The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-16
VALUE TO HIS COMPANY
Charter Provides for a Railroad
to Charlottesville.
ROAD is NINETY YEARS OLD
Some interesting Features of the Original
Franchise and Their Adaptation to Pres
ent Day Condltlons-The Property
Has Paid Large Dividends,
and the Owners Get
Good Price.

GOOD Price.
The entire stock of the Brook Turnpike
Company was yesterday sold to Mr.. N.
w. Bowe. representing Il person or per-
sons whose name or names Mr.. Bowe did
not feel at liberty to make public.
The Significance OF this deal Is believed
to Ec considerable, especially in view of
the comprehensive and almost unlimited
powers and functions which are by vari-
Gus legislative charters and acts conferred
upon the company. It has permIsslors
and authority to construct and operate
| not only Il turnpike road, but a railroad as
well, with either steam or electricity aa
Il motive power, and i'll length and direc-
1ion from RIchmoud to Charlottesville. /.
distance of II hundred miles. But little
limitation Is placed upon the route TO bs
selected between these terminal points. lS
Is 10 be a road or railroad to Cnarlottes-
! vile. That's all.
The value OF this comprehensive char:
ter provision and its magnitude as COM
pared with q modest slX-mle turnpike
business which the company has conduct
ed for ninety years. is Illustrated by the
significant fact that two or three years
ago wneu the Seaboard Air Line was en-
NeavorinG to secure route from Rich-
lnond to Washington, this existing char
Ter Tor IL raiiroad IN the general direction
of Charlottesville was seriously considered
as d long step TOWARDS Wasnlngrotn.
THE FISHER INTERESTS.
|. The Times made SOME iuuuiry last night
as to the other en3t c. the deal which
went through successfully yesterday.
One trail-;ind q good one-ied to Mr..
George Il. Fisher. That Eefrtie.nAn's lo-i
cal representa- tives had no Information stos
give out. 1t can be stated, howetst, tnlt,
Mr. Fisher III the last few weeks, has haels
the Brook Turnpike on his mind Ills
people. more than one of them, have been
busily looking up legislative acts and
charters 10 see just what the Brook
Turnpike was or might become. 1t is an
open secret that Mr.. Fisher and his COIN
pany have been much dissatisfied tor
quite {. time with their present Lakeside
line. The slow winding trip through Bar
ton Heights has made Il SATISFACTORY
Lakeside service impracticabe. The re-
cent construction OF the Westhampton,
Park line to be operated in connectlol
with the Traction Company has brought
Mr.. Fisher face to face with the Dro-t
blem of what could be done to save Lake
side as q popular suburban resort 1T i5
an open secret that the Passenger amt
Power Company for quite time has been,
turning over IN its ulind 4 line out f-s':
Brook Road as more satisfactory route,
to Lakeside.
NEW ROUTE TO LAKESIDE.
The company recently secured OF tia
City Council the right TO change the ioca-
ton of its old single track lii1e running
west from Hancock and Clay witha view
to making it Il st,-ight line rs far west
as Lonbarty Street. At the northern end
OF I.oInbardy Street a viaIuct is to be coir-
structed over Bacon's Quarter ErAnctH
and the Seat.oard tracks near tho 1ff-
| :,inif, Union University and the road is to-
be extended straight tc meet the Brook,
road q ahudred or two yards beyond the
present toll gate. This will give an af-a.
tractive driving approach to the sunar-
ban territory northwest of the CITY aiif.
the Passenger and Power Company mas
thought it would furnish satisfactory;
route for u quick and direct line out the
| Brook road to the point where the present.
Lakeside, lire crosses the turnpike IhiS
would cut the time TO Lakeside down oS
twenty or thirty minutes and would give
:. line through a more valuable terrltofsss
than that beyond Barton Heights. ms
present line woud be stopped ae ei'e
boulevard north Of Barton Heishts ana
y fen or fifteen minutes service oper-
,+ed on the remainder of this line through
barton Heights rather than twenty min
utes as at present.
ON zTO ASHLAND.
Furthermore. the charter for the Eroos
turnpike would give Mr.. Fisher perlnts-
sion to continue a line on from Lakeside
10 Ashland His relations to the Peters
bnrc line practically give him line OF
similar length and character 10 tiis soleA
AZ. Eisber,s representatives declined TO
confirm or deny the report that he mao
bought the turnpike property
Another ru1nor had it that represen,a-
tives OF the Williams syndicate had re
Gently shown indications OF interest si.i
| this property, but this could not ne coz
tirmed. .,,,,4.
turnpike is a valuable property and mas
| paid dividends of five and ten per ceus.
| The stock, amounting to $500. was so'a
| above par 1t was held by the Ililees
estate, Jas N. Boyd T. G. Hnliauls.
| George Pope, the Misses Ste"ale stewart.
| Brook Hill. and Captain Inothas
| ney, of Charleston.
THE ORIGINAL CHARTER
The Brook Turnpike Company was Or
| iginally chartered on February I, si-, os
] the General Assembly. The chakter, an
I interesting document IS iouiiu on Paso
| 60 of the acts of ISL.
I IT Is entitled:
"An act incorporating company to es.
| tablish a turnpike road from the city OF
/ Rfchmond TO Wiliiamson's Tavern.
| And has this preamble:
"Whereas. it is represented 70 the e'ene.
/ raj Assembly that the esfabiishmeht OF
| = tt,rnplke road. the most practicable way
from the city of Richmond to the tavern,
now occupied by Dabney Williamson. IN
! the county OF Henrico. which stands az
| the junction OF the northern stase road
/ and the road leading from Richmond TO
! Louisa Courthouse, would add to tho
| accommodation of travellers by ahort.-
| ing them at all times good road. &c.