Chap. 200.—An ACT to Incorporate the Washington, Cincinnati, and St.
Louis Railrvad Company.

Approved March 15, 1872.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Vireinia, That
William Milnes, jr., P. B. Borst, B. ¥. Grayson, T. M. Almond,
A. Broaddus, Isaac Long, J. W. Ashby, H. M. Keyser, and M.
Spitler, of Page county, Virginia; J. G. Davis, James stevens,
James De azley, and G. W. Mitchell, of Greene county, Vir-
ginia; A. B. trick, P. 8. Roller, A. Ie. Grey, and G. W. Ale-
mong, of Rockingham county, Virginia; Adam Stevenson, W.
W. Fleming, and Paul Lighter, of Highland county, Virginia;
W.W. linnigan, Wm. A. Robertson, A. D. Almond, Rawles
Abell, B. H. Magruder, John Wood, jr., and G. B. Stephens,
of Albemarle county, Virginia; R. H. Maury, Thomas Branch,
W. F. Taylor, F. Stearns, and Wellington Goddin, of the city
of Richmond, Virginia, or such of them as may accept the
provisions of this act, and such persons and corporations as
may become associated with them, in the manner hereinafter
provided, shall be and they are hereby constituted a body
politic and corporate, by the name of the Washington, Cincin-
nati, and St. Louis Railroad Company; and by that name shall
have all the powers, rights and franchises necessary and proper
to locate, construct and maintain a narrow gauge railroad, not
excecding three feet between rails, to be known as the Wash-
ington, Cincinnati, and St. Louis railroad; to begin at a point
on the Potomac river, opposite to the District of Columbia, in
the state of Virginia, and to run thence, by the most practi-
cable route, to some point on the Viryinia and West Virginia
state line, either in the county of Rockingham or in the county
of Augusta, in the state of Virginia, with a branch from a suit-
able point on said road, via Charlottesville, in the county of
Albemarle, to the city of Richmond, in the county of Henrico;
also a branch from some suitable point on the main line of said
road to the city of Alexandria.

2. That the capital stock of said company shall not exceed
the sum of fifteen millions of dollars, to be divided into shares
of one hundred dollars each; and when five hundred shares
shall have been subscribed by persons or corporations, under
the direction of any three of the corporators hereinbefore
named, the subscribers shall assemble in Luray, Virginia, upon
the call of the first five named corporators, or a majority of the
same, to organize tlhe company under this act, to elect a presi-
dent and board of directors, whose term of office shall be three
years. Subsequent elections of president shall be made by
the board of directors, and of the board of directors by the
stockholders, and for the transaction of all business which
should appertain toa regular meeting of stockholders. Any
vacancy during the term of office of the president or directors
shall be filled by the board of directors.

3. The board of directors shall fix the salary of the presi-
dent and all officers of the company, and a maximum amount
of stock to be subscribed for by any individual or company.

4. The capital stock of said company may be increased from
time to time by the board of directors, to such amount as
they may deem necessary for the interest of the company, not
exceeding the maximum capital stock prescribed in this act;
and the board of directors of said company, to fully construct
and equip said rauway, shall have the power to issue bonds to
an amount not exceeding its capital stock, in such sums, not
less than one hundred dollars each, and bearing interest not
exceeding the rate now allowed by law, payable, principal and
interest, at such times and places and in such manner as may
be. deemed most advantageous to said company, and may
secure the same by one or more mortgages on the road, fran-
chises, income, and the real and personal property of the com-
pany, or such parts thereof as may be designated in the mort-
gage or mortgages.

5. That it shall be lawful for the said company to acquire by
purchase or in subscription to the capital stock of said com-
pany, or by donation, lands, mines, property, materials, or
labor, and to receive subscriptions from other companies, asso-
ciations and corporations, and to make such arrangements as
shall be mutually agreed upon by the respective boards of
directors of such companies, associations, and corporations, for
the endorsement, sale, and exchange of stock and bonds, as
to increase facilities for a speedy completion of said road; and
the said company may sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any
lands or other property acquired under this section, at their
pleasure.

6. The said company shall have power to build additional
branches and lateral roads, not exceeding twenty miles each,
from their main line.

7. If it shall be found in the location or construction of said
road, or any of its branches, or either of them, that a railroad
under construction, or for the making of which a company has
been chartered and organized, will interfere or be interfered
with, it shall be lawful for the said company, by contract, or
purchase, or consolidation, to acquire the ownership of such
roads, or any parts of any of them, or to make such agreements
as may be found desirable, in order to secure the use of such
roads, or any parts of them, or the benefit of such charters, or
any parts thereof, in furtherance of the purposes of this act:
provided, that nothing in this act shall be so construed as to
empower the said Washington, Cincinnati and St. Louis Nar-
row Gauge Railroad Company to acquire the subscription
made by the county of Page to the Shenandoah Valley rail-
road company.

8. Tlis company shall be subject to the general laws now in
force m relation to railroad companies, except as otherwise
provided in this charter.

9. That any county, city, town, or township, along the line
of said road, or of any connecting roads, is hereby authorized
to subscribe to the capital stock of said company, in the man-
ner and under the rules and regulations prescribed by law,
approved March twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and seventy-
one, by the general assembly of Virginia.

10. The work on the road herein authorized to be con-
structed shall be commenced within two years, and completed
within five years from the passage of this act.

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