Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-25
THE RAILROAD sQUABBLE.
President Burns ON the Higgins
Charges.


Editors Union and Dispatch.
My attention has been called to Mr.. w
S. Higgins last card. The Directors Of
the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad
Company have already pronounced Mr..
Higgins charges unfounded in fact and
unworthy the further consideration of the
board" and | cannot and will not stop to
handy epithets with him. | court investi-
CATION, and in my letter Of the Goth inst,
published on the Dist inst addressed to
Messrs Coltart and Gleaves, l offer them
every facility for investigation.
Yours truly, NJ. BURNs.
NASHVILLE, July "A, 1867.
The following is the communication re-
ferred to above by President Burns
NASHVILLE, July 20, 1867.-MEssRs.
COLTART AND GLEAvEs- My
attention has been called to a communica-
ton in the Republican Banner of the 18th
inst, wherein you desire the privilege OF
examining the books of the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad Company, with a
view of laying before the stockholders an
account in detail of your operations
That communication asserts that Mr..
GIeaves believed such a request would be
refused" Mr.. Gleaves, | presume, knew
the motives he had for making the request,
and therefore was aware of its unreason-
| ableness.
Now, gentlemen, giving you both credit
for sincerity and that your only aim was
10 lay before the stockholders a true and
impartial account of the earnings aud
expenses of the road and the matters
connected with its operation and as it is
my opinion the stockholders should have
snch report, and as the report have made
and am now preparing may not be deemed
impartial and correct by all parties, | there
fore propose TO you, that, inasmuch as Col.
Claiborne has not time 10 go into this in
vestigation, will appoint some competent
book keeper, not in the employ OF the roads
| represent who shall, with the one already
appointed by you, make a thorough iu-
vestigation and furnish a true aud i'm
partial report of every transaction OF the
| company, from the date of the last printed
report of the company made by Col. '.
K. Stevenson, President; +. w. Cole,
| Superintendent, and William A. Gleaves,
Treasurer up TO the 18th of September,
| 1860, the date of the transfer by the United
| States to the present managers, and also
| from that time to the present. The above
named officers have failed to give the
stockholders any official report of their
transactions, or Of the use made by them Of
the company property and assets during
the time they operated the stock and ma
chinery Of the company South of Nashville.
|, on the part of the present manage
ment, will give the gentlemen free and full
access to the books and papers Of the COM
pany, and give all the information neces-
| sary or requisite to enable the stockhold-
ers to arrive al true understanding OF
! their interests.
As il is three weeks before the next an
nual meeting, there will be ample time to
get the desired information, and | sincerely
trust you will give the stockholders this
information on your part, as l on my part
| will most cheeriully give il.
In order to obyiate the possibility o.
| errors. | desire that the two book-keepeTs
render their report on oath; and # they
/ cannot agree, LEI a third one be called in tc
settle questions that may arise between
1 them.
Awaiting an early reply, am very re-
specitully, your obedient servant
| NJ BURNS