The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-07-24
SPENCER and St. JOHN
Some Very Spicy Correspondence
Between These Railroad officials.
tbs Looked Upon as Sensational.
Nobody Knows What May be the
Outcome of II. The Railroad
World 4 eyinces Great
Interest.
Correspondence Atlaut Constitution.

Correspondence Atlautt Coustitution
AsnEvlLLE, y. C.,July 2O.-(Speoial)
1t has just leaked out here uduy AZ
all echo OF the convention of the rail
road masnaies OF the Southern railway
aud Steamship Association that a
rather sensational correspondence has
been gong on between President
Snmuei Spencer. of the Southern rail
way, and Vice President st. John, OF
the Seabourd Air Line. Mention has
been made in former dispatches to the
Constitution of the interview given by
MIR. st. John to the Norfolk pupers,
which mnde the charge that the boycott
against the Seaboard WAS systematic
effort on the part of the Southern rail
way to depress the Seabourd's secur.
tiles.
AS spoon as MIR. Spencer read the in
terview OF Mr.. st. John he wrote him
the following letter, which is decidedly
to the point:
MIR. SPENCER TO MIR. ST. JOHN.
"NEw YORK. July u, 1895.
"-Nr. r.. 81. ,JOhn, Vice President
.Seadoard dir Line, PortSnio uth,
"DEAR SIR: The Richmond Times of
July 9Th contains the following state-
nent in quotation marks as having
been made by you to u representative
OF the Portsmouth Star:
"'ln regard to the reported sale of
the Seaboard Air Line TO the Southern,
about which you inquire, the absorp.
ton OF this line seems difficult matter
OF accomplishment. Efforts arc said
to have been made to buy its stock,
which were unsuccessful; then 1t was
boycotted. for the evident purpose OF
depressing its securi tiles, which proved
failure, and now some one gives out
that We have been purchased outright,
otc'
1.-The inference is very strong in this
statement, first, that efforts had been
mado by the Southern Railway Com.
pany or its representative. or some ono
III Its interest. to purchase the stock
controlling tho Seaboard AIR Line for
the benefit in some way OF the South
ern railway, and, second. TINT the Sea.
board Air Line Was bogcotted by the
Southern railway for the purpose of
depressing its securities with view to
such purchase.
"Will you kindly advise me whether
tho above statement was made by YOU
as printed, and if SO, whether 1t was
intended to convey the above mean.
ing, by inference or otherwise? Yours
worry truly,
rs. SPENCER, President"
MI. ST. JOHN TO MIR. SPENCER,
Mr. ST. John replied as follows
"PoRrsMoCrH. Va, July 18th, 1886
Mr.. Samuel Spencer, President
Southern hallway. SO Broadway, New
York city, n. I.:-Dear Sir, | am in
receipt OF your letter of July 18th, and
beg to say ~ reply that the quotation
as rendered III your letter il presum-
ably correct. You will observe, how.
ever. that the quotation in which YOU
refer, reads that efforts are said to
have been made to buy its stock This
Is no news. 1t mentioned, however.
no particular line in that connection.
so far as the 'boycot' is concerned.
We have never to this day been able to
come to positive conclusions az to its
meaning, for at every stage of the pro-
ceedlngs. and previous to the adoption
OF the order for its enforcement, both
our president and myself, by telegraph
and letter. urged q full investigation
between the parties who claimed to he
aggrieved and outside of the associs.
ton CAS- We were not members of it,,
should prove any of orr employees at
fault. to make good every loss sustain
ed, etc., and this. after much loss IN
freight revenue, resulting from the boy.
colt order, Was accomplished directly
between the parties Interested.
$50 far as the settlement of the
question is concerned, we do not as.
sumo. nor does the quotation, we
think, imply that the Southern rail
way WINS the association known and adj.
vertised M the Southern Railway and
Steamship Association, but it was a
fact that the lines voting for the boy
colt order, voted for All act, the result
OF which WAS, and could only be, to de
plete our freight revenue.
1--WE sincerely hope that we shall be
able to work in the greatest harmony
possible with the Southern and ali
other railways, while mt the same time
protecting the interests committed TO
our charge. Yours very truly,
T.. ST. JOHN,
Vico President"
MIR. SPENCER COMES BACK.
And this is what Mr. Spencer hnd TO
saw in reply to the Seaboard,e y;oo