National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-08
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION,
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Railroad Company in fact merged into the Me,
fropolitan railroadl A. About the Slst Oh
August, 1ST2.
politau rai,roadl A. have aslist here, and II
The committee desire to look 1t over they shall
Rave H. They are 266 in number, and the
ronmIttee may examine it If they desire.EWe
nave not yet been notified of any assessment
against the company for paving the carriage
way of West street In Georgetown. ,.., "a -.
The Chairman. win ask you another ques-
ton; has any assessment of the cost of the car
riageway been charged against your road laid
on West street, in Georgetown A. We have
not yet been notified of any assessment against
the company for paving the carriageway on
West street, Georgetown.
Q. Now, I am requested to ask you two sd-
ditional questions, on q subject which ! suppose
has not been included In the answers already
given by you. Have you obtained authority
from Congress or from the Legislative Assembly
of the District government to occupy and use
all the streets enumerated In your written re-
sponsesl A. We have not. Co. o..
Q. WIN you state upon what street you have
laid railroads where you have not had such au-
thorityl A. On street, Sixth street, and Mis-
souri, avenue, about three squares. All the
others we have privileges from, especially the
Union road we had a privilege from our Legis-
1ature; and also the Silver Spring road, we had
privilege from our Legislature for The cor
porations of those roads finding that the roads
were too short, and that they could not run
them with anything like success, not running
the entire distance, they were finally merged
into the Metropolitan road.
Q. Have you not laid your rails on certain
streets in Georgetown and Washington, and
afterward changed them to other streets at
your own volitfon or discretion A. We laid
them on Four-and-a-hslf street and found that
the difficulty of the grade was so great that we
were compelled TO change the road from Third
to Four-and-a-half street. My impression is
the Legislative Assembly gave US permission
to occupy Third street. That is the only street
where we made any change.
Mr.. Wilson. Is the stock of your company
transferable on the books of the company A.
Yes, sir.
Q. Where are your stock books. A. At the
Office.
Q. Does the list you have presented here
show just simply the present list of stockhold-
ersi A. Yes, sir. gave an order to the clerk
to have ii copied faithfully, in order that it
might be brought and presented as full trans
cript Of our books.
Q. As your books show at the present time,
A.FYes, sir.
Q. Do you know whether any member of the
Board of Public Works has been q. stakeholder
In your companyf A. Yes, sir.
Q. Whol A. Mr.. Brown has been a men,
Mr.. Shepherd was also a stakeholder and one
ofour directors. He was one of the original
stockholders-oue Of the projectors of the
road.
Q. From what time to what tImel A. I have
his resignation here. His design was to resign
the dictatorship in our road long before the
time that he did Sc, but not seeing any reason
why he should do go, endeavored to persuade
him out of il. He reflected on the matter,
however, and finally concluded 1t was proper
for him to do 1t. l think that his last meet
ing with the board of directors was nearly
twelve months prior to his resignation being
received. His resignation is here, and will
read 1t If you desire It.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. That is not whist was
asking you for. ! want to know at what date
he ceased to be q stakeholder in your rosdl
A. Let me see if l can find out, examining
some papers.) His stock was transferred upon
the books May 2, 1873. Prior to that time,
however, it had been sold. and was held by the
parties until the coming of July, under the
Impression there would be dividend declared,
but they were mistaken.
Q. What interest did he havel A. Three
thousand dollars.
Q. To whom was it soldl A. know of one
person, Colonel Smoot.
@. Who else' A. That do not know
e. VIII your books showi A. Our books
will show.
@. From what time was Mr. Brown stock
holder1 A. He was one of the original stock
holders.
Q. Up to what time did he hold stock7 A.
He holds 1t now.
Q. Is he still holder of IT, A. Yes, sir.
Q. And has been all the whilel Il. Yes, sir.
Q. You mean S. P. Brown, 1 suppose? A.
Yes, sir. l think the stock lists that 1 have
handed in here will show the subscribers and
the number of shares held by each.
ha 80 6ol5
amount Of stocks. A. think he increased af-
ter the original subscriptions, but I do not re-
collect the number of shares. 1t was a small
number, however.
The Chairman. Now you may read the Gov
ernor's letter Of resignation.
The witness then read as follows:
WASHINGTON, August !, 1877.
DEAR SIN: l respectfully resign my position as
8 director in your company.
While doing this can but express the regret
feel In thus sundering the connection which has
been so pleasant since the formation OF the CON-
pany; but think it best under the circumstances.
T 1FR1S Esq., R1ssdsa Srdpofan
Railroad Company.
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. What are the shares of |
stockl A. Fifty dollars par value, $50 paid in. |
Q. What is that stock worth now7 A. 1t |
has been sold at SIS and S2G If we don't paw |
D dividend in July it will go down to $50. As l |
stated, the par value of the share is s50-S30 |
and S96.
By Mr.. Stewart: Q. That is s5less than cost
4. Yes, sir.
q. This was actual money paid INF A. Yes, |
Dir; there has been no "kting" there at all; |
he money has been actually paid in.
@. There has been no watering of stockl A. |
No, sir. The only stock we have issued |
here to our stockholders has been when we |
laying extensions Of the road. We |
mad a dividend then in the treasury. The board |
If directors authorized our using that and |
giving them the stock instead. That is all that |
ass ever been issued.
@. The surplus was used for the construc-
Hon Of the roadI A. Yes, sir; 1t was paid out |
Tor the construction Of the road.
By Mr.. Wilson: @. understood you to say |
hat the company had paid for the paving from !
he Capitol to the Treasury and Seventeenth |
street. A. Yes, sir.
Q. Has IL paid for the work that has been |
lone during the last summer between the Capt. |
tol and Seventeenth street, A. The cost of
The reconstruction of our road was so heavy |
hat we are in debt for it yet.
@ Has there been any bill presented to you |
for itl A. Not from the Board of Public |
Works, and hope there will not be.
@. Who paid for the work that was done |
between the Post Office and the Patent Office.
The Witness: Now, what have you reference |
10, to the grading or the Pavingl
VI. III.
The paving was done by Mr.. Gleason, the |
contractor. We have had no bill presented as
Jet b US for it.
@. Do you know what the Board of Public |
Works pays q square yard for that pavement!
A. / do not.
Q. Between what points has that pavement |
ocen put down during this last summer along |
.he line of your track A. Between Fifth and |
Ninth streets.
O. Any on Seventh street, or does the road on |
seventh street belong to your compaDyf A.
10, SIR.
q. Has your company paid for or been pre-
,ented with any bills for any work done this |
asst summer between Fifth and Ninth streets |
IN Fl A. None yet.
@. Have you any understanding with the |
Board Of Public Works in relation to that work. |
A. None whatever; wish had. The longer |
hey defer saying anything to us about 1t the |
,etter we will like it. Our cry is TO be "let |
lone )" Eve want peace"
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. Your company put |
Iown the cobblestones between the railsl A. /
Yes, sir; and also where 1t is required we gen.
rally 90 to work and put it down on the out
ode; we do this wherever the cobblestones
AVE been laid, because it costs US only 81 to
he running foot, while the cost for the pave
nert put down by the board is IS.
Q. Did they charge the railroad company |
With any part of the cost of pavement on /
.ither side of the raill A. We have received