The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-11

brought by the roads in the interior from New
York. He knew OF two thousand tons bought
in baltimore and shipped to Savannah. and
sent by way of Georgia to Edgefeld. There
were complaints on all sides, and they should
be noticed.
President Magrath, in reply to Mr.. Seibels,
said, that if the complaints spoken OF referred
to tariffs, he would challenge COMPARISON with
those of any other road. as tor me stasemene as W
about there not being more than one-thlrd as
much guano moving on the road this year as
last. if that we're true the road must have moved
more puano last year than he had any idea Of
The fact was that be had never before seen 30
much guano on the road as there was at pres
ent, In regard to the two Thousand tons
BOUGHT in Baltimore and shipped via Sa-
vannah, he coad see no reason Tor the
transaction whatever, and would Like to have
it explained. The tarifs on the South Carroll
ma Railroad and the Georgia Railroad were the
same and their regulations the same. The
road was suffering now for want OF cars to
transport merchandise, because the cars were
filled with cuano and retained at way stations
as warehouses, because the conslgnees OF the
guano failed TO receive it at the proper time.
10 afford such facilities and storage as the gen.
t eman from EdgefeId would seem to desire,
would take at least one hundred additional cars
OF O cost of $100. COO.
Hon. George A Trenholm also replied to Mr..
Siebels. He SAID that ho was willing to leave
legal questions TO counsel Learned 10 the law,
but that the best reply to the public clamor
against the road for failing togive certain facil-
tiles was the fact that the stockholders
of the road had not received one dollar OF diYl-
dend since the close of tho war. They had
been furnishing the public with the facilities of
the road at the mere cost OF keeping up the
road aud defraying the expenses OF transporta-
ton. If the company had been mutual ben
eft concern, with an agreement to return
shippers all money over aud above expenses, 1t
would not have been better arrangement Tor
the public. The stockholders had furnish
ed the public ith all the advantages Of
great railroad at nero cost, while their
shares had fallen in value from 500 to
s25, and vet the great public was not
satisfied. Must the stockholders 90 still fur
ther and put their hands in their pockets to
satisfy the clamor Of the people? The samo
clamor had been made in Edgeh,ld District at
the close of the war, when the very men whe
clamored against the road for charging twenty
five cents for carrying sack OF salt for Que
hundred and twenty miles, were themselves
receiving from 81 so to 81 so for hauling q sack
Of salt twenty-one miles. When the company
was broken down and nearly ruined, and tho
road destroyed, the same class OF men clImor-
ed because the road charged as much tor
freight from Hopkins Turnout to Charleston
as the peo lie who clamor charged for haul
ing from Hopkins to Columbia. We work oil
the We IT round, earn nothing. and meet here
with long faces, because we have no dividends.
aud vet the public IL not satisfied. main
tain that this company has done its duty TO the
public.
I am not going to enter into the details of
the dispute between this road and the Columbia
and Augusta Road. But IN regard to MIR. john
son will say this was one OF tho best and
Grst friends that bis scheme had. subscribed
one-ffth OF tie entiro capital Of the road, and
have always been wllng.to meet him on fair
and liberal tprms.. But he never came. Mr.
Johnson said, II am gong to build road
III opposition to your road, and when 1t is
finished will take away not only your bnsi-
nees between Granitevilla and Augusta, but
one-half of your business between Augusta aud
Charleston, but am not yot quite ready to
Luild my road from Granlteville to Augusta,
and want you to let me have the use OF your
track until do. For that will give you what
I earn between Granitevllle and Augusta"
did not consider these liberal terms at all.
Mr.. johnson wrote to me personally about the
matter, and I replied to him personally. l
told him that his offer was equivalent to taking
away half OF our business and give us in return
one.tenth of what he took away. l could not
consent to any such proposition. Could your
directors, for the sake OF popular clamor, be 30
untrue to their constituents! The thing was
absurd on the face Of IT.. We were willing TO
make money out Of MIR. Johnson, but could not
make o bargain with hin. We had paid the
CITY of Augusta $780, 600 for the privilege of
building our bridge across the Savannah
River. We had built that bridge at a
great expense, and it was incumbent upon
Mr. johnson to pay us something correspond.
ing to the expense we had incurred. The City
OF Augusta had bound itself to US not to allow
auy other road to cross the river ut Augusta.
These rights and privileges. were valuable.
We had paid orthcm. Was there any lmpro-
pncty in going into the courts to enforce
them, merely because the people clamored
against 1t +? Let them clamor. We want
nothing but what is right, just and reasonable.
Who, that is q man, would yield his rights be-
cause of the clamor of the populace? AS one
of your directors. have done my best to pro-
tcct your interests, and as long as you honor
rights, and l. mt least, will never sue :umb.
Loud apvlause.]
MIR. W. A. Courtenay arose and said:
Mr.. Chairman and Ge7licnl.1,-I meet tho
gentleman from Edge6eld for the first time to-
day, and desire 10 reply very briefly to two
points OF his complaint against the South Ca
rulna Railroad for the reason that can speak
directly to the point OF these charges, which,
he tells Us, have been inc cause OF c'aihor
against our road.
He charges that the citizols Cf the interior
districts can only obtain :ocelpts for Gunno ut
the Charleston depot, upon condition. tnat the
car "a uuloaded at its destination within twcn.
ty-fJur houra OF it's arrival. May ask if this
IL on unreasonable coudition During the
past week my house has boon sblppln2 an en-
tire cargo of guauo 10 numerous points IN
South Carolina. Georgia and A!abana and sc
were interrupted i'll the Shipment OF portion
of 1t because tho railroad was temporarily un-
able 10 furnish trausportation; and wnaF, gon-
tlemon. il tire real excuse OF tho rJauf II ar
IL from tho president himself: "Sucl un.
usual quantities OF euano are bclng offered
Tor transportation. larger i'll amount than at
any previous season, that tho opacity OF thc
road had been for a mouth past tested to lis
utmos." Bat, that ia not all. a very grave
difficulty crows out OF the delay at all interior
depots in unloading oars, and it Is this use OF
cars as warehouses until conslgnees sna!
make 1t convenient to haul CT their freight tDat
ha. put buck the business OF tho road Tor
short ti,ne and caused this limit to bo put
upon the detention OF the cars. Is this u!Irea
souable =? The Baltimore and Ohio railroad
Company has in use five thousand cars, and
vet. venture the assertion, that II loaoeo
Car. even il froighted with guano. Was not un-
loaded within s,x hours aft0r Its arrival, the
agent would very soon hear Of his dcllhq lency'
Now. our company, with groas lberallty grants
twenty -four hours indulgence. and that, II
seems, Is the clusc OF popular clamor against
the road. Boar i'll mind gontlemen that
YOUR company is moving IA nue. eonnSge now
with three hundred cars aS 1t dit in lS60 Will
Ave hundreI cars, and if you ask how this
il so th,. answer is found in tue fact that ne