The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-04-21
GREENvILLE AND COLUMBIA RAIL.
ROAD COMPANY.
Presidents REPORT.

H.R. Hammett, Esq, the President of the
Greenyille and Columbia Railroad Company,
has submitted to tie stockholders the annual
report of the operations ard conditions Of the
road for the year 1867. Itappears that the
earnings of the road for the year are:
From freights, s162,6se 90; passage and
extra, 500, sos 25; approximate government
accounts, s4958 10; mails s11,535. Total,
s269. .7S7 AZ. Current expsnses, s169, ,973 go;
leaving nett income Of s9es 613 So.
This amount has been applied to the pay
ment Of the floating debt, contracted in the
restoration Of the property of the company de-
atroyed by the freshet Of 1865 and the war.
The floating debt has been materially reduced,
and is now entirely within the control Of the
company-there remaining only few claims
of any considerable amount, and which the in
come of the road, IL applied to that purpose
alone, will soon entirely e1tiDguish.
The net income for 1857 s not as large as
may have been expected; but it must be re-
membered that we have been subjected to
every conceivable misfortune and disappoint-
ment-far greater than has ever occurred be-
fore, or is at all likely to occur again. The
crop of 1866, along the line d road, was al
most an entire failure, both Of cotton and
grain, There being comparatively little cot
ton or other produce to sell, there was little to
be sent up the road in return, and the extreme
scarcity Of money reduced the income from
both transportation and travel. AS an indica-
ton of the great scarcity OF provisions. result
ing from the unprecedented failure Of the
nroyisiop crop, there was sent up the road
during the year 200, ,655 busha els OF corn, and
1O47 hogsheads of bacon, Of which q, ,s03
bushels OF corn and nineteen hogsheads Of
bacon were charitable donations from other
sections Of the country, and we:e sent up the
road free Of charge. There was also large
quantity Of guano and other fertilizers, sent
up the road at nominal charge but this, it is
believed, has been amply remulerative in the
increased production Of the @ crop 81 1857, re.
crop was brought to market until after the 1st
Of January, and does not appear in the tables
of this report. That the amount Of work done
in 1867 exceeds that Of the yesr previous, is
shown by the fact that during the year 1867
the number Of miles run was 1882, while for
the year previous it was 116 44s, being an in
crease Of IS, 426 miles-and that the gross in
come is not increased In the same proportion,
is accounted for, in great measure. by the
we're OF the class which were sent at nomi-
nal rate, and donations for which no charge
was made.
During the past year the condition Of the
road and rolling stock has been materially i'm
proved. There have been put into the track
rs, ,92S cross-ties, and 6619 stringers, including
9113 cross-ties put into the Blue Ridge road,
from 1st June to 31st December, besides
large quantity Of timber used in repairing the
restles along the line.
In our anticipations, as expressed in the last
annual report, that the business of the road
for 1868 would be largely In excess of 1867, or
any previous year since the war, we are not
likely to be disappointed. For the months OF
January, February and March, 1888, there have
been brought down the road so ,25S bales cot
ton, which Is an excess Of 2970 bales over the
receipts Of the entire year OF 1867. The gross
earnings for the same months are s1O2, ,765 26,
which Is s29,272 81 in excess of the correspond
ing months of 1867. There still remains large
quantities Of grain on the upper end OF the line
70 be brought down; and as the quantity OF
cotton sold, and the high prices realized for it,
has increased the amount OF money along the
line Of road, it ls reasonable to expect an in
creased income from all sources during the
balance of the gear.
The rolling stock consists of twelve locomo-
ives in working order; seven undergoing re-
pairs; eighteen passenger and mail cars; one
hundred and nine freight cars. Thirty-two
thousand passengers we're transported during
she year.
Speaking of the contemplated connections
With the West, the President says:
The Western North Carolina Road, from
Salisbury, North Carolina, Uia Asheville, to the
Tennessee line, at Paint Rock, is now being
.apidly pushed forward, and is so far advanced
hat its completion can be looked forward to
With certainty. When that is completed, and
1ne or two short lines in Tennessee and Ken
lucky, which are now being constructed, the
connection by that line will be complete with
Louisville and the entire Northwest.
The distance from Greenville to Asheville is
about sixty miles, and by experimental sur
veys, as we are informed. has been found
% be q practicable route and Of as easy
grade as at any other point of crossing the
Blue Ridge. The whole line across the noun
tain could most probably be constructed with
out tunnel. Then the construction of an ex-
tension from Greenrille to Ashevile will be Of
immense value. not only to our road, but to the
whole State. The citizens OF Western North
Carolina look to this connection with the deep
est interest and anxiety, and should be met by
1s in corresponding sririt-taking hold OF
The first practicable scheme that may present
itself for commencing and completing the line.
A connection with the Northwest by railroad IS
Of the greatest possible Importance to the Sec
ton of country through which our road passes
not only to the road, which would at once be
placed on the list of roads OF The first impor-
tance, but to the whole people-as the great
lever for developing the resources OF tue coun-
try and stimulating the energies OF the people.