The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-14
RICHMOND, january 10, 1878

P. Y. Daniel, Jr., Esq:
Dear Sir.-I have your favor of the 9th
instant, in which you PROFOUND to me seve-
raj questions in regard to the management of
the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad Com
yany, to which questions | reply:
1St. ! was elected president of the Rich
mond and Petersburg Railroad Company the
latter part OF June, 1850, and ceased to be
president the last Of November, 1870.
I'd. am not aware, after such lapse OF
time, whether any regulation Or instruction
of the Petersburg Railroad Company was
expressly given to its officers or agents
which prevented its agents from attending
to the forwarding Of freight from its depot
to that of the Richmond and Petersburg
Railroad Company when such freight was
destined to Richmond or points north of Rich.
mond. We always had much difficulty in
| having freight forwarded when coming from
south Of Petersburg.
3. feel quite confident that no applica-
ton was ever made to the Legislature by the
Petersburg Railroad Company or any of it's
officers to construct track through the city
Of Petersburg TO connect the road of that
company with that of the Richmond and
Petersburg Railroad Company prior to the
act Of Assembly of March 3, 1865.
| 4th. an unable to say what was the GUS
tom rcsorted to in Petersburg in regard to
the transfer of freight from the depot of the
Petersburg Railroad Company TO that of the
Richmond and Petersburg Railroad COM
pany prior TO the war. So short time eX-
iSted before the war. after was made presi-
dent. and so short IL time after the war be-
fore the connecting track was built, that I
was not familiar with al the details of the
method by which the transfer Of freight be-
tween the two dep6;s vas effected. found.
after the war, that there were difficulties,
and attempted to obyiate them by contract
| with Il tcalnster in Petersburg to do all the
| hauling of our through freigl!ts between the
| two depots. Soon thereafter the connecting
| track was made, and that difficulty ceased.
9th. Books We're opened for subscriptions
| to the capital stock Of the connection COM
| panv in Richmond on the I'd Of May, 1866,
and the track was opened for business on the
Goth April, 1867. The Common Council of
Petersburg declined te-open books Of sub.
sclipiion for the capital stock Of the company
to build connecting track through that
city, as the charter of the company re-
quircd. Finding, however, that it had
granted authority to the Petersburg Railroad
Company to extend its track down to the
AppomattoN river l applied for and obtained
permission TO build track from the Rich.
moud and Petersburg railroad across the Ap-
pomuttoX to connect with that Of the Pc
icrsburg Railroad Company. This opposi.
ton delayed us, and it was not until late in
July, 1867, that through connecting track
was completed. Our through trains between
Weldon and Aqua creek were therefore
only able to commence running on the Goth
August, 1867. The cost of the track through
Richmond was $4,000; that through Pc
tersburg cost the Richmond and Petersburg
Railroad Company about So, 900; and the
| portion built by the Petersburg Railroad
Company cost it about double that sum
| There were many engineering difficulties to be
overcome in Richmond, growing out of the
difference in elevation between the track OF
the Richmond, Fredericksburg aud Potomac
Railroad Company OH Broad street and that
of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
| Company on the banks Of James river, and
also having to conform to the existing grades
Of the streets over which it had to pass. One
of the mossSostly works 1t encountered was
the construction of q tunnel under CANDLES
| Hill. The track through Petersburg prc.
sentcd few Of these difficulties and causes
| for like heavy expenditure.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
CHARLES ELLIS.