Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-11-23
A BuccANNEERIN OUR BORDERS.

The Pennsylvania Railway of CRATER
fame. is becoming bold. 1t is making
an effort TO rob Virginia Of her s'o' k
10 the Richmond, Fredericksburg ard
Potomac Railroad To those of our
readers who do not understand the
situation occupied by the R F. & P.
Ry. we will say. This railroad is the
only one in Virginia which was not
given away by the State to piruticai
Yankees at the close of the civil war.
Virginia kept some stt ok IN that road
because che saw no way of getting lid
of it at the time, but recently THIS
stock has become valua BILE. This fact
has caused the Pepnsy ivania railroad
to wish to get control Of the road ID
such way as to roo Virginia or her
interest in this stock. This game has
been played 10y the Pennsylvania so
long and so often that che cannot see
so tempting morsei laying around
without long ing to swallow it. 1t is
about as impossible now for that road
not to rob another road, as it is for a
dog not to gnaw tone.
Mr.. VIM. j. Leake of Richm ond.
has been president Of this road since
the death of Mr.. Myers some time ago.
But few days ago Mr.. Leake was
summarily ordered out and Mr.
Rodgers, one of the ninioDs OF the
Pennsylvania railroad, was given his
place, Suddenly there was consterna-
ton all over Virginia Mr.. Rhea.
high official of the Pennsylva ME rail-
way was responsible for this bit OF
work, and so arrogant was he when
Gov. Swanson wanted to discuss the
affairs of this road with him. that he
would not even agree to talk them over
or see the Governor. But there are
other railways to degree interested
Ia the r, T & P. There is the Allan
tic Coast Line and the Southern, both
of which run trains flom Alexandria to
Richmond over it. The presidents of
these two roads have more sense than
Mr.. Rhea, and have much more &C.
quaintance with the people of Virgin
ia, and understand their temper much
better. Mr.. Rhea is northern man,
and be is also Pennsylvania official.
He no doubt held an idea that Penn
sylvania methods would go down here.
He has been SO used to having the
Pennsylvania Legislature and State
officials in bis pocket he supposed
doubtless he either owned those in
Virginia the same way. or that they
were too insignificant for him to no.
tice. So be went like bull IN barn.
yard right up against anything and
everything in his way. But Mr..
Spencer, president of the Southern, and
Mr.. Walters, president of the Atlantic
Coast Line, got hold of his coat tails
and stopped him. They told him he
was not dealing with puppets of the
Pennsylvania railroad down in these
parts, that he was about to 20 up
against proposition that even the
Pennsylvania railroad had better ex.
anime before it stepped on it. That he
was handling dynamite and a very
highly explosive kind at that, and
that whilst Cassatt's ideas might 60 in
some places they wouldn't do by q
id aight in the Old Dominion.
The result is that halt has been
called, and unless somebody wsakens
the Pennsylvania will hardly steal the
whole thing at one sweep. That road
can cut telegraph poles by the thousand
in Pennsylvania. and rob and plumber
ad libitum there. where it owns the
courts, but as yet it does not own the
courts of Virginia. 1t can commit any
crime it wants to in Pennsylvania but
as yet 1t has not cart blanch to do so in
Virginia. But Virginia has robber
in its midst, a buccanneer Of the first
water. We hope she will handle it as
it deserves.