Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-02-20
THE COMMISSIONERS INQUIRY.

IhE EUOMMISSIONERS' INQUIRY.
The inquiry instituted by the rail-
road commissioners of the state of Mis-
souri,. into the complaints made against
the Missouri Pacific railroad company,
of Overcharges on coal freights and
Determinations against private opera
tors in coal, in favor of the Lexington
Coal Mining Company, owned and
controlled by the officers of the railroad
company, began at the courthouse,
Thursday morning, February IL.
The board was presided over by
Commissioner Geo. g. Pratt, with Gen.
James Harding and Mr.. VIM. g.
Downing, the other two commissioners,
on his right and left. Messrs. j. d.
Shewalter and Blackwell " Strother
represented Mr.. J. c. McGrew, the
prosecuting witness; and Messrs.
Thos. j. Ports and Wallace s. ChiIes
represented the Missouri Pacific rail-
way and the Lexington Coal Company.
The witnesses for the prosecutors were
Tilton Davis, j. g. McGrew, w. F.
Metsker, q. Ben. Russell, Henry Macy,
James NJ. Seawell, Thos. b. Seaweil,
w. s. Claggett, L. B. Claggett and
John Longdon. The persons present,
on behalf of the railroad, only Mr.. Jas.
BolOn of whom was examined, were:
James Bolon, A. w. Drake, j. B.
Lyons, Z. V. Lewis, III. Il. Lemist,
M. w. Serat, G. X. Tozer and proba-
bly, one or two others. The courthouse
was we'll filled with intensely interest
ed auditors, among whom were the
following named coal operators of this
county: Edward and Wilson Winsor
and j. II. Campbell, beside those who
were witnesses. There was a great
deal OF bushwhacking between the
lawyers on both sides and the witness
es, and a great deal of irrelevant matter
was admitted. The first witness called
was
MIR. TILTON DAVIS.
whose testimony stripped of the cross
firing between himself and the lawyers,
which at times took sulphury and
frey character, was as follows:-
own twO-and-a half shares in the
Lexington Coal Mining Company, of
the nominal value of $4,000. 1 think
the Missouri Pacific railroad company
owns about one half of the stock of the
coal company. Mr.. James q. McGrew
did, for long time, own nineteen and
one-half shares in the coal company
Mr.. Jay Gould is president of the
Missouri Pacific railroad company,
The elections for officers of the coal
| company are held in the Equitable
building, st. Louis, which is the gen.
eral Cffice of the Missouri Pacific rail-
road, in the ante-room of Mr.. r. s.
Hayes office. Mr. Hayes was the first
vice. president of the Missouri Pacific
railroad. Mr.. r. NJ. Mcdowell is the
general manager of the Lexington and
Rich Hill and other coal companies
controlled by the company, ,::since these
companies have been placed under one
management. do not know that the
Missouri Pacific railroad company
owns 974 shares of the Lexington coal
company's stock. AT the last election,
in May, the railroad cast AZ votes,
have learned that the railroad has since
bought Mr.. McGrew's stock, making
66a shares. j. G. McGrew was gen.
eral manager until superseded by Mr..
Mcdowell. The principal reason tor
his removal, as l understand it, was
that he developed his private mines,
neglected the cempany's mines, and
compelled the miners to patronize his
store The meetings of the stockhold-
ers OF the coal company are distinct
from those OF the railroad company
j. q. McGrew has bought other
mines since he was put ont Of the Lex
ingtOn Coal Company. He has bought
land that the company was negotiating
for. lie bid more and got it. | un-
derstand he has tried to sell his land to
the coal company. The company has
not offered me 81, 800 for my shares of
stock. l do not know that have been
offered more than par. My stock is
not for sale. may have said the stock
was worth 81 900. 1t may be worth Il
great deal or a very little, but it is not
for sale The coal company has re-
Gently purchased large coal tracts.
have not paid any assessments for this
purpose. 1 do not know where the
money came from to pay for these
lands. j. g. McGrew made handsome
dividends for the coal company when
he was its manager. | believe | sug-
gested the purchase of the coal lands.
The company has good credit and can
get all the money it wants. The re-
cent purchases amount to S43,350, but
l do not know where the money came
from. Within the last few days j. G
McGrew asked me what would take
for my stock. gave him an indefinite
reply. He wanted me TO put a price
on 1t, when asked him 81, 900 a share,
and said to him that really it was not
for sale. The dividends declared bv
the company under j. G.. McGrew's
management were for 1888 about 90
per cent. !; for 1854. 20 per cent. and a
surplus of 100000 My stock came
easy, and is not for sale. l cannot say
exactly what it cost me. 1t cost me
something in money, some shares of
the original coal company, but mostly
brain work. THE witness declined,
In answer TO question by Commmis-
sioner Pratt, to testify positively what
company it was that effected the con-
solidation of the several coal compa.
MES alluded to, he having mentioned
another beside the two specifically
named, but not calling it by its legal
designation. think IS cents per ton
is fair rate of freight for hauling coal
from the Lexington mines to Kansas
City. AS stakeholder IN coal company
! am Interested in freight rates.
The next witness was
MIR. JAMES C. McGREw,
Who testified as tollows:-Capt. HAYES
was first vice-president of the Missouri
Pacific railway company. In the re-
organization Mr.. Hayes said TO me.
"Mr. McGrew we are not dissatisfied
with your management. What we
want to do is to place all of our coal
mines under one management" While
had charge of the Lexington Coal
Mining Company, about 81 years,
made and declared between co and 20
per cent in dividends, and q surplus of
$4,000. made regular reports to the
headquarters of the company. The
Missouri Pacific railroad company had
contract TO take coal from the Lex
ineton Coal Mining Company for five |
years,at certain price. Afterward the |
railroad wanted to cut down the price
OF coal. To this objected. wanted |
to make the best showing | could for !
the coal company. Reside, l had no |
interest In the railroad company and |
was Interested in the coal company. |
The charge that l was tavorin9 my
private mines, using my position to do |
so, was never made until after our dis |
agreements. Litigation followed, but
the suits were all settled, by mutual |