| From the Richmond Dispatch |
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| October 10, 1861 |
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| The railroads and the speculators |
| We have received a letter by
mail, signed "H. D. Bird, General Superintendent," bearing
date, "Office of the South-Side R. R. Co., Petersburg, Oct, 3,
1861," in reference to an article in this newspaper of the 24th
ultimo, in regard to "sugar and salt;" in which, among other
things, the writer says: |
| "This company has
combined with no capitalists — and nobody whatever — to prevent
the transmission of sugar and salt over their road. They have not even
raised their rates of transportation,
which are the same now as they were before the war. |
| "As to the proffer of the
{Richmond &} Danville Railroad
company, 'to send its trains, &c., for salt, if the South-Side and
Virginia & Tennessee companies will permit, ' I have to say, that
the Danville company has never made us any proffer of its cars, never
asked permission of us to send them for salt. What the Danville
company has done in this matter was this; On the 3d of September last,
Mr. Talcott, the Superintendent of the Danville Road, telegraphed me
as follows: 'Mr. Gill, (the Sup't. of the Virginia & Tenn. R. R.,)
has sent to me for a train to bring salt from Salt Works to Richmond.
I will send the train to Junction to-night. Please order it to
Lynchburg early to-morrow.' |
| "I gave the order, and
the train went and brought down a load of salt; and this was all that
was done in the matter. |
| "As far as the South-Side
Railroad company is concerned, they need no 'proffer' of engines and
cars to aid in transporting or expediting the freight. They have an
ample stock of their own, not only to do the present business, but any
reasonable increase that may offer. " |
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