Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-02-27

AhSo1s ibouSSu H. psI1iSs uahluk
THE charge ~ subscribe 10 the stock,
and III = tnsy were untrue.
tbIUk 1 eau satisfy all intelligent
aud tair minded persons that this
charge 10 not true.
Tne berryvIile Land 4 Improve
ment Company originated ia call,
made 10y "a few PERSONS OF the town,
tor - Injecting ~ be held At the court
house, To take IutV consideration the
formation OF such "A company tor the
Development OF the towu or Berry
Vile. was no party 10 tins move
uIent, WAS absent IIOm hVuIe at the
time II was made, aud had beeu sb
sent tor several days. l reached houie
at late hour OF the evening
upon which thiS meeting was To take
! place, aud WAS m-t at the railroad
station 10y gentleman who was
prominently Identified with the move
nIent, aud was asked 10y hun 10 5e
present at the meeting, to which |
consented. When i reached the court
house | found II filled with people
from the town aud neighbOrhood;
they elected chairman, passed resO
buttons to form lsud improvement
company TO develop the town, APP
pointed committee to draft char
ter for the proposed company, and
AL jOurned 10 day IN the near fu
ture, TO receive report of the com
mittee. At the adjourned meeting
there was no abatement of Interest, aud
the number present was larger than
at the first meeting. At this meet
ing, after the charter was reported
and adopted, the meeting with unan
unity requested me to accept the pres
idency OF the company, aud tn take
charge of Its operations. | yielded
TO this request, not because | suppOs
ed | had any specia! fitness for the
work, or because had any taste for
1t, but from sense of local pride
aud pubic spirit. 1t is needless for
ne 10 dwell upon the scenes enacted
IN the town when the stock was be
iug subscribed for. Certainly no
representation, true or otherwise, was
needed as All iuducemeut % the peo-
pie to take stock; they fell over each
other IN their edgrrueSs To get II, aud
finally | was compelled To lock my
office door to keep them out.
The company entered upon It's
work In October, 1891. At the eud
of the first year, to wit, October,
1892, the stock holders were assem-.
BLEED in general meeting AS thr law
directs. The meeting occurred at
Winston Hall and almost all the
stock holders living in the county. and
a large percentage of those living at
distance, were present The meet
ing was organized bv the appoint
ment of a chairman and secretary.
aud proceeded In business like way
with the work in hand.
The Board Of Directors laid before
1t for its information, full report of
what bad been done during the pre-
cedlng year. At the SAME time the
treasurer of the company presented
has report showing In detail the
amount of money that had Oeen re
celYed aud the disposition made of 1t,
aud the amount of the outstanding
Indebtedness. After the reports had
been presented MIR. VI. w. JUues NOV
ell that the meeting resolve itself into
Committee of the Whole, to conSid
rr the reports aud ito ask questions. -
During the progress of this, MIR.
Conrad kOwnslar stated to the Com.
mIttee that he understood represen
tntlOn had been made, that the Nor
folk aud Western Railroad COMPANY
aud parties living in New York and
Baltimore had taken stock IN the
Company. and he inquired of ME if
such representation had been made.
Before answering | asked Mr.. K0wu
STAR TO name the parties TO whom THE
representation was claimed TO have
heen made, aud 10y whom it had been
made. | received no reply from him.
and thereupOn denied that any such
statement had been made by me CT
by anyone who had authority to speak
, for the company. This denial on nv
part was emphatic. and WAS made in
the hearing of every stock holder pre-
sent.
After the reports of the directors
aud treasurer had been considered
aud discussed, they were by resolu
Ton of the meeting received and ap
proved. This meeting likewise, with
full knowledge of the amount of til,
Indebtedness of the company, passed
a resolution which required the Oh
rectOrs To aSsess the stock holders with
IA sum sufficient to pay the debts.
At subsequent stage of the pro
ceedlngs, me gentle men living in and
near Brrryville, who had served the
previous year OH the Board Of Dlres
tors, were elected for the ensuing
year. In connection with this,
stated TO the meeting in behalf OF
myself aud the other directors, thai
# there was any dissatisfaction on the
part of the stock holders, or any of