Chap. 36.—An ACT to incorporate the Home Telephone Company.
Approved December 21, 1901.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, ‘That P. D.
Gwaltney, Frank R. Berryman, P. D. Gwaltney, junior, John E. Maxwell.
J. W. Holloway, B. P. Gay, and V. W. Joyner, their associates and suc-
cessors, be, and they are hereby, constituted, created, and incorporated
hody corporate under the name of the Home Telephone Company, and by
that name may sue and be sued, contract and be contracted with, make
and have a common seal, alter the same at pleasure, and shall have
enjoy, and exercise all of the rights, powers, and privileges, and be sub-
ject to all of the restrictions conferred and imposed by the laws of Vir-
ginia upon corporations and chartered companies, including all of the
rights, powers, and privileges granted to telephone and telegraph com:
panies, and other companies incorporated for works of internal improve.
ment.

2. The said company shall have power to do a general telephone busi.
ness, and to that end and purpose shall have power and authority tc
acquire, construct, build, equip, maintain, and operate a telephone ling
or lines, with all convenient and necessary exchanges and appliances
from Smithfield to Chuckatuck, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Isle 01
Wight Courthouse, Windsor, and Zuni, or either or any of them, and tc
extend its line or lines, with convenient and necessary exchanges and ap
pliances, to any point in the counties of Isle of Wight, Surry, Sussex
Southampton, Nansemond, and Norfolk counties.

3. The said company shall have power to acquire by purchase, lease
condemnation, or otherwise, in accordance with the gencral laws of the
State of Virginia, all real estate, rights, privileges, and easements neces:
sary for the convenient erection and maintenance of its lines, offices, anc
exchanges, but the real estate to be held by the said company shall no
exceed one acre in any county in which it operates. The said company
may construct and maintain its lines along the public roads and high
ways of said counties, by and with the consent of the board of supervisor:
of said counties, subject to the proprietary rights of abutting land owners
and along the streets, alleys, and public ways of said towns and cities, br
and with the consent:of the council of such towns and cities.

4. The said company may acquire by purchase, lease, or assignment th
capital stock, bonds, properties, rights, privileges, and franchises, or am
interest therein, or part thereof, of any telephone company or companie:
organized or created by the laws of this or any other State, and ma’
make payment therefor in its own stock, bonds, money, or property. T
shall have power to unite and consolidate with any other telephone com
pany or companies, upon such terms as may be agreed upon between them
and power is hereby conferred upon such other telephone company o
companies to transfer by sale or lease its property, rights. privileges, anc
easements, or any interest therein, or part thereof, to the company hereb:
incorporated, or to unite or consolidate with it upon such terms as ma
be agreed upon by and between them. That the said company may mak
and enter into contracts, connections, and traffic arrangements with other
companies not inconsistent with the laws of this State; may subscribe to
the capital stock of other companies, and other companies may subscribe
to the capital stock of the company hereby created. The said company
may dispose of the whole or any part of its property, however acquired,
by sale, lease, or otherwise ; may borrow money, issue its bonds, and secure
the same by mortgage or deed of trust upon the whole or any part of its
property, works, rights, privileges, easements, and franchises.

5. The capital stock of the said company shall be not less than ten
thousand dollars nor more than fifty thousand dollars, to be divided inte
shares of not less than twenty-five dollars cach. 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 the ma-
jority of the incorporators may determine.

6. When the minimum amount of the capital stock shall have been
subscribed, the subscribers may meet upon such notice as the majority of
them shall determine, and elect a president and a board of directors, and
such other officers as they may deem best; and at such meeting each sub-
scriber may, in person or by written proxy, cast one vote for each share
of stock subscribed for by him. The board of directors may consist of
any number that the stockholders may, from time to time, prescribe.
After such election the said company shall be deemed duly organized.
and the board of directors may proceed to adopt by-laws for the conduct
of the company, and take such further action as the interest of the com-
pany, in their judgment, may require. General and annual meetings of
the stockholders may be held on such notice and publication as the boar¢
of directors may, from time to time, prescribe.

?. The principal office of the said company shall be in the town o!
Smithfield.

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