The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-26
VOL. XL.--NO. %.
THE DAILY DISPATCH.

The DAILY DISPATCH.
Msnday Morning, January 26, 1857.
OFFICE VA CENTRAL RAILROAD CoMPANY,(
RICHMOND, Jan. 22d 1857.
TO the Editors Of the Hzig:
Gentlemen Since this Road has been in opera.
ton nothing hss disturbed the harmony of the ad.
ministration Of It's affairs until since Mr. Timber
lake was appointed superintendent Of transporta
tson. The policy of high speed for the trains the
use OF extra heavy engines, and overloading them
10 moving freight, all of which opposed, produced
differences between US, which was felt Ia almost
everything that has been done for some time past
and finally resulted In his dismissal from the ser.
vice OF the Company. He possessed talent for
the various ordinary executive duties and the man
sgement of men, giving promise Of usefulness;
but he was ignorant of machinery and the science
of Railroads, and had q spirit Of obstinacy and
willfuiness, rarely sficsing any man, that mani
tested itself so strongly, after an unfortunate in
crease Of his salary few months ago as to neu.
tralize his good qualities.
He could not be made to comprehend the evils of
high speed and heavy machines, so long as they
passed safely over the road for the time He persist
Cd until the Board came to my aid In bringing one
mal train into the city lh Ism before the southern
all Left and the other lh pom, when the trauffer
could be made in 30 minutes, wasting 45 minutes
| which might have been used to reduce ruinous
| speed
On the ID of January published a card defend
ing myself against the charges which was told be
made, that was responsible for the late collision
on the road. On the 18th he replies and charges me
with abusing my little authority" by dismissing
him from Office. which he says both and the
Directors knew he had resigned The Board having
deliberately endorsed and approved this act of
mine which, If bis charge were true, ought to have
called for most indignant rebuke, the imputation
on them IL q more serious one than myself.
So far as i am personally concerned, i might
perhaps with propriety, have remained silent
MI Timberlake, in his first card, said most vaunt-
ingly that II mean to insist on the fullest and most
| ample investigation of all facts by the proper au
| thorties, and upon the results of such investiga
ton am entirely willing to rely for my own vind.
cation"
This investigation before the proper authorities
was made and the Directors unanimously declared
that there was no just ground for ascribing the
collision either to the meeting at Melton's. to
any defect in the rule provided for that pnrpose
| and that 1 right, under the circumstances, in
dismissing him from office. But without some no.
tice of his statements, the Board of Directors
| would appear to have been guilty of a low and
trucking act of cruelty to him, and subserviency
| to me. If it was not unadvoidable, would make
this defence without exposing the contradictions
and want Of candor which Mr.. Timberlake has ex
| hibited in his publication, and which 1 most sin-
cerely regret to observe.
The Resignation.
In the first place he asserts that he 'had resign.
ed" on the 25th of November, and then publishes
certificates of several gentlemen that he "intended
to resign. He is by one certificate actually resign
ed, by another, intending to do it. The letter
which he relies on to prove his resignation was
received by me at Charlottesville, and shown to
Mr. Robertson, together with the answer. 1t is as
follows:
RICHMOND, Nov. 25. 1856.
Fear Sir: Your letters to hand, and contents
duly noticed l am fully convinced from the tenor
and spirit of some several Communications received
from you that you are of opinion that am entirely
incon p.tent to discharge the duties Of superntena
ent of the road. As such, most cheerfuliy resign
my Office that you may have oue appointed that msy
| at least better meet your views for the present.
(signed) h. TIMHERLAKE.
Col E. Fon:aine, Frs't Va. C. R. R Co
To this letter wrote the answer n hich will be
found below, in which 1 say to him unless be re
peats the declaration in ,critine, that will con-
slider it " ithdrawn. He not only did not renew it,
but continued in the performance of the duties and
IS Superintendent was in constant communication
with me;ithe letter, therefore, published to prove
his resignation, taken in connection with my an
swer pr0pes that he tcds not resigned will also re-
fer to Git TO show that practIced forbearance to-
wards him, and cherished feeling of kindness
to him which most manifestly was not recipro-
Gated.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. 27, 1886.
JOHN 81. TIMBERLKE, Esq, sup't RI
Dear Sir Yours of the 25th is received; and am
| very much surprised at its contents You say am
fully convinced from the and spirit some sew
eraI Communications received from that
| of opinion that entirely lncum petent to dis
| charge the duties of superintendent OF the Road"
and then you tender me your resignation of the Of
| hce.
| No communication which have m ede to you, will
bear such sn Interpretation, if properly unaerstooo
| have never written anythingt TO you with such an
intention, as do not entertain such opinion As
your resignation Is rendered apparently under the
| Influence of some unaccountab excitement and
certainly misspprehsnsien of the meaning of my
letters, write without delay, to say to you that
shall not accept it, and that will consider 1t With
draE n, unless upon reflection, you write to me that
| you a dete mined to adhere to it.
| Very respectful y.
L. FoNTAINE, President
of December he still talked of resigning, not be-
cause (as he has since said) the President inter
| fered improperly " ith him, not because he had
any apprehension of difficulty danger about the
| schedule of meeting at Melton's, which had then
been in operation for some time. No, not wills
per Of either of these objections then or they are
evidently after thoughls) but, is most distinctly
| stated by Messrs. Hill, Baylor and Overton, (Mr.
Robertson then present not being at the Decem-
Der meeting, and Col Carpenter absenD merely
on account cf what he considered harsh and dis.
courteous language in the Presidents letters
They say in the recorded mnutes relating to this
| dlffi Guilty between Mr. Timberlake and myself, q
| copy of which has been furnished to him:
His dis .atisfaction was placed solely on dlscour
| teous and unkind remarks, which he thought were
contained in Col Fo'tsines correspondence ,express-
time, any the slightest danger from the schedule
for meeting at Melton's" They further say in this
same paper that 1.-The President In the most unquai
fed manner disclsimed any. intention of being un
kind or 'peofal in any thing which he had said
| or done"
They further say in the same paper, sand be-
lieving after full examination of the correspou
dence connected with the disclaimer If Col. Fon
| taine, and the mutual expression of the most
kindly feelings from each to the other, that the
| whole difficulty has arisen from nsapprt hen
| sion used their best endeavors to produce q re-
| conciliation; that, sfter much conversation be
tween all parties, iu which several members of the
board expressed TO MIR Timberlake the absolute
necessity of the most friendly and hearty cooper.
aiion between the President and Superintendent,
without which. as they said to him, he ought to
resign, each one of us came to the conclusion and
adjourned under the full belief that every difficult
ty had been removed, and that Mr. Timberlake
had bscome entirely satisfied, and was perfectly
willing to coniinue as our superintendent"