Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-15
A TUNNEL TUSSLE.
DEBATE BEFORE THE STREET Com-
MlTTEE ABOUT BORING UNDtH
EIGHTH STREET.
Hard THINGS said About the Company, hut
Its Bond Accepted In
the End.

a negro can get his pay, but the White
men can get nothing"
This was the charge made before ,le
/ Street Committee last night by MI J' W.
/ Dobson. spokesman for the men VINO
worked on the Eighth-street tunnel. and
I he defed the officers Of the Richmond ana
Chesapeake Railroad Company VINO were
/ present TO deny It,
A 100000 Boyp.
A special meeting Of the Street Commit
! tee was being held in the City tngineer
/ Office at 7:45 o'clock last nlght' aha tuose
/ present were Mpssrs. Crensbaw chairman
/ Glover. Stratton. Higgins. Capers. Bahen,
ROYAL White. Wingfiell. and Curtis, Of the
/ committee; Messrs Charles h.. Beivin'
/ vIce-president: q. w. Barnes, chlet en-
/ gIneer: General-Manager Trayner, ana ~.
/ A. Atkinson, Jr., general counsel OF the
/ Richmond and Chesapeake railroad. lheIt
/ was also in attendance a delegation pl
/ about fifty men who had worked on the
/ tunnel.
The clerk read letter from Secretary
/ PotauX. of the railroad company, 70 the
/ chairman Of the committee, asking the lat
/ ter TO call a special meeting 10 take acton
upon the 100000 bond rendered by the
/ company.
REQUIREMENTS.
This was in accordance with the ordl-
nance approved February 18th last, when
! extends the time for building the tunnel
/ until February 10. 1892. Among the con-
/ ditious 10 be compiled with on the part OF
/ the company are the following:
/ The filing of q bond for 800, 600 10 pro-
/ tect the city and pr0perty-owners from
any damages sustained to lite, hihO' or
property. ,r
hpowcr ofattorncy from the makers OF the
| bond 10 the Treasurer Of the city, authQr-
izinc him TO confess judgment should the
/ occasion arise.
The deposit with the City Treasurer OF
city bond Of the par value OF r5,OOO az an
earnest that the work shall be begun with,
in thirty days Of the deposit and finished
within the specified time.
SECURITIES.
The bond and power Of attorney were
read by the Clerk and explained by CITY
Attorney Meredith. NJ,
The signers Of the bond are the hlch-
mond and Chesapeake railroad. by Charles
| W. Mackey. president; II. X. Baltzer, by
o. ". Barnes. attorney; o. W. Barnes and
/ Charles w. Mackey.
Mcssrs Mason 4 Hoge, it was explained.
were also 10 90 on the bond. but THESE
gentlemen had been delayed in reaching
the city by q slide on the railroad. Inc
] power OF attorney WAS TiEil'u ~ Wv ''HAi'N
| parties. but Mr. Meredith stated that errO-
neously the power Of attorney from Bait
ger 10 Barnes only authorized him TO sign
the bond. but il was evidently his inten-
ton 10 include the power OF attorney. but
/ he had neglected SO TO do. Mr. Barnes;
! however, haedsigned the latter paper. ana
/ Mr.. BaltZer had ratified has action by tele-
graph and the requisite document "ould
/ probably be forthcoming to-day.
J Tho bond 10 "a bp cancelled one wear hlteF
trains begin 10 run over the road, provided
no suits arising from matters relating 10
/ the construction Of the tunnel are pend
lng. If work j. stopped for three months
| the bond is to be forfeited.
ADDITIONAL BOND.
Mr.. Barnes suggested that as the COM
panv were going TO take a bond Of SleO.Oo
| from Messrs. Mason ~ Hoge that this
would be sufficient.
Mr.. Meredith SAID he thought II would
{ be better to have them on both bonds.
| Nc-srs. Mason a Hoge Mr.. Barnes
| stated. had gwen a large bond when they
/ built the Southern Pennsylvanla road.
which work had been very satisfactorily
/ performed.
TWO BONDS.
Mr.. Gamers also was Of opinion that il was
better for Messrs Mason * Hoge to give
I both bonds. He moved 70 ;sass the accept.
]
/ the contractors.
Mr.. Stratton asked Mr.. Meredith if the
! committee rose without adlournlng and as-
semble Tuesday night would II not be le-
| qallv the same meeting and thus bring the
! bond within the required thirty days!
| MIR. Meredith SAID 1t would not.
GOOD.
! M Curtis asked Mr.. Meredith if he con-
sidercd the bond good. He replied that he
ha1
| invested in this State. owning large part
of the Virginia Beach hotel and railroad.
Mr.. 5. q. Tinslcy stated that Mr. Bal ger
had a fine farm in Augusta county, which
he thought was valued at 500, ,OOC.
In view Of these facts Mr.. Meredith, con-
sidered the bond perfectly good, and ad-
yised that it be accepted. provided 1t was
signed to-day 10y Messrs. Mason Hoge.,
MIR. Curtis then moved that the chair be
emDowed TO receive the bond to-day, pro-
ylded Messrs. Mason & HoGe sign IT. and
that the S. 600 city bond is deposited as
required by the ordinance.
QUESTIONS
The following questions were propound-
ed by Mr.. StrattOn and answered by the
Mi the @ioC. 900 bond be invalid if the
$1,000 city bond Is not deposited?
viii not the Council have to accept the
bondi
No: the ordinance said tho committee
could accept.
AHARD ONE.
The next question asked bv Mr. Stratton
was not so easily disposed of, and led To
the episode of the evening, reference to
which was made III the opening lines
above. He asked oflMr. Barnes how about
the claims Of the men who had been work
ing ON the tunnel. and what arrangement
had been made for paving them.
Mr. Barnes replied that draft had been
sent. and he would see that they were paid
| III few days.
Mr. Stratton stated that if Mr.. Barnes
would do TINS he was willing and ready TO
vote for Mr.. Curtiss motion TO accept con-
dtionally.
| TREATED sHAMEFULLY.
MIR. Higgins called attention TO the fact
that a large number of the men were
present, and that it would he well to hear
! from them. This was agreed TO.
Mr.. j. W, DobsOn acted as spokesman
and made the following statement
The men have been shameiully treated,
and have received no money since January
9th. They have been discharged. not PAID
o1I, and no reason given.
AGAINST wHITE MEN.
A foreman was, continued Mr.. Dobson,
paid - day 10 60 down into tne tunhel
and tell the negroes that they could go 10 a
certain place and get seventy-fve cents on
the dollar for their pay. White men could
get nothing.
At this point another one OF the men
| stepped forward and showed the commit
tee pawn-tickets for his time, which he
had been compelled to sell. Tonight,
gentlemen, my wife and children are at
home with nothing TO eat"
HIGH OLD TIME.
Continuing. MIR. Dohson SAID | am
turned ont without cent 10 bum
around, while they" pointing TO the ON
cials of the road. "go around and have
high old time
Mr. Barnes at this point put III general
disclaimer TO Mr.. DObson's statement.
At this the latter became excited ana III
extreme language denounced the tunhei
scheme and all connected with II, ana COZ. con
cluded with the statement that If neces-
sary he could put Mr.. ). j. Dudley VINO
bought the negroes time, on the STAND anu