Advertisement in the Petersburg Intelligencer, April 1845.

TO TRAVELLERS.

The cheapest and most comfortable route between the North and South-Daily (Sundays excepted) via the City Point Railroad and the James River and Chesapeake Bay Steamers.

The Baltimore steam packet company have, in connection with the owners of the steamer Curtis Peck, placed on the line the following steamers:

Georgia, Capt. Coffee, Herald, Capt. Russell, on the bay.

Curtis Peck, Capt. Davis, Jewess, Capt. Sutton, James river.

Boats that for beauty, speed and comfort are not surpassed by any in the country.

The officers are skilful and polite. They are so well known that an announcement of their names on any line, bespeaks for the route a hearty support, and for the travellers every comfort.

Schedule.-Leave Petersburg daily (Sundays excepted) via City Point railroad (10 miles) at 71⁄2 A. M.
Leave City Point at 9 A. M.

Reaching Baltimore at 6 A. M. next morning, in time for either of the lines to Philadelphia.
Fare from Petersburg to Baltimore, (meals included,)

Forward cabin passage,

No line does or can reach Baltimore one day ahead of this line.

$6

5

WM. M. MOODY, JR. Agent.

N. B.-Passengers will get breakfast in Petersburg before leaving, as that meal in no case will be furnished on board the steamers.

April 26, 1845.

2

MEMORIAL

OF

The President and Directors of the Louisa Railroad Company, complaining of the violation by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Company, of a certain Contract, &c. &c. and praying Relief.

To the General Assembly of Virginia.

The memorial of the president and directors of the Louisa railroad company respectfully represents, that the interests committed to their charge, and which it is their duty to watch over and guard, stand in need of the interposition of your authority to ensure to them protection against serious losses and injuries, and that the commonwealth has invested in the stock of this company the sum of $187,800.

There are grave reasons to apprehend, that by means of obstructions about to be thrown in our way by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company, their road will practically cease to be an outlet to a large amount of trade and travel which would otherwise pass over the Louisa road, and thus the object of making these railroads promote the general advantage of the community, will be defeated. It is with sincere regret, and only after the exhaustion of all the efforts that an anxious desire (as shewn by our correspondence) to adjust our difficulties could suggest, that we are constrained by a sense of our duty to appear before you. See papers marked A. Soon after the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac road went into operation, some of the most prominent members of that company agitated the scheme of making a branch road in the direction of the mountains, and enlisted in the enterprise the most active and influential citizens of Louisa and Hanover. An application was made, and a charter granted b'y the general assembly, incorporating the stockholders of the Louisa railroad company to construct a road to intersect with the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac road. Previously, however, to opening books of subscription, it occurred to the commissioners appointed for that purpose, that some of the very difficulties we are now subjected to might occur-and before they would open the books, to guard against them, proposed to enter into certain stipulations with the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company, the first and most important of which, as will appear from the accompanying paper marked B, was, that there should be no unloading of the Louisa freight at the point of intersection, and supposing that the Louisa company might cease to hire the mother company to do her transportation, also proposing in such event that there should be a joint contribution of burthen cars to transport between Richmond and Gordonsville. The answer of the board (see same paper,) was such generally as to induce the company to rely on their aid and assistance in good faith, to the fullest extent "within the scope of its powers;" and on the subject of transhipment of freight at the point of intersection, their answer was doubtless regarded as a guarantee that there should be no unloading. These "stipulations," considering the circumstances under which they were entered into, seem to your memorialists to claim all the force and obligation of a charter; and how they are to be observed, will presently appear. The commissioners, having these "stipulations" in addition to the security of mutual interest, to prevent any unnecessary obstacles being thrown in their way, opened the books--obtained the requisite private subscriptionsubsequently procured the subscription of the commonwealth-constructed the road, and (as was always contemplated,) the president and directors employed the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company for a period of years to do their transportation. The terms agreed on were the same for which the Petersburg and Roanoke company transported for the Greenesville road, viz. one half the gross receipts for freight and mail, and one third of passenger fare; for which sum they have continued to transport for the Greenesville company until the present year, when the latter company thinking they paid too much, the Petersburg company have abated their demands, and, as we are informed, now carry all their freight and passengers for two fifths, being a handsome concession in favour of the Greenesville company. Our carriers, however, the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company, at the expiration of the first contract of four years, demanded more. After many fruitless efforts to renew a contract, the Louisa company having no engines or cars, the subject was referred to the Board of public works, whose award we know, as we have ever said, was made with the disposition and intention to do us justice; but their professions and occupations not making them familiar with the details of such business, the superior information, skill and tact of the president of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company secured to his com

pany a bargain, by which your memorialists think that they have been paying the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company (assuming our full share of the whole expense according to distance,) not less than $8500 per annum more than it cost them, taking their own reports as the basis of the calculation. See paper marked C.

The stockholders at their annual meeting in June last, determined that they would not continue to pay so large a sum, amounting to an average of more than $ 23,500 per annum, and the last year near $ 25,000. The board was instructed to offer to return to the original contract, viz: that so long existing between the Petersburg and Greenesville companies, which, on the basis of our last year's business, would have given them very nearly $20,000. This offer being refused, the Louisa company determined to do their own transportation after the 1st of July next, the expiration of the present contract, and this determination has given rise to all the troubles and difficulties which have arisen between the company whose interests are committed to our charge, and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company. Our stockholders exercised the simple, and as we supposed innocent right to judge of the amount we should pay another corporation for doing our carrying. We should have been derelict to the trust confided to us, if we had advised them to hire their transportation at a cost, in our opinion, not only far greater than the expense incurred by the carrier, but much greater than we believe it would cost us. We have obeyed the orders of the stockholders in preparing to do our own transportation, and it is with the deepest regret that we find all our efforts to agree upon some fair and equitable mode of getting our freight and passengers to and from the Junction have failed. We are altogether unconscious of any good cause for having forfeited, as it appears we have, that sympathy and interest manifested for our railroad when we were about to embark in it, and that aid and assistance so freely offered at the same period, and which induced the citizens of Louisa, Orange, Hanover, &c. to depend on the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac road as an outlet for the business which might be collected on their road.

