The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-14

&C., &C., &c.
The importance of making arrangements te
ensure the quick and cheap carriage of trelgh'
between the wharves in this city and the ran'
road depots has long been recognized, and II
has been felt that the necessarily high cost
and DELAYS of the carriage by drays was Sc
rious difficulty in the way of increasing trade.
Years ago it was proposed to run the South
Carolina Railroad down to the wharves, and
build terminal depot upon the Cooper River,
and, when this scheme failed on account OF
active opposition, attention was turned to the
feasibility of forming an independent company
which should accomplish similar result.
! At the last session of the State Legislature
company was chartered under the title OF the
Farmers and Merchants City Railway Com
pany of South Carolina, with power to lay rail-
way tracks through and along the streets OF
Charleston, and to employ upon such tracks
suitable cars, 10 be drawn by horses or other
animals, for the transportation OF passengers
and freight. The rates to be charged by the
company were to be approved by the City
Council, and the tracks were not to be laid
until the consent of rwo-thirds OF the whole
number Of the City Council had been obtained.
Among the corporators were Alonzo j. White,
VIM. A. Courtenay, Robert Adger, VIM. J.
Hastie, 2. B. Oakes and John Ferguson. The
act was approved on December 20, 1866, and
was to remain in force for twenty-one years.
AS soon as the scheme was fairly made pub
lie, it met with bitter hostility. The dray.
men were of opinion that such company
would take away their business, and addressed
q remonstrance to the city authorities, and
variety of circumstances combined to make it
impracticable to obtain from Council that con-
sent, without which the charter was inopera-
tive. From the time Of the refusal on the part
of Council to confirm the charter of this COM
pany, the whole affair has lain dormant. But
Mayor Cogswell, with that energy which has
characterized his brief administration of the
city affairs, has taken the matter in hand, and
is now engaged in ascertaining the practica-
bility Of the plan that has been already dis
cussed.
TIE BENEFITS OF THE PLAN.
Of the benefit to shippers of line Of tram
or railroad which would allow them to run
tn ir goods at low cost from the wharves to
the depot, or from the depot to the wharves,
there can be no doubt. Trade will fall into the
nearest and most economical channel. Every
additional facility given to it widens it's course
and increases its volume, and the extent Of
the advantage may be measured by the state
ment that cotton could be taken to the wharves
proftably, by railroad, at about one-third Of
what it now costs to move it by drays.
OBJECTIONS.
The draymen, of course, believe that the
freight railroad would drive them from the
streets and reduce their earnings to nothing.
Another objection is, that if the drsys were
deprived Of employment, the city would lose
the large revenue now derived from licenses
granted to draymen.
1t is not too much to say that the fears of
the draymen are exaggerated and il-founded.
No action looking to the increase of our trade
will permanently affect adversely any branch
of business. freight railroad could not do
more than take the trade between the wharves
goods dispatched by our merchants on King
street, Hayne-street, Broad.street and Meet
ing-street to the north or west, nor could it
take inward freight going to any part Of the
city not Immediately upon its line Of direction.
Moreover, where farmer sells his produce there
will he buy his goods; and if the through trade
of Charleston is largely increased its local trade,
if properly conducted, will improve in the same
proportion. The draymen, after the first
shock, would no more lose by the introduction
Of freight railroad, than did those unfortu-
nate stock raisers who saw ruin to all their
hopes of high prices in the commencement of
the railroad system of South Carolina. The
price of stock adv anced as the railroads made
progress, and as the city freight railroad be-
came known, go would improve the trade of our
Charleston draymen.
The objection on the part of the city can be
easily met, for toll can be laid upon the
freight railroad company which will realize as
much as would be derived from the draymen.
HOW TO DO IT.
1t being granted that connecting railroad
for freight purposes is necessary to our trade,
it remains to consider the best means of
making the idea tangible fact. Three sug-
gestions are made. 1st. That the South Caro-
lima Railroad lay the track and run its own
cars to the wharves. q That the city do the
work and charge toll to all persons using the
road, the city either supplying cars and stock,
or allowing private individuals to provide
them. 8. That the road be built by public
corporation.
The first plan, in all probability, cannot be
carried out. 1t would throw upon the railroad
the necessity Of providing additional rolling
stock; it would require an immediate outlay of
capital, and would possibly engage the compa-
nv in a business for which it is not prepared.
This, however, is mere speculation, for the
company, in its zeal to advance the interests
of the State, may be willing to undertake the
construction Of the road if it cannot be done in
any other manner.