The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-26
TEN YEARS OF ALABAMA
No. 65-Railroad and Railroad Politics
1865-1874

railroad had not promised to use coun- ty subscription to build a wagon and foot bridge, but had intended to use it's own separate funds to that purpose. The chief justice In dignifed ridicule said the attorney was almost subtle.
 The Selma and Gulf railroad was not born to die'@of the law. The cor poration got from the state indorse- ment of it's first mortgage bonds to the amount of $640000 At the end of these benefactions from the public the work of construction ceased altogether, the company admitted its object insol- vcncy, for it had not dollar in it's treasury.
 Governor Smith indorsed $4S0.00o of the bonds of this road without any proof in the way of official reports of it's engineer or affidavit from the pres dent of the company. Governor Lind say, following Smith, indorsed to the extent of $150,000 and had no record even of the name of the road. much less of the fact of his indorsement The line surveyed ran in a southeast erly direction from Selma. The only resources it ever had consisted of S40,- 900 paid in by private subscribers, $G0,00O of Selma city bonds loaned by the city and ss6,O00 of the 3 per cent fund, loaned by the state, $136,000 all told. Of course, the state aid law was sameful1y violated by both the scala wag and the democratic governor.
 The Selma and Gulf road was char tered by special act before the war The corporation seems not to have risen to it's opportunity until the rail roads all around had proven how easily they could plunder the state. It was in the last months of Governor Smiths term that it joined the robbers.
 At Demopolis lived Richard M. Rob ertson, a gentleman of the best Vir- ginia blood, a man of extraordinary tact and energy in affairs. He was one of the early volunteers in the Confed- crate army, as a private. When Will cox's brigade of Alabamians was or ganized Robertson was appointed brt- gade commissary with the rank of ma jor and held the position to the end
 General Hubbard of the United States army, commanding at the post of Demopolis after the war, and spe- cially active in pursuit of the main chance in collecting cotton from the great plantations of the vicinage. be- came friendly with Major Robertson A project was conceived and most earnestly pressed in Wall street and the military legislature of Alabama to connect New York by rail with Mazat- ian, a splendid harbor on the Pacific coast of Mexico The new railroad building to be accomplished lay be- tween Selma and New Orleans, and thence to the terminus on the Pacific. The scheme was enrapturing and Major Robertson became wild with delight in promoting it. He flew to New York ; he gave champagne suppers to mem bers of the Alabama legislature.
 The Selma and New Orleans rail- road company was chartered by Ala hama. Associate Justice William M. Byrd lived in Selma. He was made president of the company.
 Twenty miles of the road had been completed and equipped and was in op- eration. The directory requested Pres dent Byrd to apply for state indorse- ment of s16,O00 per mile of its first mortgage bonds. The president re- fused and rendered the resignation of his office. Judge Byrd reminded the railroad directory that the act author izing the application for state indorse- ment required that the first 20 miles should be built on the independent re- sources of the company. The 20 miles had been built on borrowed money and the company had no resources al all of it's own. H
 Governor Lindsay. nevertheless, in- dorsed the bonds of the Selma and New orleans road to the amount of SS20, ,00n. He knew before hand of the utter in solvency of the company and the rec ords of the executive office contained no evidence whatever of his act. OHouse Committee Report, 1stl-12, page 31D.
 JOHN wITHERSPoON DUBOSE.