Chap. 168.—An ACT to incorporate the Augusta Telephone and Tele-
graph company.

Approved February 23, 1888.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
A. C. Braxton, William A. Hudson, William Patrick, George
C. Maslin, A. C. Fox, E. G. Fishburn, and J. A. Patterson,
Junior, and their associates and successors, be and they are
hereby constituted a body politic and corporate under the
name of the Augusta Telephone and Telegraph company, and
by that name shall sue and be sued, have, make, and use a
common seal, and change and alter the same at pleasure, and
may make such by-laws and regulations for the government
of said company as they may deem best, and as may not be
inconsistent with the constitution and laws of the United
States or of Virginia.

2. The said company may acquire, construct, operate, and
maintain telephone and telegraph lines and offices, or tele-
phone or telegraph lines and offices in the county of Augusta,
and in any or all the adjoining counties, and in any and all
cities, towns, and villages within said territory; receive and
deliver messages for compensation, charge for the use of its
lines, and conduct a general telephone or telegraph business,
or both telephone and telegraph business, as the directors
may from time to time determine upon; and may construct,
erect, and maintain its lines along any and all public high-
ways in said territory so as not to obstruct travel on the
same, and also on any private or public lands, other than
public highways, with the consent of the proprietors thereof.
- 3. The capital stock of said company shall be not less than
five hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars, to
be divided into shares of twenty-five dollars each, the amount
of stock to be regulated within said limits by the board of
directors.

. 4, The offices of said company, one or more of which may
be filled by the same person, shall be a president, vice-presi-
dent, secretary, and treasurer, to be elected annually by the
board of directors, which said board shall be composed of not
less than seven stockholders, and shall be elected by the
stockholders annually on the third Tuesday in January of
each year, or such other day as the stockholders may from

pee eee
time to time prescribe; and for the first fiscal year, A. C.
Braxton shall be president, A. C. Fox, vice-president, George
C. Moslin, treasurer, and E.G. Fishburn, secretary; and A.
C. Braxton, William A. Hudson, George C. Maslin, William
Patrick, A. C. Fox, E. G. Fishburn, and J. A. Patterson,
Junior, shall be directors. Any vacancies occuring in any of
said offices or on said board, shall be filled for the remainder
of the term by such person as said board shall elect; any five
of said board shall be a quorum sufficient for transacting
business.

5. The said company may borrow money and issue bonds,
to secure which it may execute mortgages or deeds of trust
upon its property and franchises, and may hold stock in any
other corporation, and any other corporation may hold stoc
in said company.

#46. No stockholder shall be liable for any debts, obligations,
= liabilities of said company beyond unpaid stock subscribed
y him.

7. The capital stock of said company shall be personal
property and transferable on the company’s books; and lands
and materials and securities, or any of them may, in the dis-
cretion of the board of directors, be received on stock sub-
scription.

8. This company shall not hold over five hundred acres of
land.

9. In all meetings of the stockholders of this company,
each share shall be entitled to one vote.

10. Said company shall pay all taxes and duties to the
commonwealth in lawful money of the United States and not
in coupons.

11. The principal office of said company shall be at Staun-
ton, Virginia.

12. Books may be opened for subscriptions to stock by
any three of said corporators, and the company shall be orga-
nized as soon as the minimum amount of stock be subscribed.

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