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 Danville Railroad company, 'to send its trains, &c., for salt, if the South-Side and Virginia and 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 Spetember last, Mr. Talcott, the Superintendent of the Danville Road, telegraphed me as follows: 'Mr. Gill, (the Sup't. of the Virginia and 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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