The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-11

soisuuES una weldon, or Tue aicuMOnQ,
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Com.
pany. This gentleman agreed with me, that
neither the Robinson party or the Penn
sylvania Central should get control Of the
roaa and further, that it ought to be
WORKED substantially as have indicated :;
ana more than that, that the Atlantic. Mis-.
sisslppl and Ohio Company should be per.
mltted to have track of their own unon
the road-bed of the Richmond and Peters.
burg railroad, Of course at fair considera.
ton. Following this brief interview-the
same night or the following night, I disre-
member-came Mir. Bridgers, with whom,
In connection with Mr. Ragland and Mr.
John Lyon, the subject under considera-
tion-namely, that OF securing the control
of this road-was considered, and as ono
Of the. means necessary for this purpose,
Eand to guard against failure, so that If
the right of securing this communication
with the city Of Richmond By the line Of
railroads represented by Mr.. Bridgers and
the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Com
pany, it was considered important that APP
plication should be made to the Legislature
for the charter OF
AN INDEPENDENT RAILROAD,
so that, as was stated by myself, in default
of being able to secure the control of the
Richmond and Petersburg railroad, and
thus providing a way for an untrammelled
intercourse with the city of Richmond on
the part of the roads represented by Mr..
Bridgers and the Atlantic, Mississippi and
Ohio Company, that the two companies,
in conjunction with the Petersburg and
Weldon railroad, construct new road,
and thus get over the difficulties expe-
rienced in connection with the manage
ment of the Richmond and Petersburg
railroad, heretofore referred to. Such q
charter was prepared by Mr.. John Lyon,
as attorney of Mr.. Bridgers. and was not
pressed by Mr.. Lyon upon the Legislature,
as have understood, because of the late
ness OF the session. Soon after this fol-
lowed the meeting of the stockholders Of
the Richmond and Petersburg railroad,
just before which was called to Peters,
burg to confer with gentlemen there as to
the best course of proceeding with view
to obtaining the control of that road,
it being then and there understood,
as on all occasions, that such con-
troll was to be in the hands of parties
resident in the State, and whose co6pera-
ton with the Atlantic, Mississippi and
Ohio Company could not be questioned |;
q no ioc NJ fa oil ho rpl
of this road to pass into the hands of par
ties outside of this State. At this inter-
view, Mr.. Lyon, Mr.. Ragland, Mr.. Robert
Boiling, and MIR. Arthur Johnston we're
present. 1t did not then, or at any previ.
Gus interview, enter into my head, or any
of theirs so far as is known to me, that we
were cooperating in movement which had
for its object the transfer of the control OF
this road to non-residents, much less to a
corporation beyond the limits OF the CON-
monwealth; and l we'll know that
no such purpose was then, has
been, or can be contemplated by
Robt. B. Boiling, Geo. W. Boiling, or J. A.
Johnston, who were present on this occa-
sion. In order to carry out the purpose of
these gentlemen, Mr.. Robt. 2. Boiling was
one of the committee to lay the whole sub
ject fully and freely before the Board of
Public Works, in order, if necessary, the
board concurring in the propriety of the
proposition, to secure such changes in the
proxies then appointed as would reach
the end of securing to it such manage
ment Of the president and board OF
directors as would in the best inter.
est of the shareholders and of the State
direct the policy Of that company, believ-
ing such management would be brought
promptly to comprehend the wisdom and
the expediency of leasing the property, SO
that the narrow gauge might be worked by
the Richmond and Petersburg railroad, or
the Petersburg Railroad Company, and the
privilege of tive-foot track secured to the
Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Company
After this meeting of the stockholders ]
submitted proposition to the General
Assembly asking the privilege Of building
a branch road to Richmond, in fur.
therance of the idea, heretofore stated,
that in the event of failure to Sc.
cure the control of the Richmond and
Petersburg road, the right would now exist
whereby the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
Company and the roads leading from Peters
burg south might secure communication
with the capital of the State, even though
the control of the Richmond and Peters
burg road might yet remain Objectionable.
This proposition for branch road was OPP
posed by Mr.. John Lyon, the attorney for
Mr.. Bridgers, notwithstanding the fact that,
as heretofore stated, he had been employed
to present to the General Assembly pro.
posal for an independent charter. This led
me to suspect the good faith Of these
parties, and, in addition to that, when
come to observe Mr.. Lyon and Mr..
Bridgers were here at the capital CO.
operating actively with the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company in their effort to OBJ
tain O charter from Washington to the
city of Richmond, that then they were
| seeking the control of this road for them.
selves, plainly to be worked in conjunction
with the line from here north. This was
coupled with the fact that MIR. John Lyon,
| who Is known to be the agent or attorney
of Mr.. Bridgers-and I have it from the
chairman of the Finance Committee Of Pc
tersburg-expressed willingness, If not
desire, to purchase the city's stock in
the Petersburg and Weldon railroad.
Here, then, it was plain in my
view that the object of these gen.
tlemen was to secure the absolute control
of the line of railway reaching from Rich
mond south and this line, to be worked
| in friendly alliance with the Pennsylvania