The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-29
Oh A. r LES TON.
l-z5, --..,-. ~. :.il:c: !.7,y,!:;Ti t.1:G1s'
MONDAY MORNING, APRIL &c. 1867.

49, C:a n EG II r. - L ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING, APRIL 49,. 1867.
Y 9 PAR uP. ~ -
.Sa. .r.ssy fn:.: = ;.:,;ist? =. tsti@ - =
Ne are sending ,out at present, q great NUM-
bet cfbills for subscription and advertising,
and most earnestly request TT that q AZ those who
may receive, them, will -haSerthe kindness to
make prompt femittances. great many Of
these accounts have been standing for q year
and more, and it is absolutely necessary now
that they should ;beipaid: -: -. :, -.
49,. s... y: =, " - -
eRlEEHtVI1IE, el5l AND soI.uaIB1A. RAIL-
ec,.s.; ROAD. ll1nG:Z ..
I'VE have :;ss :y;ssosssiyed IN advance copy q the
annual annual report Of The President, of. this. Road
which. we:hopea.in' a:day or; twoito lay before
3; .:, O., .3:s.::,,Ii sat.4:;c,: -: 80
.sfhsfs is no Road il il this stats . more in il:
portanee to oar people, for it is in fact the only
means Of communication between Columbia and
the upper and is one of the large feed;
erS 81 the trade Of this city, by bringing to it
the crops Of th ose sections of the State, which
would be forced without its means Of transport
to to seek other markets. And it has been Of late
especially serviceable in enabling the supplies
of corn and other food to, be carried into those
portions of the State which were suffering from
absolute want. : But it must play still more
important part in future and become the chief
link by which we will make that western con co1:
nection, which, it seems to us, is the only rei-
ance which Charleston has for increasing trade
and prosperity. ,.:4s s1... :s'', Z;
\ :: The financial condition of the road is unfor-
Etunately embarrassed. Heavy losses in Confed-
crate securities, destruction Of its Line and some
of the largest and most expensive .of, Its.
bridges by the war and freshet, and the re-.
duced freight and travel consequent upon the
poyerty Of the country. have oil combined to-:
reduce its income to the minimum point. As-1
ito the means by which its. finances are to be
restored we. will. not lundertakeato speak, for
we are scarcely competent Judges but we do
mot think too much praise can be awarded Mt: y:
HAMETr, the. president, Of the road, for the !
Ienergy which he hos shown in overcoming the
difficulties by which he was surrounded, ana
enabling the road to do the work which Eye even
nov it has to accomplish. The following ex-
tract from the report will exhibit thu difficult
ties to be overcome: 100, 10. ..:. ;. :ss. %. ..
a'sThe year has been one. Of great difficulty
and ilaborj.aA At the beginning Of. the year the
work was in progress to close the gap from
Coluimbian; ito Alston, caused by the war and
freshet, and in repairing and Citing up the
Trolling stock, left, to- do the business of the
road The trains were then only running from
Aston to the upper end Of the line. On tho lst
Of March the company commenced receiving
freights il ColuInbia to be sent through; but to
do this, they could only be carried on the road
to- Freshleys, there to be unloaded, hauled to
the river in wagons, and carried BY boats to
Aston, ;; and there reloaded on the cars to bo
|:sent to the various points Of destination. AS
the work progressed, the distance run by boats
was diminished, until on the 2lst Of May the
track reached the river at Aston, and the
boating ceased; but still the freights, both up
and down, had to be unloaded, hauled in
wagons to and from the banks Of the river, and
both freight and passengers carried across in
boats, until the list of September, when the
bridge was completed, and the entire line re-
opened. The difficulty and expense consequent
,,,o, tb;e ,to{o fh;nno yuhaD constant
changes of places Of shipment were necessari-
ly made and the confusion which resulted
from IN irregular way of working the road,
may well be imagined. From the lst Of June
until the completion of the bridge many Of.
those employed upon the work were sick, as
well as the agents, clerks and laborers at the
depotsi on each side of the river at Alston,
which greatly delayed the completion of the
work" = e
And when we consider that by the last ac-
counts the road had SO far accomplished its
work that all freight which had been received ut
its depots, with; the exception Of the last three
or four days., had been forwarded, the energy
of.the: President and employees Of the road will
be fully appreciated. .:5s,@
The gross income of the the road from al
sources has been $251, ,931.lo.. Its current c1-
penses $l44,7s0.37. Making net income of
$1O7, ,20Qs2. /. -
Tie probabilities are that the business of the
road will be very largely increased in the
coming year; foryery large quantities ofguaa1no
have been transported on the line, and the
prospect is fair for q very great increase of
freight on the coming crop.
We shall probably return to this subject
when we publish the report; and in the mean
time will express the hope that means will be
found to put its finances in easy condition, and
thus secure to the State the full benefit of one
a,,oI