Brooklyn Elevated Railway Company - Receivership 1885-1899.
New York, New York: March 1881. Manuscript testimony of the case "Supreme Court Edwin S. Keeler vs. Wm. Fontaine Bruff et al. In the matter of the Receivership of the Brooklyn Elevated Railway Company. Proofs No. 4 accompanying Referees' Report as to Counsel fees of Receiver Phelps. Theo R Gates Referee." The index references Howard H. Morse, John S. Hill and Edwin R. Meade. This is the manuscript record of their testimony dated between 1 March and 30th March, 1881. pp 272 - 620 (3). Appearances were made by Mr. North, Mr. Morse & Mr. Mackenzie before Theodore B. Gates, Referee.
Brooklyn Elevated Railroad was an elevated railroad company in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, operated from 1885 until 1899, when it was merged into the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company-controlled Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad. Its lines included the Lexington Ave., Myrtle Avenue, Broadway & Fifth Avenue lines. (Wikipedia). This appears to be a precursor to the BER, now bankrupted. This was a time when Tammany Hall held great control over the transaction of many businesses in New York City. The testimony of the Referee, records a time during which the officers of the Brooklyn Elevated Railway Company were revealed to have highly inflated the stock of the company and even held land that was rightly the Railway's in the names of cronies.
P. 285 is quite illuminating. Mr. Howard H. Morse of the firm Winfield, Leeds & Morse, was counsel to the ex-Receiver Floyd Phelps. During his research at No. 48 Wall St., Morse discovers documents in the President's desk and office that indicate that property of the Railway company was held in the name of outsiders, one by the name of Richard B. Caldwell. During his work, he was constantly interrupted by bond holders, stock holders, creditors and claimants. He had legal notices printed in the Daily Register in the City of New York, the Albany Argus the State paper at Albany and in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. (p. 276). Some of the creditors include Cooper Hunt & Trenton Iron Company were owed for ironwork (p.282); Thomas Cornell for lumber, (p.284); Floyd Jones for carrying out work; Passaic Iron; Lucas Kellogg Wilson, Mr. DeCamp, Mr. Andrews of Maine claims for foundation stone, (p. 294); Mr. Bliss of Bank of New York wished the lease to be surrendered as the rent had not been paid (p. 296. The Farmer's Loan and Trust "issued" more stock and bonds to the contractor than was justified, (p.289). Mr. Morse asked to present facts to courts in upstate New York, including Kingston, (p. 328).
Binder 8 x 13", bound in green boards with ties at the top, with hand lettered label on the front. One tie loosened, overall very good condition. Item #27205
Price: $600.00