Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-11-08
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCKHOLDERS
s >OF THE MANASSAS GAP RAILROAD con-

!. ~
Pursuant to adjournment the stockholders
re assembled at the Mansion House, last night
at II clock, and upon being called to ofocl'
by the. chairman, A. J. Fleming,
Mr.. Marshall, President of the Company
read and submitted the following report:
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT. .
Orr1cE M. G. R P. Co, ALExA, y Aio;se
r,tza cto.lbo1ders of the Manassas Gap Rail.
The e Board has employed the time Cess than
seven months,) since your meetiiig ~ pr Pr
last, in recovering and getting lnto pace lns
Company's property; in reDulldlhg the lonu 10
far as Piedmont and IN ellorts " gIo
measures adopted at The late Stocknoluefs ieet
mo for the purpose of reconstructlhg INC "iioio
line of road to Harrisonbnrg
THE financial statement of the Company t:-
companying this report with to- exceploof 80
nanditures Connected with the rebuilding OF the
road referred to- exhibits slight change SINCE lsst
report beyond the increase OF the dept ny III
creased number of over due coupons
The claims Of the Company to the iron ral.s
taken from the Manassas road, ana lI WY upon
the Winchester and Potomac. ROAD IN VlrR nit
and the Northern Central road IN Maryland
have been placed respectively in the hands OF
eminent counsel, and in each case are thought
to rest upon strong legal grounds
The rolling stock OF the company Nus pGon
list Shipment having arrived on the 18th u!t
BENJAMIN H. Lambert Dr., superintendent IN
charge of Company's shop, at greensboro ana
Of transportation, has brought the stock nome
much improved by repairs, wIth all nc :; :.
satisfactorily settled, and closed up, exhibiting
an expenditure Of $5l, 279 %, pal by, receipts
from rented engines and cars. and sales OF ola
material not wanted for use OF the company,
amounting to 1874, $50 81, showing balance IN
Company favor Of 81, 7O7 64, making %ileh au-
ded to settlement Of his predecessor u. horgal'
at Greensboro q total Of S337. 222 6o expended,
and Sal, 545 80 earned a balance OF p, "Zo;
The rebuilding of the road as far as Piedmont
Station is thought by the Board to be an an llnpol,
tant step, not only rs carrying with IL Inc volne
which always attaches to u beginning, put Inc
Length Of road 334 miles, in extent little snort
of one-third the distance to Harrisonburg. when
makes its accomplishment an important item IN
the reconstruction of the whole road. MADE 10
Piedmont the road Will accolnhloqatc lI ne: Sii
| tire section of country east of the Blue kldge
| Mountains interested in Manassas, and running
through productive and populous region, II
| will bring q large present and permanent TRACE
| TO Alexandria TO which advantages may be
added thatth running OF me aoau 70 'n'S po''''
| Tho section of road from Manassas Junction
| TO Piedmont proposed to be rebuilt, was dIveSt-
! ed of every rail This deficiency IS mace up Dy
rails living on the section of road between l leoc
| mont and Strasburg-2I! miles; with miles OF
| raiIs turned over to the Co: pany by Govern
ment. The removal Of this mass of rails from
| above Piedmont to the track below Where they
were wanted was effected by "agona2e VI
| 49, miles, and use of temporary track Ncci-
structed for the purpose OF miles wiI, WIZ" ,hn
the process Of strNghtning required by me
twisted rails, added much extra labor TO lne
company's operations in carrying on this work
| Added to which was the overland carnage OF IL
locomotive (of indispe usel from Warren
1
cult by the unusual duration OF the equnoc'l"l
rain. The whole work, somewhatnovel IN many
| respects has been planned and energet!caily OK
ecuted by Chief Engineer, a. d; Johnson esq
There has been expended on this work , ~,
5042 This money has bech or DotSnfo c Rises
of Alexandria-by cross ties (n9t included
in cash stated above) furnished by farmers
upon like tcr,ns-by sale, of Company,s
property, including loose rails lying IN 'oneh'
! The commencement Of work at so late Pc
| rod of the year as June, was forced upon the
| Board by the deficiency OF rails Wan!ea at inc
MANASSAS Junction end Of the line which could
only be obtained from Governments Inc D SS
! being under the necessity of waiting the pleas
| ure of the Government, who mad them III us
Il use. This delay hiss exposed the operation or
the Com pany to the disadvantages ana unccrc
tainties of the cold season, making the time OF
! work Indefinite Every effort will be made
| in the month Of January.
| In regard to the reconstruction OF the whole
line of road to Harrisonburg, so heartily de$lrcd
| by ali the stockholders, the Board regrets 10
| have TO announce the failure of the meas urea
| adopted by them to carry out the resolutions
| passed unanimously at your last meeting, Whlch
! gave authority to the President and Directors
to raise money either by large loan or by sale
of the Valley section OF this road 10 certain a,
! parties, by which the reconstruction of the
| whole road could be effectcd-the hope Of
! success in carrying out these measures depended
! upon expected support Of Baltimore capital
! the disappointment was surprise o! ~hlch Il
! may be proper to give some explanation
The acts of the Legislature authorizing the
Strasburg extension and the incorporation
of the Valley r. Il. Company, which were
proper for the purpose of giving to the people
Of the valley an outletto the baltimore market
through Virginia to the West and South, which
was the originally preferred route of the Bal
timore and Ohio R. r. Co., which though de-
MED, was believed to be an object earnestly
route by any Company empowered with au-
| thority to make the road was expected at once
to open the Treasury of the Baltimore and Ohio
| Company in order to assist The construction OF
this road
| Manassas Company to get means for the pur-
! pose of demonstrating the Valley and Piedmont
J sections and having the Valley X. K. Co., in
{ view, resolutions we're passed by the stockhold
ers empowering the President and Directors of
This Company to make sale Of its Valley inter
est upon terms which would secure both Valley
and Piedmont sections Of the road and relieve
the Company of its bonded and floating debt;
Representations from both the Valley Railroad
Com pany and the Manassas Company united in
presc pting this subject to the Baltimore and
ohio Company, through its President, John w
Garrett, esq The application was unsuccessful
Mr. Garrett having declined to give any Pc
cuniary assistance for the present, upon the
| ground that the resources of his Company were
taxed to the utmost with his different operations
at home, and further, that the Charter of the
Valley Company was not satisfactory. He was
not ready and the pear was notripe. A further
effort was made to interest President Garrett in
the more limited work Of building the connex-
ion, of the Winchester and Potomac and Stras-
burg connection, from which some results might
follow favorable TO the restoration of Manassas.