Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-06
Merchants Meeting--The Louisville and
Nashville Railroad

Nashville, held at the courthouse Monday evening
December 3, Mr. JnEs NJ. HAMILTON, from the com
mittee appointed FOR ss purpose. submitted the fol
lowing report; s-ss-E.s3s esefh
l- The undersigned, appointed COMMITTEES byreso.
/ luton of public meeting ct Nashville to inquire
into abuses alleged exist IN the management OF
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad and report OF
suc abuses together with remedies for the same to
/ a future like meeting. do submit as follows We
have examined into the causes of complaint amongst
/ the shippers and stockholders at this end of the
road, and found them chiefly to exist in the three
! following particulars; .s
First. We found general complaint on accouuc OF
delay uncertainty and confusion IN the shipmens
and deliveries OF the freight of said road for sever
/ al months past.
Secondly, Il was claimed by the merchants and
shippers at this end of the read that in view of the
importance Of Nashville terminal and distribu-
ting point aud the extent of our county interest in
the road as being but proper both with reference
10 them and sound policy on the part of the road,
that the merchants and shippers of Nashville should
be consulted in the matter of appointing suta
pie person as freight agent at this depot urging that
1t would be more agreeable to them to have their bu
slness connections with an officer who both knew and
was known to them, and the best interests of the
whole enterprise, in degree be forwarded by being
thus more strongly commended to favor and patron
agehere. The denial of this privilege to them, while
net deemed so material a wrong as others, was yet
Lastly. 1t was complained that by the tariff of
freight charges on said road higher rate of charge
was exacted from Nashville shippers on freights
coming over the entire length of the road from
Louisville TO Nashville than was charged others.
South Of and beyond Nashville the same descrlp-
ton of freights. This discrimination against peo
pie whose means had in part built the road and III
favor of others who had in no way contributed to
Its construction, if not more generally, was yet
yet most bitterly complained Of particularly at
fhnfr into HVinl
and their privileges secured by the roads Quarter
Your committee, upon careful investigation
and by conference with the merchants ana Shippers
Of our city, many of whom have furnished thelr
statements on the subjects in writing found all these
causes of complaint 10 have their foundation in
facts, and convinced that they were abuses wmch
should be promptly corrected, deemed It proper TO
set them forth in communication TO the President
and Board of Directors at Louisville, hoping this
means, aided by the justice of their requests would
suffice to procure immediate redress .s.,4 -,
Your committees communication, together with
the Presidents reply thereto, are filed as parts of
this report, marked Observation-Disclosures A. and
We regret the disappointment of our expectations on
this point, and having failed to obtain what deem
satisfactory relief feel i duty to lay before this
meeting an account of action in the premises
together with synopsis of the facts ecited by our
Inquiries into the management OF the road: |
First-We found and report that for several months
past and having begnningil theearly part of August
last great delay confusion and inaccuracy of ship
ments and deliveries of freights have existed with
the road-in many instances freights having arri-
we'd at the Nashville depot without any manifest Of
destination, consignment, charges therefor Il us
accurate deliveries impossible and involy-
ing by necessity the business of the road in confu
sion. Large quantities of these reghs it has been
necessary to find storage for and thus to await Rcc
dental discovery by their true owners, whilst others
unfinished with proper storage by the road, have
been left to suffer ruinous damages from exposure.
We know these irregularities have resulted in great
and even disaster 10 shippers, many
articles which were the subjects of them being the
foods of life. for which there at the
time pressing demand and many others being ar
-cles the values of which were greatly Deepen.
lent upon their being received in time to be sea
sOnably used, such, for instance, seeds of
wheat barley, rye, etc. The evil results of
this state Of things need not be argued. The
produce dealer has been subjected to the
and injury of laying out of the use Of
MS money without other reward than the dissats-
faction Of his dependent customer, and in many
instances the agricutHrist, delayed beyond proper |
lime, to advantageOusy seed his grounds. As
prominent specimen OF the evidence on this parteu
ar, your committee found by examination of ship
ping lists, that from the 18th of August to the I'D
lay of October, in the present year. the Louisville
Ind Nashville Railroad Company rendered to the
Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad Company sixty
wo manifests, of these, only eight had been, com
lleted up TO 0ct.3lst. And from these manifests
here were still missing, in provision and seed
TENS alone. 1853 bags of wheat, 400 bags of rye.
