CHAP. 457.—An ACT to incorporate the Patrick Henry telephone
company.
Approved March 6, 1886.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
Berryman Green, Joseph Blair, John D. Spencer, John H.
Mathews, Joseph G. Penn, P. D. Spencer, Samuel A. Ander-
son, Herbert G. Peters, A. D. Stultz, John T. Read, John R.
Brown, Overton Gregory, W. W. Spence, W. W. Moir, W. B.
Rucher, James H. Rangely, John S. Bishop, A. M. Lybrook,
Samuel H. Hoge, together with such persons as may become
stockholders, their associates, and successors, be and they are
hereby created and constituted a body corporate, by the name
of the Patrick Henry telephone company, by which name it
shall have perpetual succession, a common seal, may sue and
be sued, contract and be contracted with, and shall have all the
rights and privileges of a corporation, under the general laws
of the state of Virginia, and be subject to all the rules, regula-
tions and restrictions imposed by the laws of said state in rela-
tion to joint stock companies, so far as they are applicable to,
and not inconsistent with, the provisions of this act.

2. The corporate body is constituted for the conduct of the
telephone business, and to that end authority is hereby granted
to erect such lines of wire as may be necessary for its purposes.

3. Said corporate body shall have power to acquire all real
estate or easements necessary for the convenient erection of its
lines and conduct of its business, and may erect the wires on
and along the public highway: provided, the same be located
at least five feet off of the road-bed. It shall also have power
to attach its wires to the telegraph poles of any telegraph or
railroad company, or erect its wires on the road-bed of any
such company, with the consent of such company or compa-
nies, by contract, and authority is hereby given such company
or companies to consent thereto.

4. Said corporate body may acquire by purchase or lease any
line or lines of wire in the counties of Pittsylvania, Henry,
Patrick, Franklin and Roanoke, from any body corporate, or
private person doing business therein, or owning or operating
such line; but said company shall have the right to construct,
erect, lease and purchase such line or lines in the counties
named in this section, and no other,

5. The corporate stock of said company shall not be less
than two hundred and fifty, nor more than ten thousand dollars,
divided into shares of ten dollars each, and each share will be
entitled to one vote at a stockholders’ meeting.
6. The officers of said corporation shall be a president, vice-
president, Secretary and treasurer, and board of directors, of
not less than five nor more than fifteen in number, all of whom
shall be elected at a stockholders’ meeting, on the first Satur-
day in May of each year; and they shall hold until their suc-
cessors are duly elected.

7. Until the first election under this charter, the following
persons shall be the officers of said company, namely: John D.
Spencer, president; W. W. Moir, vice-president; A. D. Stultz,
secretary and treasurer; Berryman Green, Joseph G. Penn, P.
D. Spencer, John T. Read, John R. Brown, A. M. Lybrook,
John S. Bishop and W. B. Rucher, directors.

8. Said company shall be exempt from any license-tax im-
posed by the legislature of Virginia on telephone companies,
until its net receipts shall exceed five hundred dollars; but such
taxes when assessed, and all other taxes due the state, shall be
paid in currency of the United States and not in coupons.

g. Said company, through its board of directors, shall have
power to make by-laws and rules for its government, not incon-
sistent with the laws of the state or of the United States, and
may amend and repeal the same at pleasure..

10. This charter is amendable or repealable at the pleasure
of the legislature. :

11. This act shall be in force from its passage.