The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-05

Continued From First Page.

US We are willing to take the stock heid
by yourself and your friends. some OF
which, YOU have informed me yourself,
cost you as low as thirty, at 600 per
share. eliminating you from the situa-
ton with large profit to you.
In conclusion. will tell you that am
aware of the methods which YOU and your
associates and hackers have adopted for
the purpose of delaying and if possible
of thwartinS the execution of the plans
approved by large majority in interest.
[ do not doubt that the reckless attacks
which have been made upon those insti-s
tutions in New York and elsewhere who
are supposed to have holdings in these
securities will react upon those vino
inspire them for their own evil purposes.
REFUSED TfIE; OFFER.
The statements which I submitted to
you. upon which our plan of consolidation
was based showed very large surplus
earnings over and above all possible fixed
charges. We told you that if you cared
10 cooperate in this consolidation that
we were willing to let you appoint your
own experts to make a thorough exanli--
nation of the books and accounts OF each
and every road concerned in the consol-
dation. with the understanding that il
our reports should not be confirmed and
verified you would not be under any ob-
legations 10 come into the consolidation.
but tAat II CneSS VI ouIS
should be found TO be correct, then you
should join in with us. receiving terms as
favorable as those allowed to any other
stockholder. This you refused to agree
to. / also proposed to you, on November
9th, that we should lay our plans OF con-
soldation before the best railroad minds
in the country, to get the benefit Of their
judgment in regard to them. and 1 sug-
gested the names of the Presidents and
I " - 1y. ton Of
the best systems i'll the country. You
again refused my offer.
at that time, I asked you whether
there was any other information which
you desired, and which l could furnish
you. in order that you might come to your
conclusion, and you replied that you knew
OF nothing else that you desired; that I
!. had furnished you with ali the facts.
figures. and information, relative to tho
proposition. that you wanted.
When YOU remarked on, November 9Th.
1899 that you had never visited Florida
yourself l urged you to select an eX-
pert and let him make a thorough eIami-
nation Of the physical condition OF all the
properties involved in the proposed consoi-
iiation, and offered to put Al his disposal
every facility for such an examination
and 1 specially invited YOU yourself TO
come down and go over the properties,
but you refused to dc this, and as 4 mat
ter OF fact, you have not for several
, years past personally attended a single
stockholders meeting of any of the roads
of the Seaboard System. in which You
claim to be deeply Interested, but
have sent down to them certain actor
|! neys who seem to be paid for the our
pose of attempting to make trouble
wherever they can do so.
I do not believe that those interested
in the creation of 4 system so sound, 50
extensive. and with such prospects for
the benefit of the South can be disturbed
by the futile and cowardly attempts which
are being made to wreck the same
Your holding Of stocks in the Sea-
board and Roanoke road, as compared
with the value of the systems en-
braced in the consolidation. is small
fraction. ana you may be sure that those
so deeply interested will protect them
selves and not permit you to "sandbas
Uo use your own expression) the enter
prise. as it seems that you have rainly
and maiciously attempted to do.
(SiSnedl
JOHN SHELTON WILLIAMS.