The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-02-07
The Virginia and Kansas Land Co.
MEETING OF sTocKHoLDERs-EL EcTIoN
OF PRESIDENT, &C., &C.

MEETING OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
| OF PRESIDENT, &C., &C.
A called meeting of the stockholders Of
the Virginia and Kansas Land Co. was
held at New Market on Friday last, Feb
ruary 1st, Vice President S. P. Shirley,
presiding. Over $4,000 worth of stock
was represented.
The committee reported the purchase. Of
10000 acres of fine grazing and farming
lands in Stafford county, Kansas, and the
securement of an option on 10000. acres
more. These lands are among the most
fertile and desirable in that growing and
prosperous State. They are situated on
both sides of the Rattlesnake river, in one
of the most healthful and productive Sec
lions Of the great West. The soil is a
rich black loan. resting on a subsoil OF
clay. 1t is covered witha luxuriant growth
Of the finest native grasses and abundantly
supplied with water. The land is gently
rolling, smooth, and perfectly free from
rocks, sswamps and malaria producing ele-
nlents. Lying, as it does, in alternate sec
tions, the best of opportunities were Or
| fered fle Committee for judging of its
producing qualities. The intermediate see-
tions have leen taken up by homesteaders,
and many of them are under cultivation.
The crops raised amply attest the quail
| ties Of the land, and the condition OF the
i stock evidenced the pe1lliap adaptability
| of the section to the needs of the ranch
man. !H3
The committee also cOnversed freelyWlth
the settlers, and wereiavprablyiim Impressed
with their description Of the climate, gen.
eral healthfulness. crop returns,iSc SCHOOL,
houses are interspersed3 through the Sec
ton of which the hand purehaSed,is a part.
and although situated from eight to TWEEN
ty miles from the railroad, but little IN
convenience is experienced in securing
whatever may be desired. from the com
mereial and manufacturing centres. The
excellent condition of the roads renders
Transportation to and from the railroads
easy 1t is no unusual occurrence for
loaded teams to make five miles an hour,
with less strain upon the horses and
wagons than is experienced in billy and
stony sections in making half that dis
lance in the same time. y t7Ae.i'" VI
In regard to the title to thes.land pur-
chased by the Virginia and Kansas Land
Company. Judge Hudson, attorney for the
| Company, presented the written opinion
ofaMr w. Fl. Rossington, the law partner
of the Attorney General Of Kansas, and
one of the most distinguished lawyers of
the State In that opinion it was stated
that the title in question was perfectly
valid. The land has passed directly from
the government to the Atkinson, Topeka
& Santa Fe railroad, thence to NJ. D. Her
rington, and thence to the Virginia and
Kansas Land Co., so that the chain of
title is uncomplicated and Short. In any
event, however, the last purchaser would
be perfectly secure, as Nh. Harrington is
recognized as one of the most substantial
men, financially. of Kansas, and behind
him is the A. T. & Santa Feroad, a wealthy
and perfectly solvent corporation. III
In reference to the bill recently intro
duced in Congress, providing for the adj
| justment of the grant of lands made to
the State of Kansas to aid in the con-
structiOn Of the A. 7. & Santa Fe road,
Judge Hudson stated that he had just re-
turned from Washington, where he had
had an interview with MI. Anderson, the
patron of the bill, and also the attor-
ney who was prosecuting the claimfor the
State From the information received
from these gentleman he was satisfied that
the Stafford county lands were in no way
| involved in the controversy. The claim
set up in the bill is that in listing the
| lands to the railroad company $4,000
acres were enormously included, and to
that extent the railroad holds more land
than r1ghtfully belongs to it. Should this
claim be allowed, the lands forfeited would
| be the lands acquired subsequent to the
date at which the railroad had received its
| full quota under the grant. mother words,
the last acquired would be first subjected
to the claim of the State. Under this
rule, the extreme western end of the grant
would be the section involved, and as the
railroad holds several hundred Thousand
acres west of Stafford county, there could
not be the slightest possibility of involving
the Stafford county lands The extreme
western lands which would thus revert to
thu State, are the least valuable and de-
sirable held by the railroad company, being
at ahigh altitude and insufficiently watered.
The title therefore to the Stafford coun-
| ty lands is not debatable. 1t is as valid as
the law can make it,..and as such the Vir-
ginia and Kansas Land CO. will warrant it.
The aim of the Company now is to Sc
cure stock sufficient to close the option on
the next TO- 900 acres of land on the 5th of
March. Whilst the entire 80, GOO acre tract
is purchased conditionally, yet each sepa-
rate contract for 10000 acres is a distinct
transaction. The first 10000 acres, as
stated, has been bought and paid for and
if the stockholders did not believe the in
vestment good one they could stop where
they are, as failure to close the option
would not operate to the prejudice of their
completed purchase in any way. So con-
fident are they, however. that the invest
ment is safe and will prove remunerative,
that they are DESTROYS of securing as much
land as possible under the very favorable
terms of their option. The stock SUBJ
scriptions now received are upon condi-
ton that an amount sufficient to close the
option on the next 10000 acres shall be Sc
cured by March 5th. If not secured, then
the new stock will be cancelled and the
!, money refunded on the 9Th of March.
After general comparison OF views
! among the stockholders, the meeting adj
} journed. wa iHeA Yla .a.i.
a,ae DIRECTORS MEETING.
Immediately after the adjournment Of
: the stockholders, Vice-President Shirley
called a meeting Of the Directory, the fol-
lowing Directors being present ;: s.
Shirley. A. B. Lightner, B. 2. Price. Saml.
Driver, C. Driver,.S. II. Myers and J.
: Yost. ,saei 500 ff,, Il
Il Theresignation Of Jno... Firebaugh, ESQ., ,s'q
: Of Augusta, President Of the Company,
was rendered and accepted. Mr.. Fire
} baugh's reasons for resigning were II II
health and consequent inability to prompt
IT, o4+ooa 10 +l,o b,,c;oocc of thQ office.