Chap. 740.—An ACT to incorporate the Tidewater telephone company.

Approved March 4, 1896.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That C. W.
Grandy, Thomas H. Willcox, Richard B. Tunstall, Thomas R. Bor-
land, and Alfred P. Thom, and such other persons as they may asso-
ciate with them, and their successors, be, and they hereby are, incor-
porated and created and made a body corporate under the name of the
Tidewater telephone company, for the purpose of constructing, equip-
ping, maintaining and operating a line or lines of telephones, with
the necessary and convenient exchanges, in the city of Norfolk, and
in the counties of Norfolk and Princess Anne, in the state of Vir-
ginia, or any or either of them, and as such corporation they shall
have all the general powers and be subject to all the general restric-
tions conferred and imposed by the laws of Virginia now or hereaf-
ter in force as to corporations and chartered companies.

2. The capital stock of said company shall not be less than five
thousand dollars nor more than one hundred thousand dollars, di-
vided into shares of one hundred dollars each; and it shall not be
necessary to give any notice of the opening of subscriptions to said
stock, but the same may be subscribed in such manner and at such
times as @ majority of said corporators shall determine.

3. When the minimum amount of capital stock shall have been
subscribed the subscribers may meet upon such notice as the said
corporators, or a majority of them, shal] determine, and elect a presi-
dent and board of directors, and such other officers as they may deem
best. At such meeting each subscriber may in person or by proxy
cast one vote for each one hundred dollars of stock subscribed for by
him. The board of directors may consist of any number that the
subscribers or stockholders may from time to time determine. After
such election the said company shall be thereupon deemed duly or-
ganized, and the board may proceed to adopt by-laws for the conduct
of the company and take such further action as the interest of the
company may in their judgment require. General or annual meet-
ings of the stockholders may be held on such notice as may from
time to time be prescribed by the board of directors, such notice to
be published for the length of time fixed by said board in one or
more newspapers published in the city of Norfolk.

4, The said company shall have power to erect and maintain
poles and wires on the streets of the city of Norfolk, provided the
consent of the city council be first obtained, and to erect and main-
tain poles and wires along the public roads of the counties of Nor-
folk and Princess Anne, subject to the approval and supervision of
the board of supervisors and of the county court of said counties re-
spectively, subject to the fee-simple rights of adjacent landowners.
It shall also have power to lay cables under the waters of the Eliza-
beth river, provided the same do not obstruct or interfere with navi-
gation.

5. The said company shall have power to connect or make traffic
arrangements for the interchange of business with any other tele-
phone or telegraph company or companies heretofore or hereafter
incorporated, and may acquire and hold the necessary and conveni-
ent patents and property.

6. The said company shall have power to borrow money for its pur-
poses and to issue its notes or bonds therefor, and tosecure the same
by mortgage or deed of trust upon its property works, and franchises,
or otherwise.

7. This act is subject to the proviso that work hereunder shall be
commenced within two years, and the said company be in operation
within three years from and after the passage of this act, and all
taxes or demands due or to become due to the state of Virginia must
ke paid in lawful currency of the United States, and not in coupons.
The general assembly reserves the right to amend, alter or repea
this charter.

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