Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-12
THE NASHVILLE AND NORrTt WEST.
. ERN RAILROAD CGNFROVFRSNr.

J tF-'~f--NA -~'lohhsAh"NStStE Aaiitbdnf NAtlCu
think demands some notice.
Receiver lines says shat what is known
~ The Burns board OF the Nashville anC
Northwestern railroad, are responsible FOR
every evil that has befallen the road. Up
70 December ], 1867, the road had been
operated by the old company, at which
time il owed its enplogss a1d others about
300, 600, and il was In arreare AZ far back
as August, 1861 'sa ae'ht
1 propose 70 examine into this charge
and give some facts. In the mofd Others, |
fake il for granted be don't mean interest
due - the State, but money due to others
than employee. ~ ~ 4 Efa s. 81
| The Nashville and Northwestern rail
road was turned over to its stockholders
and operated by its Directory, by the
United States on the LIST day of September,
1865. IL. was, then finished TO Johnson
Vile. Gen. Ihness acted as Superintendent
from that time until he had the Directory
displaced abd 5msslf'appointed Receiver.
The directory commenced operating the
road on the day the United States turned
il over TO them, and started the enterprise
without s'doflar in the treasury OF the
company, or scarcely an article the com
pany could cali their own, of either rolling
stock or materials to operate road with.
| The United States generously came to the
aid of the Directors, and furnished, on time,
rolling stock and materials p sal, "a
After the war ceased the Directory,
| through their President, applied 10 the
Legislature for additional aid 10 build the
road TO Hickman. This application was
approved By His Exeellency, the Cover
nor to whom the railroads are very much
indebted for his assistance and co. cooperation
in all their troubles.
The State granted additional aid to FIN
| ish the road through to its terminus. hayine
given aid to it before the war amounting to
| s., Ass, 900. From the alst of September.
! 1865, until September 1st, 1867, the time
the road was finished through the whole
length, and the time the Receiver was COM
missiOned 10 act as such, the company
owed It's employees the sum of $7,191 80.
When it was ascertained that Receiver
was put on the road, President Burns called
on the Governor and requested him not TO
appoint a Receiver, as it was only very
recently finished, and he thought it but
just to give the Directory an opporttl-
nifty to see what could be done by them
in its management, and considered that if
it was left in the hands of its Directory
that they would manage it better than a
Receiver would and stated that it was the
intention of the Directors TO ask the Legis-
lature for additional aid, and Thus be en-
abled TO make the road paying concern.
His Excellency assented, and held up the
commission OF the Receiver until Decem-
Der During the time, from September 10
December, the pay roll was increased $46,-
$40 so, making in all $50, 341 AZ due TO
employees. The company does not con
slider that it ought ia justice TO be held re-
sponsible for the increase in the pay rolls
from September 10 December, az the road
was operated By Che Receiver TO as great
an extent as it has been since he actually
took full charge of it. | ask any candid
business man, if any company could show
a fairer record than this A road of one
hundred and seventy-six miles finished
with debt due to employees and others of |
only 81, 19l 81. And even take the In
crease of the debt from the LIST of Septem-
Der, 1865, to December, 1867, would be in
all $5S,5l4 AZ. Under proper manage
ment, the road could pay this in two
months at farthest. In this amount the
salary Of the President is net included, az
he preferred to see other employees of the
company, who needed il more than him.
self, paid. @ E1a
The length of road finished in the time
named was nearly ninety-eight miles, with |
the bridge over the Tennessee river. There
were portions Of this work done before the |
war, bat during the war il was left in such |
a condition that the work was of little.or |
no value. All this time Gen. Times was |
SUPPLEMENTARY Engineer Of the road,
and am willing to accord him all the |
praise that his position as such entities ham
to. IL will be seen that in che place of the |
old Board owing employees and others, about |
$500, goo, the company owed only the sum |
of $5354l AZ, Interest to the State is not |
included nor salary of the President. i |
am informed the contractors on the western |
end failed to pay their men. The company |
paid the contractors all they agreed to pay |
and $50 000in excess, as they, claimed they |
could not finish the work for thesum agreed |
on, on account of damage their work sns- |
tanned by the flood of March, 1867. The |
directory thought il Just to comply with |
their demands ! trust / have fully met |
the charge that the Burns board caused ali |
the evils that have come on the road since /
il was placed 10 the hands of receiver. |
How do matters stand now, or since Their |
eeiyer took the road The men on a strike |
on account of their not being paid their |
wages for several months and the trains /
stopped running. The old board had no
strike by its men on account of not being /
paid. They were always patient and worked |
for the interest of the company, who they |
had faith would act fairly by them.
The receiver ignored all debts due the
employees before his appointment, and in |
fact started with a clean sheet, the road and /
machinery in good order, and had the nse
of the Chattanooga Railroad Freighthouse,
Offices, work shops, yard and every facility
that he could ask, for a merely nominal
rent. And after a short run of six months
under the management of the receiver, we
find the earnings of the road spent, the
one hundred thousand dollars of State bonds
spent or unaccounted for, and an indebted /
ness due employees Of from fifty to seventy
five thousand dollars, besides other debts |
for materials. all of this immense loss Oc-
curling in so short a space Of time, without
any accident by food or fire, or otherwise.
Is this not, to say the least, an indica-
ton that the affairs Of the road have not
been managed in al. economical way? And
all Of this loss occurred without the agency
of the old Board.
In regard to the suit and Injunction,
which he says the company instituted
against him, and preventing him from
drawing some $250000 more Of bonds,
which was in reality given by the Legisla-
ture TO the old Board, to be used for certain
purposes stated in the act of December,
1867, Of which he managed 10 get $l00, 600,
in point of fact the company has no suit
with him of any kind. Stockholders in
Kentucky Instituted a suit against him,
enioining him from using the bonds or the
name Of the company. There has been no
decision in the matter. The Judge Of the
Federal Court gave it as his opinion that
the old Board were entitled 10 the bonds
and effects of the road, bnt withheld his
opinion on the quesiion.of the jurisdiction
of his Court in the matter. 9E ~
Now, as TO the SIS, 900 which the Re-
ceiver says President Burns Is bound for,
and that il paid the suit would be win
drawn. Gen. Times has told only part of
the story, and as / happen 60 be familiar
with the facts, will give them. The COM