[316] Ibid. 42:663, 1886. In a circular to their constituents this committee said: “That after a full and satisfactory presentation of the case by very able counsel it appeared that the committee had been misinformed as to the material facts upon which their case was predicated. It especially appeared to the Court that there was no ground for the charge of fraud against the directors of the Company or the Central Trust Company. It further appeared that the litigation must be a protracted one, without substantial benefit to either party. Your committee were not willing to assume the responsibility of such a contest, in view of the expressed willingness of the majority to give to the minority the same terms which they had accepted for themselves. It was deemed wise to harmonize all interests, and join hands to promote the future of the property.”
[317] Annual Report, East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia, 1887.
[318] Chron. 37:344, 1883. The debentures were cumulative income bonds entitled to 6 per cent out of earnings after payment of interest, rentals, and operating expenses, including expenditures made for the repair, renewal, and improvement of existing property and equipment necessary for the proper conduct of the business of the railroad. Certain provisions of the mortgage protected them against the insertion of new mortgage bonds before them. Chron. 37:373, 1883.
[319] Curiously enough the chief saving seems to have been in maintenance of cars, an expenditure which one would expect to be least affected by the syndicate control.
[320] Chron. 36:56, 1883.
[321] R. R. Gaz. 18:138, 1886.
[322] Chron. 42:575, 1886.
[323] The Richmond & Danville guaranteed interest on some $12,500,000 of Virginia Midland bonds.
[324] Cf. Poor’s Manual for 1887.
[325] The very high average price of $200 per share was reported to have been paid. R. R. Gaz. 18:825, 1886; cf. R. R. Gaz. 19:162–3, 1887. The Terminal Company issued $5,000,000 new preferred and $9,000,000 common stock. Of this it sold the preferred and $7,500,000 of the common, giving to every holder of 100 of its shares the right to subscribe to the extent of one-third of the par value of his stock, and to receive for his subscription 33⅓ shares of the new preferred and 50 shares of common. Then to the $5,000,000 cash thus secured the Terminal Company added the $1,500,000 common stock left from its $9,000,000 issue, and turned the whole over to the Richmond & Danville in payment for the securities which it had purchased. R. R. Gaz. 18:825, 1886.