The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-11-02
Bellaire s. s. w, Railway.

The visit of the Directors along the
proposed route, last week, was not as
satisfactory as they had hoped for
There was quite general desire to have
the road, but equally as general an ex.
pectation that somebody else would
build it for them. This ungenerous at
litude of the interests between this place
and Woods6eld induced the Directors
to take the preparatory steps for adop-
ton at the next regular meeting of the
Board of the following resolutions, viz !:
1st. That the present stockholders
and all who may subscribe before the
road shall be opened for traffic between
Bellaire and Woodsfeld, shall be con-
sidered preferred stockholders, and shall
be entitled by such preference to draw
back of one-third on all freights shipped
by them or to them, and on all their
passenger fares. This privilege to con-
tinue till the drawbacks and dividends
united shall equal the stock subscribed.
81. That steps shall be taken to pro-
vide such amendments of the Charter
as the exigencies of the Company may
require. ~
The preference indicated in the first
resolution, it will be seen, is not to be
in the usual form of dividends prior to
the declaration of dividends on COM
mon stock; but to operate directly upon
the trade and travel Of the stockholder
This resolution will be made sweeping
in its influence and will make the stock
worth premium as soon as the road
shall go into operation, and will thus
make quick returns to the laborers who
may, as they have proposed, take part
stock for their work on the construction
of the road. To the produce dealer,
the lumberman, the cattle dealer, and
Others who may have heavy freights to
ship over the road, the advantage Of the
preference will be very great. When
the non stockholder finds that he has
to pay one-half more for freights and
for his passenger fares he will be dis
posed to make an outcry about "The
Ring but he is warned in time. He
can now get into the ring if he chooses.
1t will be a ring" of rather unusual
character, for it will include all the
stockholders.
The second resolution is, in the first
place, designed to leave Beallsvile and
Armstrong; Mills out of the charter
Not that they will be excluded from the
line if they subscribe their due share
toward the enterprise; but to provide
for locating the road upon some other
route, if such other route shall more
promptly furnish means necessary to
build its due share of the line. The
Directors consider the Company tortu-
nate in having at least one alternative
line of promising character. The en-
gineer is now making the necessary pre-.
liminary EXAMINATIONS.
Another purpose included in the sec.
ond resolution is to have the amend
ment of the charter authorize the extern
sion of the road from Woods6eld to
the Muskingum River and to Athens,
where it will have connection with the
Marietta and Cincinnati, the Columbus
and Hooking Valley, and the Athens
AMI Pomeroy narrow-gauge. As the
people in the country between Woods
field and the Muskingum River are al
ready agitating the question to some ex
tent, there is no doubt that by the time
the road is completed to Woodsfeld The
country will be quite ripe for its exten-
sion.. .,.. -, =,