The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-21


RICHMOND. WEDNES
arsa Mr.. Tiassrials,s seasensst. -
The statement Of Mr.. Timberlaks, late Superfn.
ssudent Of the Central Railroad In reply to Col
Fontaanes card, has appeared in the Wing. He
intimates In the beginning that If Col Fontaine
nad given an accurate history Of the difficulties
between them touching the establishment Of his
(Coi. 80 siding at MELONS" - Mr. T. calls it, he
would have remained silent. "As It is, however, :
says Mr.. Timberlake, !" / must be pardoned for
saying that the instnct of efdefence s - strong
n me - y the love Of controversy 10 Colonel Fon.
tame He then notices, first, the fact Of his dis.
uissai from Office BY Colonel Fan act which he
pronounces altogether voluntary and supereroRa.
tory He declares that be resigned - esrly a. the
5th OF November last, q appears by the folio wing
note TO Col Fontaine of that date: =
RICHMOND Nov. 25th 1856.
DEAR SIR :: Your two letters to hand and eonten,s &
duly noticed. am fully convinced from the tenor
sna sP.r,' 81 some seveIa communications resolved
incompetent to discharge the duties Of
ent of the road. Al such / most cheerfuily resisn
my Office that you may bavs ono appointed that may
at least better meet your views for The present.
Very respectfully, yours,
COL E. Fontaine, Prest Va. Central r r
Mr.. Timberlake says:
In addition to this letter. apprised Col F. yer.
bally, and the greater part Of if not all the Direc
tors, prior to the Meeting Of Dec 9, thatI had re.
signed. At that meeting, l appeared before the
Board and reiterated my determination. Col
and the members of the Board, individually. pro.
tested against it, and insisted upon my remaining.
but refused to reconsider that determin atom nor
have /, from that day to this, ever entertained
tie remotest idea of continuing my connection
with the road / have now in my possession .
letter from w. J. Robertson, Esq, dated Nov 9Th,
1856 the very first sentence of which is as fol.
lows, viz:
II don't know when have been moro concern.
ed thanI was tonight, on seeing your letter to
Col Fontaine, rendering your resignation"
Every consideration was urged upon me to
withdraw that resignation, by members of the
Board of Direcors; but my uniform declaration
was that could not continue to act under the cir
cumstances My reasons for this determination
were conclusive to my own mind, and will suff.
ciently appear in the course of this communities
tion Some members Of the Board insisted thatit
would be unjust to the Company that Ishouid thus
resign without notice-that Christmas was ap
preaching when there would bel confusion and
difficulties, &c. Ireplied that intended my re.
signation to take effect at once, or As soon as /
could arrange the papers in my office, so as to
turn them over, In proper order, to my successor.
urged that the harrassment and vexation conse'
uuent upon the inceasAnt interference by Col.
Fontaine with the proper duties of the Superin.
tendent. was what could not and would not stand;
and ended by declaring that 1 adhered to my re.
signation.
Mr.. Timberlake introduces the certificates Of
several gentlemen, on this point. MIR. H. D. Whit.
comb says that Mr.. T. informed him in 0 ,tober
that he would resign; and that after annual meet.
ing he intimated his determination not to remain
in the efiice, and made an appointment with him
(Mr. W} to 60 to Kanawha In January or Febru.
ary. Mr. s. A. Richardson states that he heard
that Mr. Timberlake had resigned, and made ap-
plication himself for the Office as bis successor;
but was informed by . member of the Board that
probably Mr. Timberlake would yield to the soil
citation of Board and remain longer. The most
important, however, of the certificates given by
Mr. is the following from Mr.. Hunter:
hereby certify that about the middle of Decern.
ber last assisted Mr.. Timberlake, late Superin-
tendent of the Virginia Central Railroad, in max.
ing a schedule from some memorandums furnished
US by Col. Fontaine, and that we could not arrange
It so Is to make the trains meet and pass at the
points designated, without losing time at some
Places and running some parts Of the Road, At q
greater rate of speed than that adopted by the
Board of Directors. Mr.. Timberlake said he
would not take the responsibility of changing any
of the meeting or passing points, and that he
would write to Col. Fontaine, (who was then in
Alexandria,) to that effect, aud request him to
make out the schedule himsef-and said that he
A few days after shis conversation, Col Fon
tame requested me to assist him in making the
schedule; I told him felt delicacy in doing so,
in Mr.. Timberlake's absence. He then requested
making the schedule. l delivered the message,
and told Mr. Timberlake that felt q delicacy
in making the schedule without bis taking part
in it. He assured me that need feel no deliea
cy on his account, that he could take no part in
it, but hoped that / would assist in making IT.,
and wrote . note by me, asking to be excused.
When the schedule was finished, told Colonel
Fontaine that could not put Mr.. Timberlake's 8
name to it without his consent, as he had taken
no part in making it. He then asked me to take
IN i'm nd i'm To / a
took 1t and laid it upon his table, but did not
whether he would sign 1t or not / called the
next morning, and told him that Col FOntaine
was very anxious to get the schedule ort, and
feared that he would blame me for the delay
and while we were looking at the schedule, Col.
Fontaine came in, as mentioned in my answer
to his questions, which has been published. AT.
ter he left asked Mr. Timberlake if l should
not alter it or take any responsibility but as no
else could sign it, and that he did not wish to
appear obstinate that / might send it up to the
printer as it was. had the General Rules" of
an old printed schedule, with his name to 1t, at.
tached as part of the new schedule.
s. HUNTER.
RICHMOND, Jan. 8, 1857.
Question-Will you state what said to you,
after returned from home, after leaving here
Sunday before Christmas, and returned to the city
on Tuesday afterwards-upon the subject of re-
naming on the Road
Ansper--You said that when youlefton Sunday
you had no intention of returning but the Board
had demanded your services, and You bad said to
them that would attend to the business, aud you
were afraid would have more than could attend
to, you returned to aid me for a few days during
Christmas y s. HUNTER.
Capt. Gooch gives the following:
l, one of the conductors on the Virginia Central
Railroad, do hereby certify that l went to Mr
Timberlake and asked his views of the time table
bearing date the Goth of Dec, 1856 His reply te
me as that he had resigned, and should leave ths
road; that Col. Fontaine had made the sched aie
and must 60 to him; that he would explain it "a
me; that he could not give any explanation or make
any change in it. and that all he could do was q
say to me TO be very careful and cautious to avoid
any collision Of the trains. found no difficulty II
understanding the rules, regulating the time q
waiting and starting from Meltons turn ont =
Given under my hand this the 9th day OF January,
1857 3. ID GooCH
The certificates close with statements made By
Messrs. Lobban of Albemarle, Messrs George =.
Sumner and Hugh w. Fry, Of Richmond NJ
Lobban says Mr. T. told him on the 18th Decen,
ber that he had sent in bis resignation ~ SupeSe
tendent expressing to him at the same time MS
disapprobaiion of the course of the President 70
wards him In the fcequent, and ~ be thought im-
proper changes in the schedule, adding that q
could not be suffered to run the road as hethoush
the interest of the company required It should be
and he could be no longer Super rintcndent. Tt
Mr. Sumner, MIR. T. intimated early In Decemeel
his intention Of resigning should the President IN