The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-11
CLOUD LIFTED
FROM RAILROAD
Bill Relieving the Road of.
Possible Forfeiture OF
Charter Pass Senate
WILL DEVELOP
A RICH COUNTRY
The Measureless Wealth. of Clinch
Valley Brought in Touch With
Seaport BY the South and
Western Railway Co.
Now On Solid
Basis.

Relieved finally and for all time Of the
overhanglng danger OF forfeiture of it's
charter. the South and Western Railway,
under a bill unanimously passed in the
Senate yesterday and at once communi-
Gated to the House of Delegates, which
will unqucstlonably take similar action
viii proceed forthwith, at the cost OF
millions of dollars to complete it's lire
connecting the vast Clinch Valley coal
fields OF Virginia with seaboard outlet
OH the coast OF North Carolina.
After career OF some fifteen years,
chcckcfed by losses and litigation and
exploited III some length In Federal and
State courts. the company ~ again on a
frm financial footing and backed by a
powerful array OF Northern capital, Is
prepared. without further delay. 10 push
on with tho work begun more than full
decade ago In fact. operations are al
ready under way. and with two thousand
men or more nj work. the line ~ creep
ing across and beneath the mountains of
North Carolina on its way to the sea, aud
reaching out At the Virginia end as well.
accomplishing an engineering feat OF no
small moment and at the same time slowly
but surely opening the way to an inn
portant development OF a great section
OF this state. But among the other diff
cultios II has had to face. the company
has been confronted with this possible
forfeiture of It's charter, because financial
advertisements nj critical time pre-
vented It from meeting the conditions
of the original grant or Incorporation
The threat has been made by a rival
corporation. and while the attack was
t.peled q doubt stu existed. sufficiently
serious TO brighten capital away. With
a view 10 removing. the complication $50
yond all Question and With thorough
ness that will effectually prevent q fur
thcr movement against the road from
this direction tho bill passed yesterday
out OF its order was introduced.
THE road declared Judge Phegar.
OF Montgomery. vice-president of the
South and Western, in explaining the
measure to the Senate. of which he is
member. is preparing 10 issue bonds
and spend large sums in completing the
line. But capital is tirnid. will not ac-
cept the opinions OF attorneys and Will
be satisfied with nothing less than an
act OF the General Assembly removing
this douh. The bill does not prevent
or In any manner interfere with the
construction of the rival road The at
torneys of this road have been here and
have Informed me after consultation that
tLey had decided not to make fight.
So far as have been able to learn they
are now making no opposition. With this
bill enacted the South and Western Will
simply go with the work 1t has be-
gun and any other road can build a
line that desires one
Interesting History
Behind the bill which was passed inn
nediately after the explanation by Judge
phlegar all the senator's present voting
II, the affirmation, lies a history interest
ing or itself apart from the fact that
i, is connected with so important u mat
Ter as the opening and development of
vast coal lands in Virginia
This history had It's beginnings more
than twenty-five years ago. and In fact
had its roots in events even further back
But for all practical and present pur-
poses, the trials and successes OF the
South and Western may be said to have
begun when the old Three Cs road-Cin-
cinnatI. Columbus and Charleston-se-
cured its charter back somewhere about
1850 Setting out to build q road from
the Northwest to the Southern seaboard,
with Charleston, S. c., as the objective
poInt. the Three C's graded extensively
along the Clinch River in Virginia and
to some extent also in Tennessee. But
the road was caught heavily in the panic
In which Barring Brothers, the great Eng
lish firm. went to the wall. As result
of this embarrassment the Three C's was
sold out, and was purchased by the Ohio
River aud Charleston Roadway Company.
Forty Miles in Operation.
Under the new management. about forty
miles of the road We're put into operation
from Johnson City, Tenn. Some time
after this. George l.. Garter and others
secured control of the line along with
tho old grades of the Three C's. and set
out to build n road TO Southport, which
/ is at tho mouth of Cape Fear. on the
Atlantic seaboard. Three charters We're
Continued on Fifth Page.)