The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-11

ter with J. c. Stanton and also TO see
what arrangements their client could
make for their fees. The amount of fees
was agreed upon, but when Immediate
payment was suggested, Stanton was not
prepared. Morgan told him 1t was COM
mon report that ne had omitted to pay Il
Zee to Judge Walker and that '.he Stan
tom could not md two other respectable
lawyers In central Alabama who would
trust him for two dollars and half"
This was the substance of the sworn
testimony OF General Morgan before the
committee of the Alabama house. Gov
trnor Lindsay having heard OF Morgan S
testimony. invited the committee to appear
in the executive offices in the capitol He
denied with emphasis that he had ever
thought Of appointing j. c. Stanton re-
eeiver. He declared that while he lay on
his bed in his chamber the suggestion was
made to him by Stanton's lawyers anu
| that he sprang to his feet on hearing il,
fproelaiming. mol by God never"
j. G. Stanton told Morgan that the gov
ernor had offered him the receivership on
| condition that the state would paw s50O0oo
for the road and retire all the Endorsed
bonds and the loaned 100000 bonds
Stanton refused The company owed a
large number of laborers. farmers along
the line. and the Chinese contractor on
the road and there were second mortgage
bondholders who would lose all under the
governors proposal.
General Morgan had been employed 10
represent Stanton in the bankrupt pro-
ceecings orly. They were completed and
ne had no further connection with his
client or with the Alabama and Chatta-
nooga railroad In its relations to the state
Governor Lindsay appointed his private
| secretary, Colonel John IL. Gindrat re-
ceiver of the railroad early In August.
l8ft. Glndrat took possession, to which
1 ha CT a Was fa
act. When news of the bankrupt proceed
ings spread and a receivership became in
evitable a number of distinguished men
Of the state. united in an application to
make Gen. Blaxton Bragg receiver. Com
federtae generals were favortes with rail-
road directories in Alabama. Gen. ]. L.
Johnston was president of the Selma.
Rome and Dalton, Gen. W. J. Hardee OF
the Selma and Meridian, Gen. N Il. For
rest president of the Selma and Menu
phis, Gen. James Longstreet was an APP
rlicant for the management of the Mo
bile and Ohio.
Receiver Gindrat went In search Of the
machinery and rolling stock of the Ala
haDia and Chattanooga railroad. He
found 1t at Meridian, In possession OF
some enc hundred wage earners who held
1t to enforce payment of their dues by
| the read. The receiver pacined the claim
ANTS and put the road in operation as far
as possible. part of the Wills Valley
section lay in Georgia. Georgia appoint
ed q receiver for that past. J. c. Stanton
had invested largely In Chattanooga real
estate and built there pretentious hotel,
the Stanton House."
The state sold the railroad. The spu-
rous debt forced on its name by Stanton
was compromised to the satisfaction of
all concerned, as we shall see later on.
The debt assumed by the state is produc-
tive asset, inasmuch as the benefits con-
ferred by the road that would not have
heen soon built without 1t, are great, the
Increase In assessable property along It's
line by reason of Its presence being far in
excess of the face of the debt.
The features of the history of this road
as recited here illustrate the situation
of the state In its moral and physical life
at the time. It is interesting To observe
that y lille tho mining and manufacturing
industries and many railroads that have
been promoted or forced into existence
largely by this railroad, are well supplied
with negro labor now. Then Stanton
could rot procure from the plantations
the comparatively limited numbers he de-
sired for railroad work. He must then
go to California for 10000 Chinese. fhess
Chirese all went away. The carpet bag
gers and scalawags taught the plantation
negroes to expect General Grant to give
every head of family forty acres and a
mule. Stanton was no match to their
teaching. The negroes waited in anxiety
on General Grant When they recovered
from the hallucination the railroad con-
tractors had no need for Chinese The
Alabama plantation negro, trained under
the old regime, was the most capable and
most faithful laborer the genus homo ever
produced.
JOHN wITFERsPooN DUBosE.