80 bags of barley, 1900 bags of corn 203 barrels of
Jour, and casks of bacon. Weregret to find these
Irregularities have not been confined specially to
he articles we have enumerated, but pervade gem
,rally The entire freight business of the road.
We may further remark, the Nashville and Chat
anOoga Railroad as q, consignee of goods from the
louisville and Nashville Railroad differs not in prin-
pe but only extent of business from our city bust
less houses generally; they all receiving goods on
heir own account or on commission, and in proper
ion to their cdnsgnments, we regret the same
Inaccuracies Of deliveries and Shipments, together
With like damages of freights, have existed with all
UGH houses Further, we ascertain those acting as
commission merchants here have fr9luently had
GODS come consigned to them unaccOnapaned by
he roads bill OF charges These articles are gener
lily desired by their owners for immediate
sc or disposal and the cunsgnee responsible to
he road for freight charges is yet unable to pro
ure the bill. to charge the owner herewith.
hus in many instances, our commission houses are
compelled to do undesired and unusual credit
usness forced TO greatly dissatisfy customers.
The people of Nashville, as shippers have expe-
fenced the Inconvenience enumerated. but are
nabe to inform them to what extent their interests
stockholders in the road have been affected there
v. Your committee have not been able to ascer-
ain to their satisfaction what will be the extent Of
he pecuniary liability of the road for its lost and
amaged freight in the past four months but are
atisfed it will be large-we have heard it esti-
mated at from twenty to fifty thousand dollars.
l
littee's communication to him and Board, states,
The cause OF the irregularities in the shipment
vas long since explained in published letter by
he President, and the irregularities speedily re
lOved." We regret that many of these IRREGULAR
les though they, in the opinion of the President,
we're speedily removed yet in reality, existed I'M
il the opening of our river navigation, since which
vent it but fair TO say there has been less cause
f complaint, owing. perhaps to the diminished bus
ness of the road. Your committee have procured
Ill ,11NSo l.lA hr.k
annot concede it explains sufficient causes for such
Irregularities. ....
The main reason set forth, as we understand it. by
he President, is there not sufciency Of rolling
took to meet the extraordinary demand upon the
DAD. This, If admitted to the fullest extent, demand
d by those relying on il. will only excuse the de-
avs complained of, and does not at all reach the
many where freights have been actually
moved unaccompanied by any manifest of consign-
nent, destination or bills of charges. /
Your committee have before them strong evidence
hat under efficient superintendent Of the freight
department much more in quantity could have been
hipped during the press Of August and September,
ut even if this be not so, can find no sufficient
ause assigned why freight actually moved should
lot have been correctly manifested and delivered to
roper eOnsignees proper destinations. There may
lot have been suficiency of rolling stock to have
promptly moved all the freight desired, but there
we're certainly suffciency of competent men to be
lad in Louisville or elsewhere, who would have
|
reight department of the road. The point is, 30hat
Uer freight there lcdS rolling stock to at a could
Hd should haze been properly aoUsS, correctly mani
eSted and differed. ..... |
The Superintendent of the Freight Department
We find, has lately removed Mr.. Fauntleroy, former
freight Agent at this Depot. This may have been
eemed by the Superintendent measure of reform.
TOUR committee are, however, satisfied by exami-
laton that the freight agent at this point in no
way responsible for the irregularities indicated,
,ut that they had their origin entirely at Louisville
" other places than here. 1t is perhaps but JUS
ice 10 which Mr. Faunteroy entitled at the hands
# the committee, TO say, that in our investigation
ye have found nothing in his official connection with
he road that did not indicate him competent, hon
st, aud diligent in ms official duties.
With respect to the determinations against the
Nashville freights, above alluded to, we found that
- TO a very late date, November 9th) on the ar
iccs chiefly drawn by US from the Valley Of the
ohio River either for the purpose Of trade or con-
umption, from p 10 so per cent more freight
harges were eXacted from Nashville shippers than
rom others South Of US. 1t is true, as we learn,
hat since the 9th OF November last all freights
rom IouiSVilp- lnclulinp rhnsp tn Nashville. |