The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-09-07

| Woarheidc, under MS CONTRACT beicnged TO
me.
Third. II has been stated. 50 have been
repeatedly Informed, that Mr EldriSge and
/ caused Captain punovaut to be displaced
from the presidency Of the Cane Belt
railroad comrany Such Is not the fact.
! Mr. Eidridge as the general manager or
the road Ind practically watched the do.
posif OF every cisd Of dirt aud witnessed
the driving Of every spike. lie was thor
oughly familiar with Us physical condition
ana its business affairs; he had personally
| empioyed and knew every man In It's sery-
Ice. Captain Dunovaut knew practically
nothing about the railroad or tho companys
business. People who saw and knew tho
| fhcts were constantly giving Mr. Eldrdge
credit for building the road and operating
Il This rendered Captain Dunovant IN
saueiv Jealous OF Mr. Edridgc aud caused
him TO conceive violent dislike for him,
eliminating In the deepest hatred tho most
violent abuse and dreful threats OF and
| concerning Mr. Eldridge. The slightest
friendly allusion to Mr.. Eldridge or the
mere mention OF his name was sufficient
TO unloose his tongue and call forth his
abuse and threats What Eldridse would
| command In the line OF his duty Dunovant
as president would countermand without
notice 20 operatives, He would run wild
trains over the road from point 20 point
without notice to any one and do many
such dangerus things, This continued for
many months and WAS endured by Mr. Ed.
ridge under my advice With the hope that
he would, when matters were IN better con.
dition, see and understand our efforts and
deslst But matters grew constantly worse
with him. even after the building OF the
road was an assured success. To avoid
wrccking the property II was considered Ivy
| the stockholders that Dnuoyant or Eldridge
or both OF them must quit the service Of
the company Dunovant had often said
,nat he would not serve II Eldrdge was
retained and that il he was dismissed and
Eldrldge retained that he would Kill
Edridge and wreck the property Finally
on the 18th day Of March, 1901 tho stock
holders determined 70 settle the matter be-
tween them or to adjust matters so as not
to jeopardlze the property | was then
told by Mr. Eldridge that it was perfectly
agreeable to him to quit if It was thought
| to be for the interest OF the property for
| aim to do SO, but that he would not serve
another dny with Dunoyant FOR president,
and he requested that SO inform Captain
| Dunoyant ard the ST. Louis stockholders,
| who we're present nj Lakeside for the pur-
pose OF adjusting the matters. After so in-
! forming mo Mr.. Edridge took the traln and
went to the front TO his work That night
in Captain Dunoyants store In the pres
| ence OF Mr. woerheide OF ST. Louis, told
them OF Mr.. Eldridge's statement and de-
termination We talked the matter over
| fully and showed Captain Dunovant or
| thought we did, why we could not wen dis
! pense with the services OF Mr. Eldridge and
that II either had to leave he must be the
! one or both Of them must go. ! had ad'
yised that both Of them should quit and
had so Informed them. Captain Dunovant
| then said that he did not want To resign
! tho presidency and that if Eldrldge would
remain with him as president he would
never again interfere with Eldrdge's duty
OF say anything about bin, aud that II we
would let him remain president could
write out his duties and powers, and gave
his word of houor that he would never
transgress or exceed the 3powersoso pre-,
scribed. told him did no; think Eldridge
would continue even under such conditions
as he seemed very determined when talking
|
mat | go to Lane City and see Eldridge
and try to persuade him 60 serve under
the conditions named, but before leaving
for the 80 train that night told them
II / did so I would so diminish Captain
Dunovant's authority as to lenve him notn-
ing to DO and no authority further than to
preside over the meeting OF the board OF
stockholders. Dunoyant agreed TO this |
then went after Mr.. Eldridge and returned
with him the next day. He finally agreed
to continue under these conditions. then
wrote out the agreement as to their re-
spective duties and both OF them signed
II. After | left Eagle Lake that day this
agreement was made n part of the action
Of the board OF directors Captain Duno-
want violated this agreement the next
morning by running wild train over the
road and In this and other, respects con-
tinued to violate 1t long as he was
president. At the annual meeting OF the
board in June, 1901, II was determined that
we could not longer operate the property
with Dunovant as president. / was re-
quested by MIR Woerheide, Mr. Meyer, Mr.
Eldrldge, Mr. Boedeker aud others to ac-
cept the position. / declined TO do so un
less so requested by Captain Dunoyant
They Informed me that he had stated to
them that he wanted me to do so. ! tolC
them nevertheless ] would not do 80 unless
he came TO the meeting In open session
and made the request In person. This he
did that afternoon and then left the ROOM
followed him out and told him that not
withstanding his statement, unless he real
ly wished it that / would not accept the
place. He assured me that II was his
earnest desire that / should do 80 and
then l accepted it. This tells the tale OF
the presidency Of the Cane Belt Railroad
company as 1t occurred.
The following Is a copy Of the agreement
Of Dunoyant and Eldrdge concerning theli
respective duties referred 70:
BE Il resolved by the board OF director
OF the Cane Belt Railroad company thai
from this date forward the duties Of ms
president OF said company shall be:
l. To call meetings Oh the stockholder
and board of directors at sucn times ~
may be deemed 10 be necessary I'm accord
anee with the bylaws Of said company.
?. TO preside over deliberations IN meet
ings OF the board OF directors and stock
..Oiders and 10 participate in such Meeting
when necessity shall require
| g. 10 watch carefully the fiscal cOndi