The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-08
Can't PARALLEL the Line of the R. F.
and P.
THE SALE OF The STATES STOCK
President Williams Says His System
Does Not Desire to- Buy-Has Moth
ing To Say About an Alleged
Scheme To- Get a Charter
for Road TO the Ma
tionai Capital.

II looks now as If one Of qhe most
interesting railroad fights ever witnessed
in Virginia will come mp before the Legis
Iature At the next session.
The war will be one in which the sea
board Airline and the Baltimore and
Ohio will be opposed in their schemes
by the r., f. & F., Atlantic Coast-Lne
and the Pennsylvania.
Those who are in possession Of all tho
facts decline to talk for publication, but
there are good reasons for believing each
Of these great systems is planning tc
fight the others.
The Legislature will not grant a charter
to any company 10 parallel the Richmond
frodericksUurg and Potomac ROAD 80 .oil7
as the state holds stock in that corpora
tion 4 few wears ago a company was
chartered to construct and operate une
fror Richmond 10 Washington one oil
the provisions was that the bill should
moi become operative until the state had
sold out its holdings in the r., +. x +.
road. IL was provided that the stock
should not be sod below a certain limit
that was named. The charter expired by
Limitation. No effort was made TO sell the
stock. which al that time was below the
figure at which It could be disposed Oh
Now il is a few points above tne limit.
THE LATE RUMORs.
According to the rumors circulated mere
the Seaboard may buy out the state
holdings IN the H. +. d T.. and thereby
omen the way for a fight for a charter
President John Skelton Williams, OF the
seaboard. when seen last night denied
a part Of this story. He said his COM
pany had no idea OF buying up Virginia s
stock in the r., F. < r.
With reference 90 the report that his
company will ask and fight for charter
to Washington he said nothing had been
done. and this was q subject he could not
discuss al this time.
Mr. Williams stated that nothing had
been done I'm this direction so far, but
il was inferred from what he said that
the matter has not only been discussed
but has. perhaps engaged the serious
consideration Of the officials OF the great
seaboard Airline system.
The SeabCarG is. in certain degree, A
rival of the Atlantic Coast-Lne's II is
said the Coast people are engineering a
movement whereby the r.. f. q p. may
become q part Of their system. In fact, IL
IS a current rumor that a bill VII be
offered in the Legislature TO authorize
the consolidation Of these two lines.
WHAT 1T WOULD MEAN.
The r.. +. & =. connects with n branch
Of the Pennsylvania al Ouantico.
with the consolidation of the r.. F. &
p with the Atlantic Coast-Line. ana n
closer union between these systems ard
the Pennsylvania. the Seaboard Airline
would be at a disadvantage north Of
Richmond Therefore. it would seem that
the Seabcard AIRLINE would have all 10
gain by building its own road 10 Wash
ing'on. where connection could be had
with the Baltimore and Ohio
Representatives of the rival systems ex-
pect a hght at the next session Of the
LEGISLATURE. They are preparing for it
Gentlemen purporting 10 represent the
railroads have been trying TO ascertain
whether or nor Governor Tyler will in
his mcssage have anything 10 say with
reference 10 the sale Of the S'ate's in
terest in the r. p. q = road They have
not found out. for the Governor has. it
is said. not given the matter any con-
sideratiOn