Chap. 346.—An ACT to charter the Blue Ridge railway company.

Approved February 16, 1901.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That S. R.
Smith, Henry P. Scott, Nicholas P. Bond, E. P. Hill, W. B. Smoot,
George W. Settle, T. C. Smith, George W. Cone, John B. Miller, and S.
R. Miller, or such of them as may accept the provisions of this act, their
associates, successors or assigns be, and they are, hereby incorporated and
made a body, politic and corporate, under the name and style of the
Blue Ridge railway company, and by that name shall be known in law,
and as such is authorized and empowered to locate, construct and operate,
by steam, electricity or other motive power, a line of railroad, com-
mencing at some point on the Southern railroad, within the corporate
limits of the town of Culpeper, or at some point within the counties of
Orange, Fauquier, Culpeper, Warren, Page, and Albemarle, Virginia, and
thence running to such points in Rappahannock, Greene, Orange, Albe-
marle, Madison, Spotsvlvania, Page, Loudoun, Fauquier, and Warren
counties, and by such routes as may be deemed suitable by the board of
directors of the said company.

2. That the said company shall have perpetual succession and have
power to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, defend and be de-
tended, in all courts, whether in law or equity, and may make and have
2 common seal and alter and renew the same at pleasure, and shall have
and possess and enjoy all the rights and privileges of a corporation or
body politic and necessary for the purposes of this act. The capital stock
of said company shall not be less than ten thousand dollars nor more
than fifty thousand dollars, divided into shares of twenty-five dollars
each, under such regulations as the board of directors of said company
shall from time to time prescribe; the directors may receive cash, labor,
real and personal property, suited to the business of the company, in pay-
ment of subscriptions to its capital stock, at such valuation as may be
agreed with the subscribers.

3. It shall be lawful for the circuit court of the city of Richmond,
upon petition of president and board of directors at any time to order a
change in the name of the company, and to increase the capital stock
upon the payment of the proper charter fee, but any such change of name
shall be without prejudice to the rights of any creditor, or the exercise
of any of the powers and privileges granted by this act.

4. It shall be lawful for said company to acquire, by donation or pur-
chase, lands for depots, stations, shops, and other purposes necessary for
the successful operations of its road in any of the counties through which
it is authorized to construct its line of road or branches thereof.

5. It shall be lawful for said company to combine with any other rail-
way or railways for the purpose of consolidation or transfer of its rights
or property; and shall have the right to acquire other railways, and to
this end shall have the right to own stock of other railways.

6. It shall be lawful for said company, by and with the consent of the
county court, on the recommendation of the boards of supervisors of the
counties and the councils of the cities or towns, to enter upon, grade,
oceupy and use any public road or highways or streets in said counties or
in the cities or towns situated therein for the purpose aforesaid ; so, how-
ever, as not to prevent the free and convenient travel over such road by
any citizens: and this corporation is further authorized to acquire such
rights of way in fee of lands as they may find needful or advantageous
to the construction and operation of such railway line or lines, by pur-
chase, gift, grant, or condemnation, in the manner provided by law for
acquisition of private property for public use; and the said railway com-
pany shall also have power to purchase, acquire, sell, lease, dispose of, and
convey real or leasehold property, and lay out thereon town sites and erect
hotels or other buildings, and to use and manage the same in any lawtul
way Whatever, and to open and work quarries and generally to make such
lawful use of its said landed or other property as it shall deem advisable.

7. It shall be lawful for said company to borrow money or issue and sell
its bonds from time to time, for such sums and for such terms as its board
of directors'may deem expedient and proper, and to secure the payment of
such bonds by mortgages or deeds of trust upon all or any portion of its
property, railroads and franchises.

8. Subscriptions to the stock of said company may be made by the
county of Rappahannock, or any of the counties interested in the con-
struction of this road or its branches; and that the subscriptions in each
county shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars; and the proper
authorities of said counties shall cause a vote to be taken therein on the
question of such county subscriptions upon the petition of twenty-five
freeholders to the county court at least thirty days before the date fixed
for said election, praying an order for said election for the amount fixed
in said petition, and thereupon the court shall order an election in accord-
ance with the provisions of this act. Said election may be ordered and
conducted as is provided under the general laws, except so far as is
provided in this act.

9. That the judges of election of the several districts shall carefully
ascertain the number of votes cast in their respective districts for aid to
the Blue Ridge railway company. and the number cast against aid to the
Blue Ridge railway company ; and the several judges shall make return
thereof, aitested by their hands and seals, to the clerks of the county
courts of their respective counties, and the said clerks shall send a copy
thereof, under seal of their office, to the supervisors of their respective
counties.

10. That if from the returns made by the judges of election as certified
by the said clerks, it shall appear a majority of the registered freeholders
of the county were in favor of the said subscription. the board of super-
visors of snid county or counties shall make such subscriptions. notwith-
standing that the amount so subscribed shall require the imposition of an
annual tax in excess of twenty cents on the one hundred dollars, to pay
the interest on the amount so subscribed, and to provide a sinking fund
for the extinguishment of the principal ; and to this end may issue bonds
bearing the rate of interest not exceeding six per centum per annum,
of such denominations as said authorities may determine.

41. That the said company shall be required to commence the con-
struction of said railroad within four years from the commencing of this
act, and to complete the construction of its main line within five years
thereafter. or otherwise the powers and privileges and franchises hereby
grantor shall be annulled and become void.

That S. R. Smith. George W. Sctile. of Rappahannock county;
T. e Smith, of the town of Culpeper. Virginia: W. B. Smoot. of Alex-
andria. Virginia: Henry P. Scott. of Wilmington, Delaware; Henry A.
Parr. Nicholas P. Bond. and E. P. Hill, of Baltimore, Maryland; John
B. Miller, of Rappahannock county, and George W. Cone, of Warren
county, or such of them as will accept the provisions of this act, shall have
power and authority of a president and board of directors for the purpose
of organizing and all other purposes. They shall constitute the board of
directors for the first year and shall continue in office until their suc-
eessors shall be elected and qualified. Hach stockholder in the company
shall, at all meetings or elections, be entitled to one vote for each share
of stock registered in his name. ‘

13. The board of directors shall be stockholders of the said company ;
they shall elect from their members a president, vice-president, treasurer,
and such other officers as in their judgment shall be necessary, and may
fill any vacancies that may occur in said board, unless by removal, in
which case the same shall be filled by stockholders in general meeting.

14. Whenever ten per centum of the capital stock shall have been sub-
scribed and the board of directors shall have elected a president and the
proper tax on this charter has been paid, the said company shall be con-
sidered legally organized and may proceed to the transaction of business.

15. No stockholder in said company shall be held liable or made re-
sponsible for its debts and liabilities in a larger or further sum than the
amount of any unpaid balance due the said company for stock subscribed
by the said stockholders.

16. The board of directors may establish offices and agencies at such
places as they may deem proper, but the principal oftice of the company
shall be located at some place in the state of Virginia.

17. All taxes due the commonwealth by said company shall be paid
in lawful money of the United States, and not in coupons.

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