Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-01-29
MISCELLANEOUS
SHENANDOAH VALLEY R. R..
From the shepherdstown Reg;stcrl


communication from Col. r. w. Baylor ap-
peared in thu Shepherdstown Register on the 5th
inst, in relation 10 tue Shenandoah Valley RAIL
road. 1t was written apPalnntly as an intro
duction to the republication of an article under
stood to have been prepared by Mr.. George II.
Bardweli, and by HIM published in the Philadel-
phia Sunday Press. The object of Mr.. Bard
wells article, thus sent by Col. BAYLOR for
production in the Register, seems to have been
To oppost n extension of Gny aid ON the part of
the Federal Government to the Texas Pacific
Railroad, and instead, to advocate the construc-
ton of line by the aid of the Guited States,
from the Eastern end OF the Texas Pacific road
in Louisiana: through Memphis. through the
Shepherdstown, bridging the Hudson at the Mar
rows and ti.euce on to the city of Boston.
Col Baylor, III bis predatory and c0mmon-
datory communication, ia kes occasion TO discuss
the advantages Of the narrow gauge over the
broad gauge road, and illustrates tue success of
the former by statistics drawn from the opera
tons of the Royal Land Compauy'S road run
ming from Orange Courthouse to Fredcricks-
He then asserts that The Shenandoah Valley
Railroad Company has sunk S6l, 500 of the Coun-
ty bonds for which we never will receive an lota
of benefit" And he proceeds TO say 'but il the
county can get rid of the present company she
can build a narrow gauge road with the county
subscription uucxpCnded, from tho Poio mac
river to BerIyyiiIc, and the county OF Clarke
will continue the road to Front Royal" He then
states; in a sin gle paragTAp.; that the prGsenII
existence For the last two years the Board OF
Directors have been illegally elected and their
charter has been forfeited. The present company
is so hcplcssly lnsOvcnt, and fCttercd by
mortgages, that capt. Alists will not touch IT.
If w rid ourselves of the present do nothing
poratiOn then we can build tho road " The
grounds upon which these statements are made
are not gwen, nor single fact referred to III
confederation of them. They are asserted how
ever, with absolute and unqualified positiveness.
The undersigned directors of the S.V X. X.
Company, residing in Jefferson county, and
claiming to represent a company that is not fic-
titions, but has Il legal existence, and to he
members of board of directors that have been
legally elected by corporation that has NOT for
feited it's charter, respectfully submit that it is
due to the said company and to the people of
jefferson county. for whose eyes this Cummunl-
catIon written and who are III intended TO
know il, what proof there Is TO sustain these al.
legations so utterly destructive. II true. of all
hone of accommodating the great objects for
which this enterprise was brought into being.
1t is proposed to examine the correctness of the
starting announcements contained In the COM
munication of Col. Baylor.
Is then the conclusion or opinion correct, cI-
pressed therein by him, that 'the 8. v. r. X.
Company hns sunk 3 81 500 of the county bonds,
for which the county VIII never receive an iota
of benctitf' 1t is true that the amount of
bonds before mentioned has been invested III
the S. V. r. R, of the S2jO,OOO of the subscrip-
ton of the county. This Investment was in
pursuance of the terms of the contract between
the company and the county. and represents
work aud labor actually done and materials &C
of The road i'll jefferson county. There are nine
teen miles of graded road within the limits OF
tho county, and upwards of 60 miles in the same
condition bctwee,i the potomac river aud Page,
county, Va. These 10 miles. thus completely
graded. cost the company nPwaTds OF SIo,uOo,
by the company about S2S.OGO. These figures
are exclusive of large expenditures for engineer
ing and other necessary outlays. The county
then has within its own borders n work whose
construction cost largely over 100, ,OOOO to rep
resent its actual expenditure of s6l 800 besides
the latter amnunt of stock in a work that has
cost several hundred thousand dollars. why
should this be lost, unless the attempts succeed
so strenpously made from time TO time TO bfeak
down and destroy the corporation that has ac-
cOmplished this much of the important work 1t
has undertaken to perform. and whose manifest
interest it is as we'll as that of the county to
prosecute the enterprise to its tull consumma-
ton And even in the event, by some mode not
indicated. the prcsent company or the pTEsent do
saon.ing poTdtiOrl shall be ''Cottcn rid Of" and
the scheme suggested shall be carried ont of the
construction, with the uuexpended balance of
the graded line Of the s. V r. r.. from the banks
connection nor outlet, to BerTyyille and Front
Royal, it would hardly be said that the s. V..R.
X. Company has sunk S6l, 500 of county
bonds for which 1T wall not have received an iota
of benefit.
Baylor 10 got rid Of what is termed ''fhe PTeHent
company" 'sIf the county get rid of the
present company, she can build = narrow gauge
road with che county subscription unexpected,
from The PotomEc sc" And further on he .Ays:
If rid ourselves OF the present do nothing cor
porAtion We can build the road, and not before"
1t Ia difficult to understand pTGciEely the mean
ing intehded to be attached 10 the terms here en-
ployed. There is but one Shenandoah valley Kali
poratiGn? This might be Inferred from the allie
CATION that ''the present 8. V. R. r. Company IL
hctitous-it has NO legal eTistenee' and there
s'has been forfeiture of lite charter. Or IL 1t
meant that the powers of the corporation remain
intact but that its government has passed INTO IL
legal handss This might be inferred from tne
declaration that ''for the last two years the boIo
OF Directors have been illegally elected. II tne
first construction be the true and the purpose
be 10 destroy the charter of the 8. v. z. Compa-
nv what will become of the scbsrne of building
narrow gauge road from the Potomac 70 Ffont
Royai By the use of the unezpsDded balance oi
the county subscription? That subhcripticn was
made to the s. " R. R. Company by the people Of
the county, who authorized it by an expression oil
their will through the ballot box Destroy that
comunnv and What becomes OF an unexpenoed
baIarne Of subscription to . defunct, extinct and
forfeited corporation2 Who will be authorized to
uaa II for narrow gauges any other purpose
thar that for which Il was originally dedicated
~, iraAt thaN