The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-04-13
4itl.n1oud 1ispatrlt.
LOCAL MATTERS.
Tsae Proposed Change Of Gauge Of the
Richmond and DanviIle Railroad.

The Proposed Change Of Gauge Of the
Richmond and DanvtIle Railroad.
The House Committee on Roads and In.
ternal Navigation met Saturday morning in
the office OF the Superintendent Of Public
instruction. In the absence Of Judge Ould,
Colonel Armstrong acted as chairman.
The following bill. introduced In the
House by MIR. Scruggs and referred to the
committee, after some minor matters had
been disposed OF, was taken under consider
ton: .-.
4 bill to authorize the Richmond and Dam
vile Railroad Company to change aud regu-
late the gauge of its road:
"WhereaS 1t may be Of much Importance
And value TO the Richmond aud Danvitle
| Railroad Company, and to large portion OF
| the people OF the State who are provided by
| said company'S road with an usefu, and nc
| ces>ary means Of transportation, that the
| said company be authorized and allowed so
as 20 alter and regulate the gauge of its road
as thereby the better to accommodate the
| business and economiZc lis operations III con-
! ducting the same; therefore ..
Il. Be it enacted by the General assembly
Of Virginia, That it shall be lawful for the
| Richmond and Danyille Railroad Company
| TO alter, change, and regulate tie gauge of
l
the said company may judge best for the
promotion of its business, and to maintain
and operate their line Of road on such stand.
ard of gauge as the said company may atany
! time deem necessary and proper to secure
| the most efficient, useful, and economical
| operation Of the same. Aud any law or
| provision Of law to the contrary is hereby
| repealed.
-. This act shall be in force from its pas.
sage" .-...
Colonel A. S. Buford, President of the
| Richmond and Danville Railroad Company,
| who was present, was asked to explain the
bill, and in substance said: -
IL mean to be entirely frank and candid.
! This proposition is made to fulfill the pur-
poses which we hoped would have been
reached in another way. The Piedmont
road was constructed during the war by the
Richmond and Danville Railroad Company,
and this company in 1871 acquired by lease
| the interest of the North CaroliBa Central
road, from Greensboro to Charlotte, dis
| tance Of ninety-one miles, with guage differ
| ing from that of the Richmond and Danvilie
road. My company have made continuing
aud persistent efforts 10 adapt the guage OF
| this ninety-one miles of the North Carolina
road to that of the Richmond and Danyille
road and of the roads beyond Charlotte. In
| this effort we have been foiled thro Ugh the
| instrumentality of antagonizing interests,
and we now stand arrested by the injunction
Of the courts. In the present condition of
our company it would be better for US to
change the gauge Of this ninety-one miles
than of the one hundred and ninety from
Richmond to Greensboro. Under existing
circumstances, however, 1t would be our
better policy to conform the gauge of our
road from Richmond to Greensboro to that
Of the North Carolina road, inasmuch as that
! would involve but one transfer, and that at
| Charlotte. l am very frank to say that in
my opinion the narrow gauge, four feet
eight and half inches, is preferable to the
| wide gauge of five feet, and ought to prevail
throughout the country. beg to assure the
committee that this application is made
simply on the principle which controls the
management Of every well-regulated road
| that of taking care OF ITSELF"
In response to question by member of
the committee, Colonel BufoTd stated that all
! the roads south of North Carolina are Of
| tvc-toot gauge, and that the connections of
his road from Charlotte cid Atlanta to Mo-
bile and New Orleans are the same. To an
| other inquiry made by Colonel Armstrong,
| the chairman pro tem., Colonel Buford, said
| that probably about 1856, in an act authori-
zing the guarantee Of the bonds of the Rich
mond and Danville Railroad Company, it
| was provided that the gauge Of the Rich.
mond and Danville railroad should be that of
the Southside road.
| In answer to further inquiry Colonel
Buford stated that this was the only legisla-
| ton ON the subject known to him. He ad-
mitted that this change of gauge would ne
cessitate u breakage of bulk at the Burke
vile junction, but expressed the opinion
| that the connection with the Southslde road
was of minor consideration as compared
with other interests of his road; that
! while some trade and traffic was had
By this city with Southwest Viz
| ginia and East Tennessee it had lit
lie beyond the character Of local business,
| and was not to be compared with the inter-
ests to be subseryed by this change of gauge,
nor to the increased facilities that could be
thus afforded the people along its line.
A member of the committee asked II tbe
whole line of bis road from Richmond to
Greensboro vas exempt from taxatlon.
The reply was that only that portion of the
road which lies in Virginia Is exempt. An
intmation was given By the inquiring mem
Der that he could not consider the PROPOSE
| ton until the REIMBURSEMENT Of such claim
was made. To which Colonel Buford re-
piled that bis company was now financially
depressed, and was in no condition to incur
additional burdens, but if the legislation
| now asked for should be accorded it might
! be that in the future the company's increased
prosperity would admit OF such reinqutsn-
ment. Colonel Buford indicated by map
the route of his road and OF his southerly
| connections, and expressed his willingness
TO respond to any further inquiries which
might be propounded by members of the
committee.
The hour Of II having arrived, the COM
mittee, without coming to a conclusion, ad-
journed until Tuesday morning ut 1C
| O'Clock.
DISTINGUISHED RAILROAD OFFICIALS IN THE
Clry.-Mr. Robert Garrett, president of the
| Valley Railroad Company, and son of the