Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-04-25
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.
Important Aetioa of the Valley Railroad
Cnrnnany

Important Aetloa of the Valley Railroad
- Company.
LEXINGTON, Va, April IA, 1871.
A regular and very important meeting of the
Valley Railroad Company was held here last
night, Col. j. L. +. Preston presiding.
1t being ascertained that considerably more
than majority of the stock was represented,
Col. Ni., Ct. Harman was called to state the
status and prospects of the Valley Railroad
Company.
Col Harman stated that the whole of the
stock necessary to build the Valley railroad had
been subscribed except tsuo hundred thousand
dollars, which was the quota assigned Augusta.
This county having refused to vote the sub
scription, as it was expected she would do. ef-
forts have been made TO raise it elsewhere. =
Friends In Baltimore discouraged the effort to
raise this amount there, and he saw no hope
of raising it along he line Of the road. He
had proposed to subscribe the two hundred
thousand dollars himself, on condition that he
should be permitted 70 divide this amount of
stock among the contractors when the road is
let
He had received letter from the president
(Mr. Robert Garrett), il which he says that
this last proposition oolsf'cts with the terms of
the subscription of the lsfg CT Baltimore.
Col. Hartman said that he.was really at loss
to know what to propose.
The letter Of President Garrett was read to
the meeting, and seemed to be generally con-
strued as virtual Abandonment of the enter
prise.
Judge Shefey did net regard Col. Harman,,s
propositiSa as at all affecting with the terms
upon which the city Of Baitisnore had voted to
subscribe to the stock OF Afe Valley railroad
Ii our Baltimore friends sshaFe the will they
.lx, Erl ,G III
this It would be burnpg shame If. after
raising 50 large an s,nouns fsr this great work.
we should now fail dor lack Of the compare
lively small sum Of 500, 600.
He thought that the matter could be salts
factorily arranged b. conference with the au-
thorities in Baltimore.
Colonel William Allan vas disappointed at
the tone Of Mr.. Garrett letter. Il looked as
if he meant to absndon the enterprise. He
was not disposed to CAST cry censure upon Mr.
Garrett, but we must have a railroad, and if
he cannot devise TIE ways and means OF build
ing it, we must look to those who can.
Rockbridge had done all that could be ex-
pected of her, and il Mr.. Garrett proposes
now to fold bis arms be would look to the
Chesapeake and Oai0 railroad and see if they
are not willing to tske the charter (of which,
fortunately, we and not Mr. Garrett have the
contro) and build he road. He offered the
following:
Whereas we have reason to believe that the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company is
willing to aid US in promptly carrying forward
the Valley railroad
ReS0ived, That We appoint committee of
four to confer with the chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad Company, and ascertain if terms mu-
tuay satisfactory, as'l which shall look to
enabling this company to put some part at
least Of the line under corract this summer,
can be made; said committee to report to an
adjourned meeting of.thls'company to be held
here on May 10th at o clock 2. M.
Judge Sheffey proposed as a substitute that
committee be appolntedto go to Baltimore
and see if the matter cannot be arranged there,
said committee to report to a meeting OF the
stockholders to be held here on the 10th of
May
After long and very spicy discussion, par
ticipated in by Judge Shefey, Colonel J. w.
Masse, J. D. Davidson, Ed, Colonel NJ G..
Harman, Colonel Allan, Captain G. A. David
son. and Colonel j. T. L. Preston, Colonel AL
Ian resolution was adopted
Judge Sheffey' resolution was also adopted
as an Independent proposition
The chair appointed as the committee to con-
fer with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
Company, COL VIM Allan, Col. J. W. Mas
sic, Maj Fl. M. Bell, and Capt. Jas. Compton.
The committee appointed to go to Baltimore
was Judge Sheffey, CoE NJ. e. Harman, and
Capt. G. A. Davidson.
This means business. The Rockbridge peo-
pie say that any responsible company which
will agree to begin at once'to dig dirt from here
to Staunton can have their subscription, and
that if they can't get prompt action they will
spend their money ogAa railroad of their own,
or on turnpikes. LEXINGTON.
PARsIAN VANDALISM The column oftbe
Place Vendome is negatidn OF fraternity, and,
therefore, let it be destroyed, is the latest fu-
mination of the manlacs who now desecrate the
very name of authority in Paris This mag
nifcent bronze obelisk, one of the greatest tri-
umphs of art in Europe. aud associated with
memories so full of pride and glory of France,
is doomed by the edict oi fabble, remarkable
only for its cruelty and vandalism The col
umn was cast from the. cannon taken by the
great Napoleon in the German campaigns, and
is monument to the triumphs Of French arms
upon such memorable fields as Jena, Friedland
and Austerlitz 1t is fashioned after the col
umn of Trojan at Rome, and its splendid spi-
raj freizes are an epitomo' Of the more promi-
nent scores in the eventfui military history of
the First Empire. For years it has bee, a sort
of shrine where worshippers from all
parts of the world have come to make their OBJ
lati0ns to the genius oi the mighty Captain
whose statue crowned 1t; and scarcely a day
passed but what some pilgrim added his wreath
of immorteIles to the wealth of floral offerings
strewed about its base. How appropriate.
therefore, it is that work of art so dear to
the hearts of the great mass Of Frenchmep,
should perish at the,hands of the parricides
who have not scrupedsto strike a deadly blow
Of hair country sHie.