Chap. 244.—An ACT to incorporate the Virginia artesian water company.

Approved February 16, 1901.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That ‘Thomas B
Henley, W. B. Vest, and W. W. Woodward, of Newport News, Virginia
E. Wilkinson, of West Point, Virginia, and Isaac Diggs, of Richmond
Virginia, and such other persons as they may hereafter associate wit!
them, and their successors, be, and they are, hereby declared a body
politic and corporate, under the name of the Virginia artesian wate
company.

2. The said corporation shall have the power and authority to bor
artesian wells, to own and operate the tools and machinery with whicl
said wells are bored, to charge compensation for boring artesian wells fo:
other persons, firms or corporations ; to purchase, lease and hold real estat
for the purpose of boring artesian wells thereon; and to use, employ, la
off and locate, on such plan as it may deem proper, upon said land, dams
reservoirs, cisterns, force pumps, engines, pipes, and all other fixtures
appliances and appurtenances proper, necessary or desirable for the draw
ing, raising, storing, conveying and distributing of artesian well water
and to dig ditches and to make excavations on such land as they may
acquire by purchase, lease, or otherwise, for the purpose of laying it:
pipes, main or lateral, or erecting its dams, reservoirs, cisterns, fore
pumps, engines, fixtures, appliances and appurtenances in any county
city or town in ‘the state of Virginia; to furnish said artesian water fo
compensation to persons, firms, “corporations, counties, cities and towns
cither for public or private use.

And the said company shall have the power and authority, with th
consent of the county court of any county and the adjacent land owners
to dig ditches and to lay, under ground, all necessary pipes, main o
lateral for the convevance and distribution of artesian well water, along
on and under any public road in said county: provided, that such ditche
or pipes do not in any way interfere with the public travel along sai
roads, and by and with the consent of the council of any city or tow
and the adjacent land owners, if such adjacent land owners have any in

terest in such street or alley, may dig ditches and lay all necessary pip:
main and lateral, for the conveyance and distribution of artesian wel
water along, on and under the streets and alleys of said cities and town:

And the said company shall have the power and authority to lay an

locate its pipes for the conveyance and distribution of artesian well water
across any stream: provided, that free navigation in any navigable stream
shall, in no wise, be obstructed or impeded.

The said company shall have, and the saine is hereby invested with, all
the rights, powers, privileges and franchises given by law to companies
incorporated for works of internal improvements. And if any land owner
adjacent to any road, street or alley mentioned in this act, having an
interest therein, refuse to consent to the digging of ditches for the pur-
pose of laving pipes, underneath the ground, said land owner’s interest
may be condemned in the method now prescribed by law. And the said
company may make such rules, regulations and by-laws as may be neces-
sary for its government and the orderly conduct of its business.

3. The capital stock of said company shall be not less than one hun-
dred thousand dollars, nor more than three hundred thousand dollars, to
be divided into shares of the par value of one hundred dollars each.

4. The amount of real estate the said corporation may hold shall not
exceed two thousand acres, exclusive of its rights of way to lay its pipes.

5. The chief business of the corporation shall be to deal in artesian
well water, bore artesian wells, and charge compensation for same, lay
pipes and conduct its water through said pipes and by other methods
from one point to another, to sell, or charge compensation, or water rent
or toll for said water.

6. The principal office of said corporation shall be located either in
the city of Newport News or the city of Richmond, Virginia, whichever
may be decided upon by the board of directors after the organization of
the corporation.

%. The incorporators, or any two of them, may open books of subscrip-
tion to the stock of the said company any time after the passage of
this act, either with or without notice, and when the minimum stock has
been subscribed, may call the stockholders together for the purpose of
organizing the company and electing the officers, which shall consist of
a president, a secretary, a treasurer, a board of directors, and such other
officers as the by-laws of the corporation may prescribe.

8. The said company shall have the power and authority to issue and sell
bonds at such times and on such terms as the directors may deem expe-
dient, or to borrow money in such sums as they may deem necessary to
carry on its works. And in order to secure the payment of its bonds, or
the payment of the money so borrowed, may create and execute mortgages
or deeds of trust on its chartered rights, franchises, and property. And
the said company may receive as subscriptions to its capital stock any
real or personal property or services that may be agreed upon between
the incorporators and the subscriber, if said stock is subscribed before
the organization of the company and election of the officers, and between
the directors and subscriber, if the subscription is made after the com-
pany is organized and officers elected. But in either case, the value of
such property or services shall be agreed upon and fixed before the stock
is subscribed for or issued. The said company may sell or lease the whole
or any part of its property or franchises to any person or corporation.
9. All taxes due the commonwealth by said company shall be paid in
lawful money of the United States, and not in coupons.
10. This act shall be in force from its passage.