Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-11-26

cal, dictatcrial, and impossible tc
to get along with in railroad man
agement, and thus hold him up as
a 'bugaboo' to frighten these share
holders into the support Of pro-
posed plans to seek a new connec-
ton through II. Carolina. Tle said
that he was not here to defendGenl
Mahone's private character. Tt
needs no defence at my hands, for,
as Mr.. Heiskell said on yesterday,
no man dare assail his honesty and
integrity; but it is of his character
as a railroad man, l wish to speak
of briefly, in reply to what Col.
Baxter said on yesterday. Whether
we are here as Gen'l Mahone's
counsel or not, IS not the question
to which your attention ought to
be directed, and about which Won
have right to be informed-the
great question being, what is to
become of your Railroad under
the management of the present au-
! thorities. GenI Malone has been
represented by Baxter as too poor
to take care Of himself, as being in
charge of a rival line, and coming
here through his counsel to inter
fere in the control Of thia line. A
year ago, or about the latter part |
of July OF during the month Of |
August, Just before Mr.. Wilson and |
Mr.. McGheo left n. Y. to attend !
your last annual meeting, they did |
not think Gen'l Malone such a bad !
man as Mr. Baxter represented him
to be. Mr. Wilson was then will |
ing that he should have this line Of
road from Blist0l to Chattanooga,
and proposed to sell him-the prop
osition came from Wilson, ma
jority of shares III the line, and
with his own hand drew up 4 con-
tract, copy of which l have in
my pocket, contracting to the \,
NJ. & 0. Company $3.50 shares,
being what he, McGhee, Jaques and
perhaps one or two others then
owned, promising that he and Mc-
Ghee would get and deliver 1850
other shares, to make 10000 shares
"a majority-for which they bound
and Gen'l Malone agreed to pay
them par-$lO0 for each share.
If General Malone is such poor
Railroad man, what think you Of
Mr. Wilson's conduct a year ago,
in offering to turn the road over to
him No sirs, it is not GenI Ma
homes poverty, nor lis want Of
ability to take care of the road, bat
there is something else ct the bot
tom Of all this. GenI Malone was
able to carry out his contract, his
negotiations for money were com
pleted; but for some failure of one
OF the parties il London, with
whom he had negotiated to sign
some papers, at the time expected,
he did not receive his money SO |
soon as he expected he would, and
this, IS Isuppose was made a pre-,
text to sell to some one el5e-and |
accordingly between the Doth OF
Aug, 1871, and the 10th Of Sept,
on their way to, or on their way
from the ANNUAL meeting at Knox
vile, they sold to Scott s, ,47O5hare5
Of the stock in their company. Mr.
Wilson knew Of General Mahone's
ability to comply with his contract,
and hence / say failure On the
part of Malone to pay, was only
pretcXt.
He said that he would youch for
what he had said about these trans
actions, aud called upon the gen>
tlemen to deny them, if untrue
(But Mr. Wilson is not present, and
it is proper to state that I asked
him, a moment ago, not to 90 away,
that ! would OF intended to speak
about matters concerning himself, |
and l desired that he should ba
presently
Some of Mr.. VS. friends called him
in-Mr Wilson present, Mr. York
asserted that Pres't Wilson and Mr.
McGhee had offered to sell ma
iority Of shares to Genl Malone, |
and agreed to deliver him the stock, |
for which Malone was to pay them
par-and that they afterwards sold
to Scott 8,470 shares at par, and
if this was not true the gentlemen |
can correct him.
Col Baxter was amazed at the
persistence Of Mahones counsel in
charging reticence on the part Of
the management. He had stated |
several times already, but would |
repeat for their edifcation that a
contract had been made with Tom
Scott by several of the stockhold- |
ers to sell a portion OF the stock of |
the road, to be transferred when
paid for, which had not yet been
done, and the stock was yet on the
books and not transferred.
Col. York continued, contracted |
indeed; how much, tell these shares
holders. Why not tell these stock |
holders all about it.?
Mr.. Wilson You have no !
right to enquire into my private
affairs.
York These are not private |
matters, Mr.. Wilson, as we insist, |
but they are matters about which |
we as shareholders and the repre-, |
sentatives Of shareholders have |
right to enquire and be informed. |
He said that he was prepared 10
show that these 8,470 shares were |
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