000 subscriptions pledged, and the notes giren aa indicated in the proposition contained in my published letter- and not before. 3d. After the f80,000 is pledged, and the right of way secured, work will at once begin, and the road be completed within uinety days after the first rail is laid. 4th. I uu not authorized to continue, for an mdefinitü period, the propositiou which I made in my letter addressed to the citizens of Toledo, Ann Arbor, and along the line, to build the road on the conditions therein stated. óth. It the ainount which I am required to secure is not raised this f all, the proposition, as made, will be regarded as " not accepted ' by the citizens of Toledo, Ann Arbor, and along the line, and the road will uot be built. 6th. The 180,000, which must bo ecured as indicated, togethet with the road-bed, free aud uniucumbered of debt, will be the basis of my credit, without which money ctiunot be borrowed with which to build the road. 7th. The payment of the money which I have negotiated, is to be secared by a first mortgage upon the road ; and the express condition upon which the money is loaned, is that the " right of way " and $80,000 is subscribed, in addition to the $39,000 ia notes, given to the old company, and which notes I now own. 8th. Land and city lots - material for the road, or labor on the road- will be accepted in paymeut of subscriptiona ; provided, the prices be named in the note when given, or when the ageement is made. This answers substantially the questions, which my letter did not distinctly state. Now that the wheat, oat and hay erop has been secured, I expect the farmers along the line between Toledo and Ann Arbor to take my proposition to build the road into prompt and business like consideration, and appoint committees to co-operate with auch agenta as I may accredit to cali on and collect their subscriptions. Il my propoaition is to be entertained at all, it may as well be " accepted" or "rejected" within the next sixty days, because ita acceptance involves no risk to any subscriber, if I fail to oomply with my part of the contract and build the road, as stipulated. This brings me to the question, whether the citizens of Toledo, Aun Arbor, and aloug the line of the road have such an interest in the propoaed enterprise aa to warrant them in donating the right of way, and subscribing the amount of money required. I haTe only to anawer that question in the affirmative, but I go further, and aflirm, without the fear of succesaful contradiction, that any people bo uear such a market as Toledo must always be, and iuhabiting so rich a country as that lying between Toledo and Arbor and residing within twelve miles on each sid'e of the road- if without railroad facihties- can well afford to build and equip such a road, and present it, as a free gift, unincuinbered of debt, to any responsible company who would to take it and opérate it ; and they not only can afford to do that, rather than be without a road, but in doing so they would make money, by the increased Talue of their farms, their daily postal facilities, and the personal convenience such a road would secure in a hundred ways which I need not enumérate, because they will auggest themselves to everyone. With such a market as Toledo at the eastern termini, the increased value of the farms along the line of such a road, for 12 miles on each side of it, would build and equip not lesa than four such roads. In other words, for cvery dollar expenriod in such an enteren'" hy fcho farmera living along tne line within tweive miles on either side of the road- if the contributions were equitably diatributed, - their farms would incroase four dollars, or more, in value. And thia estímate doea noj include the benefit to be derived by such citiea as Toledo and Ann Arbor, and the intermedíate towns, where there would be a large additiou to their buainess, and an increase in the value of their real estáte. In fact, the farmers alone, in the counties of Washteuaw and Monroe, who are now without available railroad facilities for reachmg Toledo (which is their natural and beat market), can aiford to build a good standard gauge road and make a present of it to any reliable compauy who will opérate it, and then make mouey by the operation, in the increased value of their farms. „ And yet the farmers between Toledo and Ann Arbor are asked to subscribe less than one-third of the amount necesaary to be raisod, part of which will be taken in labor and material for the road, or in right of way and fencing. I desire to add, in conclusión, that the farmers living on or near tha Toledo and Ann Arbor road, who may desire to co-operate in building it, will have an opportunity to do so, by duly accredited agenta calling on them for subscriptions within two or three weeka. Within the next ten days I propose to meet and address the people along the line of the road, in favor of this enterprise. Due notice of the time and place of each meeting will be aunounced by hand-bill. J. M. ASHLEY. Aan Arbor, August 1, 1877. Thb Labobatoby StriT.- At laat the Laboratory deficit or embezzlement sait, wliichevor the reader choosea to term it, ia approaching the end ot oue of ita atagea. The taking ot testimony was closed on Friday afteruoon laat, at which time the counsel for Messrs. Rose and Beal and their co-defendants renewed their demand for a jury, eapeciaüy to hear and try three specified issues of fact and answer the following questions: Are the disputed D's genuine or forged? are oertain red lines genuine or fraudulent 't and, have the " stubless ' accounts been settled by Dr. Rose ? They claimed the jury as a legal and constitutional right. The argument was continued on the application or demand during Saturday, the counsel tor Dr. Douglas denying that there waa any legal claim to a jury, that th right to it, if any existed when a trial had been had in open court, had been waived, that an impartial jury could not be got in this county, and that the court should hear and determine all the issues for itseli. Judge Huntington held the application open until Tuesday morning, and then, after further argument, held that the defendants had no legal right to a jury, that to grant or order one waa in the discretion of the court, that the issues named were eminently proper issues to place before a jury, that he was clearly of the opinión an impartial jury could not be had in this county, and that he would send the issues to a jury in another county. Dr. Douglas' counsel denied the right to send out the issues named, or change the veuue, and refused to stipulate for such a proceeding. Judge Christiancy was in doubt, but wished a course pursuod which would make a decree good, while Mr. Webber f ully concurred with the counsel of Dr. Douglas, Whereupon Judge H. decided to take the risk and send the issue to Jackson County. But on Wednesday morning, before the order was duly ontored, the counsel for Rose, Béal ifc Co. became thoroughly oonvineed that a Jackson court and jury could get no jurisdiction, or assuming it, that the trial there would be ex parte and worthless for the purpose of aiding and advising the court, - the counsel of Dr. Douglas having given notice that they should not follow the Buit to Jackson County, - and urgently requested Judge H. to hear the argumenta and " make an effort " (like Mrs. Chick) to decide the case for hl niself. And so the case was set down for argument on Tuesday next, at 9 o'clock a. m. May the end soon come. - The testimony taken in the case exceeda 4,000 folios. Three copies have been made - one for the Regenta, one for Dr. Douglas, and one for Rose, Beal & Co. - at a oost to each of a fraction lesa than f300. ]