Chap. 320.—An ACT to incorporate the Long-Distance Telephone Company, of
Ridgeway, Virginia.

Approved March 25, 1902.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That George O.
Jones, George I. Griggs, W. T. Deshazo, senior, Doctor J. Beverly
Deshazo, and W. T. Deshazo, junior, and such others as they may asso-
ciate with them, their successors and associates, be, and they are hereby,
constituted a body politic and corporate under the name of the Long-
Distance Telephone Company, of Ridgeway, Virginia, and by that name
may sue and be sued in all the courts of law and equity; may make,
have, and use a common seal, which it may alter at pleasure, and shall
have and exercise all the rights, privileges, and powers pertaining to a
body corporate and necessary and proper for the transaction of the busi-
ness of this company, which shall include all the rights given by the gen-
eral laws of Virginia to telephone and telegraph companies or any works
of internal improvement, and it shall have the power to make, adopt, and
enforce all by-laws and rules, regulations, and so forth, necessary for the
management and preservation of its property, and for the conduct of its
business not inconsistent with the laws of this State.

2. The said company shall have power to construct, equip, maintain,
and operate lines of telephone or telegraph, or both, and telephone ex-
changes, throughout the State of Virginia, and the other States and ter-
ritories of the United States and the District of Columbia: provided,
that the lines acquired, constructed, or maintained under authority
granted in this act in the State of Virginia shall be connected with
the system of said company maintained in Henry county. It may con-
struct and acquire by lease, purchase, or otherwise, and maintain and
operate telephone and telegraph lines, or either, with all necessary fix-
tures and appliances, in, under, and along the streets, alleys, and high-
ways, and through or across, or under the waters of this State, in any
city, town, or county in the State of Virginia, with the consent of the
council of said city or town, and provided, in the case of public roads,
that the ordinary use thereof be not obstructed thereby, in so far as the
same may not be in conflict with the laws of this State; shall have the
right to make any contract with any company or individual consistent
with the laws of this State; may subscribe to the stock or purchase the
capital stock, or otherwise acquire the works, lines, poles, conduits, tele-
phone and telegraph appliances, franchises, rights, privileges, and im-
munities of any other company chartered under the laws of this State, or
any other State or territory of the United States; and may own, buy,
sell, lease, use, operate, maintain, and extend the same; and power is
hereby given any other corporation, whether chartered by the laws of this
State or any other State or territory or otherwise, to transfer, sell, or
lease, or by such other contract as may be agreed upon, all of their works,
property, franchises, rights, privileges, and immunities, including the
right to be a corporation, to the company hereby incorporated, or to
unite and consolidate with it upon such terms as may be agreed upon
between them. Said company may lease and encumber by trust, deeds,
or otherwise, and may dispose of any or all of its property, privileges,
and franchises hereby granted, or which may hereafter*be granted or
conferred upon it, including its right to be a corporation; and may issue
bonds to be secured by liens on its entire property or any part thereof,
including its real estate, franchises, rights, and privileges.

3. Said company shall have power to acquire by purchase, lease, or
condemnation, in accordance with the laws of Virginia on that subject
or otherwise, all real estate, easements, or franchises necessary for the
convenient erection and maintenance of its lines, poles, conduits, tele-
phone and telegraph appliances, offices, and exchanges, and for the gen-
eral conduct of its business.

4, The said company shall have power to issue stock to the value of
the property at this time owned by said company as a co-partnership in
this and the adjoining State of North Carolina.

5. The minimum capital of said company shall be one thousand dol-
lars, and the maximum five thousand dollars, to be divided into shares
of twenty-five dollars each, and each share of stock shall entitle the holder
to one vote at all the mectings of the stockholders: provided, however,
that the shareholders, at any regular meeting, or at a meeting called for
that purpose, by a vote of the owners and representatives of two-thirds
of the then capital stock, may increase the same from time to time, or
may authorize the board of directors to increase the same, to an amount
not exceeding fifty thousand dollars: provided, however, that whenever
the said capital stock of the said company shall be increased the said
company shall pay to the State of Virginia such additional sum as re-
quired by law to make the amount of tax paid by this company on its
charter equal to the amount of tax which would have been required had
the company originally been chartered with a capital stock of the maxi-
mum to which it has been raised by the stockholders: and provided
further, that there shall be no increase in the capital stock as is provided
for in this section, unless and until notice of such purpose to increase
shall have been given to the auditor of public accounts and the addi-
tional tax shall have been paid, and any failure to comply with the pro-
visions of this section as to the additional tax shall work a forfeiture of
all the rights granted by this charter.

6. The real estate to be held by said company shall not exceed five
hundred acres.

?. The principal office of said company shall be at Ridgeway, Vir-
ginia. The board of directors may establish offices and agencies at such
points as they may deem proper.

8. The chief business of the said company shall be the operating and
maintaining telephone lines between points in the State of Virginia or
elsewhere, and operating telephone exchanges.

9. The names and residence of the officers, who for the first year shall
conduct the business of the company, shall be: President, George O.
Jones; treasurer, George J. Griggs: secretary and general manager,
Doctor J. Beverly Deshazo, all of Ridgeway, Virginia. Directors—George
QO. Jones, Ridgeway, Virginia: George I. Griggs, Ridgeway, Virginia;
Doctor J. Beverly Deshazo, Ridgeway. Virginia: W. T. Deshazo, senior,
Ridgeway, Virginia; W. T. Deshazo. junior, Ridgeway, Virginia.

10. All taxés and levies assessed against said company shall be paid in
current money, and not in coupons of the bonds of Virginia.

11. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby re-
pealed in so far as this act is concerned.

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