Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-01-26
EXPLANATORY.
THE ROANOKE AND SOUTH
ERIN RAILROAD QUESTION.
ALL 0UGSTIOEOsFOLLY ANSWERED.
a rimcn Reporter Interviews Hon. LII.
=. Trrut-CIear ana FOrc;bin EXPOSE
item of Ito Intentions of tie Com.
pany---AlI Parties satisfied.

hiOn Oh 'Ile slTttlS diiu III tiIt IiMtS
for the past two or three weeks as TO
what the North Carolina and Virginia
Construction company intend to do
in regard TO the completion of the
Roanoke and Southern railroad. The
TnIEs has been fully satisfied all
along that the Roanoke and Southern
Railroad company and the Construc-
ton company intended to fulfill all
their promises to the letter, but other
citizens, thoroughly honest in their
views and deeply intere ,ted in the pros
peIiJy Of the city, have demand ed
further guarantees, and have not hest
tared TO mention their objections
They seemed TO upprehend that the
Roanoke and Southern Railroad conf
pany or the Virginia ami North Car
DINA Construction company, after
getting she city TO vote 500, Goo in aid
OF the building of the road. would call
on the municipality Tor one or two
hundred thousand dollars more, as the
necessities of the case demanded, and
the questions propounded by some of
these ionbting ThoinaseS We're work
iug serious harm to the best interests
OF Tie city.
The editor Of the Ti;IEs, after the
controversy began, had several frank
conversations with Hon Ii ). Trout
on the subject. He found Mr. Trout
deeply interested in the matter, and
wholly at Il loss TO see why so
lnauy gromndless objections should
be urged, but perfectly willing, as far
us po eioie, to satisfy the public that
the aims and purposes of the railroad
company and the Construction com
papy were no more and no less than
~ defined in their proposition to the
city council.
The bitterest opponents Of the pro-
visions for the appropriation never
tor a moment ilnpugned the motives
of Hon Il 5 Trout, president Of the
Roanoke and Southern railroad COM
pany. or doubted for a moment that
lie would carry out any contract made
between the corporation lie repre-
scented and the city of Roanoke, but
they claimed that there were certain
vital points in the contract which
only Mr.. Trout could elucidate.
With the deepest interest III the
city /, welfare and advancement, and
the. InOst perfect confidence in the i'll
tegrity OF Mr.. Trout, as well as full
belief in the disinterested motives OF
those who asked for further guaran
tees in the matter of appropriating an
Sl00.0 C0 in aid of the con
struction of the road, the editor OF
the ZINES conversed with all the par
ties interested and finally succeeded
III getting the opposing gentlemen
together. when it was found that the
between them was but lit
tie more than mole hill, and
that all were equally anxious tor the
of the Roanoke and South
ern railroad. which they frankly ad-
mittad would do more tor the mate
rial interest of the city than any plan
III present in view tor its advance
meit.
MIR Trout said the road was not
for a dollar up to this
time: that the members of the
company had in
vested over $1j0,000 OF their own
money in building the road, and that
they would only borrow money to
finish the space intervening between
and the end of the twenty
miles south of this city, which the
council had agreed to help them com
plete. provided a majority of the free
holders of the city would ratify the
ordinance in this respect. He had re
ceived several propositions in regard
to the road, but the company desired
to complete it without outside assist
ance. and TO come into the city indie.
pendent OF any or all combl-
nations.
Mr.. Trout said his interests in the
city were larger than in the Roanoke
and Southern railroad, and he would
not ask that dollar of bonds be
given until every interest of Roanoke
had been secured. He read letters
showing that the road was favorably
by all the railroad com
pani,s interested in the development
of rhls section, and he said there was
nor shadow of doubt about the
early construction OF The road, the
only point being whether the railroad
company should build it themselves
or get outside assistance. So far
as any guarantees or expla-
nations were concerned, Mr..
Trout said he was willing to do
proper or reasonable to
satisfy the people of this city that all
the railroad company asked was the
500. 600, and that if this was once
voted, no further call would ever be
made on the city for assistance, and
the road would be completed with as
little delay as possible.
Mr.. NJ H. LlAytor, one of the gentle
men insisting on further guarantees
trom the railroad company, was pre-
sent. and when Mr.. Trout made the
following statement under his own
signature, he said he and his friends
were perfectly satisfied and would
rive the measure an earnest and ac-
tive support. In view of the import
ance of this question aud the firmness
and frankness with which it has been
settled, the adoption of the ordinance
appriopriating 100000 additional in
aid of the Roanake and Southern
railroad, may now he regarded as a
certainty, and it is hoped our people
will now bury their differences and
ioin hands heartily in improving and
building up our beautiful city.
Following is the statement of Mr..
Trout. which is given with the frank
ness and fairness which characterizes
all his public or private utterances
I'm a recent communication NJ. H. G.
asked this question: What will the
Roanoke and Southern RailroadCo do
when it shall have built twenty miles
of road leading from Roanoke, and
been paid $2OO,0O0 by Roanoke city?
Will the company continue 10 3 con
nection with the southern wing of the
road, and establish its terminal facili.
ties within the present city limit OF
Roanoke, or will the company cease
work until Roanoke gives another
hundred thousand ?''
In answer to this question | desire
to say that contracts will be entered