Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-04-25
SHEN. VAL. RAILROAD.

cuo w diIeH toeNtNSt- w Z colAuleuu IL
to the attention of our readers, as it
sufficiently explains the reason why
there could be no meeting Of the stock
holders OF "our road" at Front Royal,
on the 7th inst, and also who are re-
sponsible for the present delay in the
resumption Of work on the road, and tor
the non payment of debts due some of
the sub-contractors and their creditors !:
The shetfan doah Valley Railroad Com
pany- No Meeting OF the stockhoiaers'
FRONT ROYAL, April 8, 1874.
MrssKs EpIroRs Your readers,
many of whom from pecuniary interest,
and Others from curiosity, doubtless feel
DESTROYS of knowing the result OF the
Railroad meeting advertised to be held
in this place on the 18th inst, yesterday
Bv your permission / propose as orieny
as can referring to this subject .!
wav of explanation, and letting 'he
ppblic know the facts in the case.
II is well known that the Central I'M
nroyement Company, of Pennsylvania,
are the contracting parties tor the max
ing and completion Of the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad, from Shepherdstown,
West Virginia, to the Chesapeake Il
Ohio Railroad, in Augusta county, Viz
einia-a distance OF 1873 miles, of which
about 60 miles have been graded, and
now nearly ready for the cross ties and
railing-and but for the unprecedented
stringency III the money market, pro-
dNced by the panic of September, 1873,
which Frustrated nearly every enter
prise throughout the country, bringing
ruin and utter destruction upon numer-
GUS manufactures and banking institu-
tons; we believe this day would have
witnessed the iron horse, speeding over
43 miles of the road. The Central I'M
provement Company, from impulses OF
Justice and honesty towards their Con
tractors, felt obliged to suspend their
work, because it was utterly impossible
to procure means to pay their estimates.
The suspension Of work was certainly
hard and unexpected upon the Contrac-
tors, who had creditors to suffer as well
% themselves; misfortune regretted
by none more than by the Contracting
COMPANY, who are not at all responsible
for the shutting down of banks, and the
scarcity of currency, but who have sui
tt<ed greater loss than the combined
debts due their Contractors.
,After having waited several months,
rithoNt receiying defuite information
as 10 The resumption Of work, by the
Central improvement Company. the
hoard of Directors of the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad Company, A;aet on the
24tl, Of March, and appointed a eommlt-
tee TO wait on the Central Improvement
Company. to ascertain their purpose, rs
10 maen hkfy ,vnuid resume this ~o,h.
The committee WAS received pleasantly,
and treated 10y the officers OF the Com
pany with that courtesy and respect,
which have hitherto characterized their
course. They admitted, and regretted,
that throngh disappointments beyond
their control, the resumption OF work
lad been delayed beyond their expec;a-
tions; that they would exhibit no feel
ing of opposition or hostility, towards
the completion Of an enterprise so full OF
promise to the contracting party, as
well as to the citizens through the
country it passes, az did this. add pro-
posed terms, whereby work would be
resumed, more generous than could have
been anticipated under such circumstan-
Hes. The committee held other confer,
enccs, with other and reliable parties
and returned full of hope. Of having Sc
cured an arrangement whereby every
dollar due by the Central Improvement
Company to their Contractors. as also
by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad
Company, would be paid without diff
Guilty, and that the work would be re-
sumed, and rapidly prosecuted to com
pletion. Thus rested Our hopes, and sc
we expected to appear before the stock
holders, i'll general meeting, supported
by gentlemen representing the Contra
Improvement Company who were pres
cnt,aud ready to make good the pledges
made to the committee in Philadelphia
Our bright prospects, however, were
soon brought to an end. On the train
of II o'clock, came two gentlemen OF
the bar, Messrs. Green 81 Mcdonald,
with their pockets filled with injunc-
tions and restraining orders, not only
prohibiting the Central Improvement
Company from casting their vote in the
proposed meeting of stockholders, but
actually preventing the meeting of the
Directors of the Shenandoah Valley
Railroad Company, or OF the stockhold-
ers of said company. Of this injunc-
ton, we have nothing to say, farther
than it strikes us as strange Republican
doctrine-we mean in the original
sense-for citizens to be restrained from
peaceably assembling and holding pub
lie meeting. One of the allegations in
the Bill is 'fraud"-fraud, perhaps at
the organization of the Company; and
without affecting any spirit of prophe-
ecy, we predict that if this organization
shall be thoroughly investigated, and
we trust now that it may be, if ''fraud
be found, the heaviest blow will strike
a VIRGINIAN, Mr.. Peter Is. Borst
while such gentlemen as Thomas A
Scott, Philip Collins, John 7. Green
Harry Beckwith, &c, &c, of Pennsyl
vania, who have invested their money
TO build railroads, and develop our hid
den mines, will come out unseathedi