The president and directors of the Louisa road, not unmindful of the obligations of gentlemen to conduct all correspondence and intercourse of every kind with others in a spirit of courtesy, but in this case there being the superadded consideration of dependence, admonishing us to avoid any cause of irritation, have vainly endeavoured, in the exercise of a spirit of conciliation, compromise and forbearance, to bring about an amicable and judicious arrangement for the mutual interest of the companies, as the papers marked [A] will shew. They have made a variety of propositions for conducting the business from the Junction, all of which have been rejected-a general proposition of reference to arbitrators has been rejected-an invitation to the president of the other company to make a proposition has been declined, with the declaration that he had none to make a proposition to continue the existing rate of charge and the pro rata principle of division of receipts from the Junction, has been declined, upon the allegation that we had no claims upon them. A transhipment of freight is insisted on as we think to the manifest injury of both parties, and in disregard of the stipulations of the writing above referred to, marked [B,] the plain object and intent of which was to guard against unloading at the point of intersection of the two roads, and we have been apprised that additional burthens will be imposed on our passengers and freight from the Junction to Richmond.

The determination to raise the charges from the Junction on Louisa freight and passengers, after we commence doing our own transportation, seems altogether irreconcilable with any sound policy, or any object that should be aimed at. It will inflict a serious injury on the Louisa road, and probably a corresponding injury on the other road also, by the diminution of business. It does not appear to your memorialists that there is the semblance of apology for the increased charge on passengers, as it is quite probable they would only fill up otherwise vacant seats in their cars that are passing by, and in such case the transportation of Louisa passengers would cost them really nothing. In relation to freight we will make a few statements, to shew what would be the operation on the Louisa company, for the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company to claim, out of the present freight from Gordonsville, their local charge from the Junction. As we understand their practice, the Chesterfield rates might be applied to our freight at Junction; but suppose they charge only the Taylorsville rates, the nearest on the way to Richmond.

Does the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company think the existing rates too low? If so, why did they fix them at that standard when they were the carriers? If not too low, how can they on principles of

fairness claim such a division as we have exhibited above? What can be their object? If it be to destroy the Louisa trade, it is the proper course.

As a proof that no addition to the existing charges for freight is necessary to yield an adequate profit on transportation, we state the fact that they were adopted by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company as our carriers, knowing that they would encounter the disadvantage of running their trains with full expenses and small freights, while collecting it at different depots. Satisfied with their ratable share between Richmond and Junction under these circumstances, when we assume the expensive work of collecting in small parcels and deliver to them in large quantities, how can they stand justified for demanding higher rates than the present, when it is evident that the transportation will then be more profitable without an increase of charge. We further state, that

The Boston and Worcester, and Western railroads carry grain in bags per 100 lbs.

200

tobacco, per 100 lbs.
lime, plaster, and groceries
generally, per 100 lbs.

200

2220

flour, per bbl.

- 200

These roads are believed to be as well conducted and as prosperous as any in this country, and if they can afford to transport at the rates above mentioned, which are taken from their latest published tables, why should the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company refuse to abide by the existing arrangement of freights between Gordonsville and Richmond, which are from 50 to 250 per cent. higher than those quoted above?

The tariff of charges between Richmond and Gordonsville will not bear an increase, without resulting in a loss of business. If the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company have any object in view, which will compensate them for the loss of a large portion of the Louisa trade, the case is different with us-we cannot afford to lose it. When we decided not to pay the high price demanded for doing our transportation, we learned by public rumour, that it was predicted by some connected with the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company, that we would never make another dividend. We do not assert that this policy is resorted to for the purpose of verifying that prediction; but whatever may be the design, it is manifest that the natural operation of the whole policy indicated will be to curtail, to a great extent, the receipts of the Louisa road. Transhipment of the Louisa freight, with all the unavoidable evils of delay, and vexatious question about losses, is insisted on, against the spirit of the "stipulations" referred to, and against the remonstrances of the farming community, in addition to those of your petitioners; and additional burthens on our business are to be laid on those now far greater than on most railroads we are acquainted with; and although having every reason to be satisfied with our prospects of success in our undertaking to do our own transportation, so far as depends on ourselves, yet it is doubtless in the power of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac company to injure us seriously, if they determine to do so. Whilst we would avoid even the appearance of hostility to that company, by joining in the general clamour against them-convinced that we have tried in a spirit of compromise and forbearance, as long as there was any hope of adopting measures for our security, we cannot be restrained from doing our duty by the possibility that such a charge may be brought against us. It is not only our interest to cultivate a good understanding with that company, but it is the course most congenial to our feelings; and if this appeal to you, as the common guardian of the public interests, in behalf of the weak and dependent against the strong and powerful, shall be regarded as a hostile indication, we can only say it is not our fault, and we would gladly have avoided it. We desire now but the protection of our interests-nothing but the adoption of measures for the mutual advantage of both companies: but despairing of any such, we ask your aid-we cannot fold our arms, and patiently wait "till destruction cometh." We know not what else to do, but to ask for the right to extend our road to the City of Richmond, or for any other relief which your wisdom may suggest, and for the accommodation of our passengers, to be allowed to establish a line of stages after the 1st of July between the Junction and the City of Richmond. By order and in behalf of the board of directors.

January 21st, 1847.

E. FONTAINE, Pres't Louisa R. R. Co.