Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-01-09
Alexandria and fredericksburg Rail-
road Investigation.

burg railroad company met again Oh fTluaE
evening, pursuant to adjournment, Dr. Graham
in the char.
Montgomery Slaughter, ex- Mayor of Fred
e:icksb,1rg was sworn and testified: That he
WAS director of the Alexandria and Fred
cricksburg railroad That he holds ten shares
o stock. for which he paid nothing. This stock
was subsequently, demanded of him ut the time
the sale WAS made to the new organization, but
he declined to hand it over That he attend
ed the meetings of the Board several times.
That he did not know whether the stock issued
had been paid for orr not lie did not know the
amount OF stock issued. he understood that
contract was made with certain parties to build
the road and they were u have the bonds and
stock That he did not know to what amount
the bonds were issued nor what disposition had
been made OF them
Col Carter BraXton was then sworn, and
testified that he had been employed byJ. b.
Stewart. as the agent of the Alexandria and
Fredericksburg railroad. as engineer 10 go into
the field and locate the road. That he declined
to DO this until the exs,cllSe WAS guaranteed;
and that he was trid it WAS all right, TO go
ahead That the money not coming he applied
to Stewart. VIII" went to ituyck 5 bank. III
WuSIlnyton and asked why they had not for
wari,l the money and directed them to do SO.
That he found at Fredericksburg. shortly alter
wards ~ his credit $1,000. placed there by
Stewart with which he paid himself and party.
That there wls paid in all ON account of
work done il the field by his party, some $G.?Wo:
That in the course of Il few months he learned
tat the contract had been given to BodhSh,
Nliil; 4 Co.. for the road, and that they were
- i,uil !, and be paid in stocks and bonds. -
That there were. h. WAS intnrmcd loo bonds
:.:.,lc,i to that tirn III advance payment tor
WORK ,iu,.,'. and la; they got III New "rk on
these from various parties some ;S+i.uk'. That
the c;.nt;,ct lat been first given tn party III
PENNSYLVANIA represented by L Mr. heeler, Dut
that h" Went on Ill excursion party anu TOOK
little too much to drink and the contract fell
through.
That BcdfisIl Mills Il Go. paid about $ 900
for the right of w;y and expenses; and III AL
ahout 50, 900, including materials. &c., and
that about $1,5.0On was expended III grading up
to the tilis. of his leaving and considerably more
afterwards That the sub contractors garnc-
yi!ccd the bonds due to Bodfsh, Mills u Co.,
and prevented any further issue To them, and
this caused them to break and the contract to
be ;mulled That he was informed that no
further money need be expected, anI stopped
work
That Mr. Johnston told him that no money
had been paid for the stock, except that Il
check for the 81 per share subscribed had been
handed him--he thought it was Stewart
check That there was still due him about
SSH, and that he had applied for it and had
not received it. He had never applied for it
,cf,S,rr y to Mr. Roberts.
He stated that he had come to Richmond at
the time OF the application for renewal OF the
charter and had done his best to defeat the
bill. That he wanted Il provision inserted that
the charter should not be renewed until all the
old debts were pad-and that falling to secure
that. he did his best to defeat it.
That there had been ali organization effected
under the Fcklin charter who proposed to
build the road ifthe charter WAS not revived: -
That he was not familiar with the organization
Of new companies or the manner lnwhlch 1t was
done. That he did not know whether there
was any organization under the Ficklm charter
as that was difficult question to answer.
The committee then, at the request or Judge
Oud allowed President p. '. Daniel, Jr, to
make personal statement OF the connection
of the Alexandria and Fredericksburg railroad
with his own. He stated that ne was nrsI
approachcl by Stewart, who told hlm he hau
avaluablc charter and wanted to make a run
ming arrangement with his road. That he dis,
cussed the matter afterwards, and finally had
certain resolutions passed covering this ar
rnnqemcnt That this was in the early organ
zaton of the company and that when, the
work stopped the whole thing fell through
Afterwards. in the early part of 1870, ne was
waited on by Mr.. Lincoln, who assured INN
that Stewart was no longer connected with the
company and asked his assistance in procuring
the revival Of the charter. That ne made Ger
tain amendments which made the bill Satlstac-
tory. and then did his best to assist its passage.
That afterwards during the summer, he learn
ed of the negotiations between Alr. Roberts,
and his associates and Mr. Moncure Robinson.
and received the contract submitted by Hlr
Roberts. That he had learned from MIR. lLn-
coin who the parties We're that proposed to bil!
the charter: and that he did not consider the
contract satisfactory because his road was con
fined at Baltimore To Il connection with the
Northern Central. and he therefore dsappr"v-
cd it. That counter proposition was submit
ted hy Mr. Robinson which failed because the
pennSyvania railroad Insisted ,r on the steam 1
boat lines hcing Abandoned That he had
known of the charges against the Alexandria
and Fredericksburg railroad when they applied
for Il revival Of the charter, but that he had ad-
vncated its passage When, however. he learn
el that a charter had been introduced Tor
another railroad between Fredericksburg and
Richmond he went to work to find any plan which
might exist in the organization ofthc road for the
purpose of defeating the poposed extension.
That he had asked Mr.. Kelly to offer the lcSo-
luton that he had prepared it and had turn-
ishcd the names of the witnesses to be subpr-
nacd--anl that he thought he was justified in
acting ;,s he had done. That he thought his
own road was entirely adequate for the accom-;
modation of the public, although 1t had
been closed by ice for the past week and from
one week 10 five every third or fifth year. And
that he would be glad to see another road built
as soon rs the public accommodation requir-
cd it.
That his road did not solicit through freight
because they had to dray it until recently in
Petersburg, Richmond and Washington That
they had had Il contest with the York river
roal on the freight AMI passenger question,
which terminated in an agreement that pasScn-
.,rs should not he carried at less than s.: nor
i.,;nhl y, Loss thnn 80 cents 4 hundred.