Chap. 4.—An ACT to incorporate the Virginia-Alaska gold mining company.

Approved December 14, 1897.

1. Be it enacted by the gencral assembly of Virginia, That A. S.
Buford, Richmond, Virginia; Thompson Brown, Nelson county, Vir-
ginia, A. D. Watkins, Prince Edward county, Virginia; R. C. Marshall,
Portsmouth, Virginia; Claude A. Swanson, Pittsylvania county, Virginia:
Daniel Trigg, Abingdon, Virginia; T. C. Pilcher, Fauquier county, Vir-
ginia; James H. McGavock, Wythe county, Virginia, and H. W. Flour-
noy, Richmond, Virginia, or such of them as may accept the provisions
of this act, their associates and successors be, and they are hereby, incor-
porated and made a body politic and corporate under the name of the
Virginia-Alaska gold mining company.

2. The said company may by. or. under its corporate title make and
use a corporate seal,.whi¢h it may alter or renew atipleasure; and may
sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, contract and be contracted
with, and adopt and have a constitution and by-laws, and have such
rules and regulations as may be necessary for the conduct of its business,
consistent with the existing laws of the commonwealth or such laws as
may hereafter be enacted.

3. The capital stock of said company shall not be less than twenty
thousand dollars nor more than one hundred thousand dollars, to be
divided into shares.of one hundred dollars each.

4. The said company is authorized and empowered to conduct mining
operations for gold, silver, and all minerals in any of the states or terri-
tories of the United States or any foreign country, in accordance with
the laws of said states or the United States or any foreign country in
which it may operate. And in furtherance of its mining operations,
may own, hold, lease, grant, and convey real and personal property;
claim, take up, and work mining property; make such purchases of
material, vehicles, animals, boats, and merchandise; employ such agents,
brokers, laborers, clerks,.and such other people as may he necessary for
the conduct of its business.

5. Said company may issue bonds or other securities, and take bonds

or other securities; execute mortgages, deeds of trust, or other liens on
its property, both real and personal, and sell, use, or otherwise dispose
of its property, real and personal, as a natural person may do; build
roads and tramways, manufacture its products or otherwise prepare them
for market, and do whatever may be necessary and useful to the successful
management of its affairs as a mining company.
_ 6. No stockholder shall be made Hable or held responsible for the
debts or liabilities of the said company in a sum beyond any balance
which may be due by said stockholder to said company on stock sub-
scribed for by said stockholder.

7. Said company shall have a president, vice-president, and board of
directors, of which the president and vice-president. shall be members,
and a secretary and treasurer and general manager, and such other
officers, clerks, and assistants as it may choose for the proper conduct of
its business, to be chosen in such manner as the stockholders may deter-
mine by the constitution and by-laws of the company. All vacancies
which may occur in the board of directors or among the officers shall be
filled in such manner as may be prescribed by the constitution and by-
laws. |

8. For the purpose of organizing said company any five or more of
the incorporators herein named may receive subscriptions to its capital
stock without advertising the time and place for receiving the same. As
soon as twenty thousand dollars have been subscribed to the stock of the
said company the subscribers thereto may hold a meeting and organize
said company, at such time and place as may be designated by such in-
corporators as shall have received such subscriptions, or a majority of
them. When organized, said company shall have authority to hold
meetings of its directors or stockholders at such times and places as may
be prescribed by the constitution or by-laws.

9. If said company shall not be organized within two years from the
date on which this act is approved the franchise and powers hereby
granted shall be null and void.
10. This act shall be subject to repeal, amendment, or modification at
any time by the general assembly; and all taxes, dues, or demands due
or to become due by said company to the commonwealth of Virginia
shall be paid in the lawful currency of the United States, and not in
coupons.

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