Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-06-22


ly with an eye to its publication, will fiever-
theless, I feel confident, substantially meet
the allegations Of the other side, and vindi-
cate the action taken by our Company in
the premises. =
JonN s. BARBOUR.
June 14th, 1860.
COT. Il. FoNTAINn,
President Of va. Gsat,da Il. +. Co:
| Dear Sir:-Tke severance Of connection
of our trains at Gordonsv1lfe having been
! ordered by you during my recent absence
from the State Offending q Railroad Con-
vention at Chattanooga and finding upon
my return home that our General Shperin-
tendent, Mr.. Vandegtrffft, Was il cofrespon-
dence with you ca the subject, [ have delay
ed any personal Communication Of my own
in the hope that the very reasonable propo-
sition submitted by him, would have been
accepted, and the existing difficulty adjust
ed and Removed. In this, however, find
myself disappointed from the purport Of the
answers returned by you, and must conclude
that it is a foregone conclusion On your part
not to make any concession, however mod
crate, which would enable our train to make
the desired connection at Gordonsyille.
The point Of your demand is, as I hhder-
stand It, that to maintain the connection
with your trains, the morning train from
Alexandria must reach Gordonsvillc at 10 As
a. M, instead of II o5 a. m, as required
by the schedule prior to the frstday Of June
last.
Now, as you we'll know, Our arrival at
Gordonsville in the morning depends upon
the time we can leave Alexandra. But for
this fact we could readily get to dordonsville
as you desire. We cannot, however, leave
Alexandria until the arrival Of passengers
and mails of the Baltimore cars which come
into Washington now at 6 o'clock a. M,
and are delivered here only in time to ena-
BILE our trains to leave at 1875 a. m, Your
| trains reach Gordonsville before ours for the
obvions reasons that you leave Richmond at
$50 a. m.-nearly one hour in advance,
and have only Is miles to run. We leave
81 minutes iater-have 80 miles to run, with
line which involves transhipment at two
Railroad functions (Manassas and Warren.
tom Of passengers and baggage, and conse.
quent delays therefor, and having also an
additional number of stations to stop at
corresponding to additional number Of miles
run. 1t is thus apparent why our trains
cannot arrive at Gordonsville as early al
yours, although it is we'll known that our
road is run faster than any railroad in The
State.
| Anxious as we are to make the connec
ton and to accommodate the public conven
fence, as far as ii lies in our power, we are
unwilling to increase our high speed, ane
to run break-neck chase to crafty wha
we regard as an unreasonable and unfair de-
mand on your part.
! The only gain to you as alleged is, tina
your passengers going West, may reach thu
stages at Jackson's River few minutes ear
lier, and those going to Richmond may reacl
the Banking Houses before o'clock of tn,
day of their arrival The connection will
the Petersburg trains, I am informed, ha
been made readily under the old schedule.
! For these comparatively light considera
tons the connection at Gordonsville hal
been broken, the travelling public seriousl,
Inconvenience, and the interests Of botl
roads materially damaged. Every efor
has been made on our part to avoid the con
tingency. We have used all the means a
command to accelerate the transit to ou
road from Washington-have solicited tn,
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to come in II
minutes earlier without effect so far GU
Superintendent has proposed to you at som,
sacrifice of interest and the risk of increase,
speed, to reach Gor1onsville fifteen minute
earlier, which only involves difference o
five minutes time upon your own schedule
and has received peremptory negative il
reply.
| The answer made by you that we hat
this schedule last year, and what has beef
done can be done again, is disarmed Of al
point when we have your own letter to shov
that though the attempt was made, yet W
failed to comply, at time, too, when tn
Baltimore train came to Washington te,
minutes earlier in the morning than it doe
now.
|, I cannot see how public agent llk
yourself, clothed with SO much power il
this respect, can be willing, upon sucl
slight grounds, to adopt line Of policy op
Grating SO much injury to his own, and
connecting railroad. and to the public a
large. I am, however, unwilling to leav'
anything undone to remove the evil, ane
have another proposition to submit.
Let the whole case be submitted to tn
, arbitrament of the Board of Public Works
and we will accept such schedules as they
may rule or you may take the umpirag,
of any competent railroad metl to decid,
what is right and fair between the parties
and we will abide the result.
In the meantime let us avoid the breal
of connections at Gordonsville, until a de.
cisioh can be had. Our trains shall arrive
under Vandegrlft's proposal, at 1850 A
NJ, which only involves deduction Of five
} minutes from your own demand.
The public expect a connection of ou1
trains at Gordonsville, and have right tx
demand it, and I trust that you will at once
recognize the Importance of the issue, ane
Tho enlitu of the nrnrosa1 Submitted for If,