The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-04-28

pany at a less cost.
The 250 tons of new iron put on the Ander-
son branch during the year, has materially I'M
proved the condition of that portion OF the
track. The iron removed was of the Hanged
pattern, and very light; it had been in use for
q long time, and was worn out. The balance
on the branch, about four miles, together with
about ten miles below Belton on the main line,
is of the same kind, and is very expensive to
keep the track in condition to pass over, and
should be replaced with new T rail at the ear
liest time the Company is in condition to do so.
There are also about forty miles of club rail on
the road most of which has been in use for q
long time and is badly worn, and, like the
other, is very expensive to keep up the track,
and must be replaced in a short time. Then
there are, perhaps, twenty miles of T rail, which
from long use and injury sustained, by being
removed from the track and bent during the
war, requires re-rolling. The trestle bridge at
Aston, and over Broadway Creek on the An
derson branch, both built in 1866 and 1866,
must also be rebuilt within the next few years.
The one on the Branch must either be rebuilt
or repaired during the present year. There are
some culverts that require immediate repair al
so. With these repairs to the track and addi-
tions to the rolling stock, the road would be In
comparatively good condition. and prepared to
do the increased business that is anticipated
with despatch; and the operating expense af-
terwards would be materially diminished.
One of the greatest difficulties we have at
present, is the want of sufficient depot room for
storage and asserting freights. The through
DEPOT in Columbia should be enlarged to double
its present length, with platform and shed in
the rear, for the protection from the weather of
fertilizers and other like freights.
The depots at Littleton, Chappells, Ninety
Six, New Market, Greenwood, Hodges, Don
maids, Bolton, Williamson and Golden Grove,
are all old and much decayed, and are unsafe as
store houses against theft and should each be
replaced with new depots of at least twice Che
sizes of the present Ones as early as practicable
There should also be passenger depots at CO.
lumbia, Newberry, Belton aud Hodges; and
comfortable shelters for passengers at tho other
depots on the line.
By reference to table No. 4, it will be seen
that the number of passengers carried over the
road in 1869, were 53, 1868; in 1868, 45, 5,214-an
increase S,149 In 1869, there were 54,490
bales of cotton brought down the road; in
1868, 45,111, an increase of 9,379.
In consequence of the failure of the provis-
ion crops along the line of road last year, large
quantities of grain and -four have been sent up
the road from Columbia, since the lst OF Janu-
ary last. Heretofore it has been customary to
send trains of cars up the road loaded with
merchandise, and when at the upper end OF the
line, they were reloaded and returned with
grain and provisions, (where they have here
tofore been produced in sufficient quantities to
supply the demand along the line of road, so
that the cars were loaded both going up and re-
turning but the recent change, by WHICH both
merchandise and provisions were sent up the
road from Columbia, together with the unpre-
cedented quantity of fertilizers that have gone
up and the cars returning empty, has required
nearly twice the number of cars to do the same
work as heretofore; this will account for any
apparent want of promptness in delivering
freights for the past few weeks. The small de-
not roo,o at stations, and the failure of con-
signees to remove their frcights promptly on
arrival, have embarrassed us very much; In
many cases, the cars have been compelled to re-
main in the turn-outs at the depots for several
days. for want of room to discharge them. The
quantity of fertilizers sent up from 1st of JAN
uary to the 1st instant, is more than for the en-
tire year of 1869. This would indicate that
more than usual preparations were being made
for an increased crop the present year.
The lease of the Blue Ridge Railroad termi-
mated on the LIST of June last, since which time
the road has been operated by that Company,
ana IN connexions Will OuIo.
The dilapidated condition of the road and
rolling stock at the close of the war, besides the
damages sustained by the army, was very great
" injured by the freshet Of January, 1866,
which, with the financial condition of the Com
pany, have been subjects of the deepest solici-
tude to the managers of the affairs of the Com
pany. All their energy and means at their
command have been directed to the restoration
of the former and adjustment and satisfactory
arrangement of the latter.
A short statement and history of the bonded
debt is herewith submitted.
The road with its outfit and real estate cost 1S 81
The Company holds stock in other Railroad
Companies. oV,49o w
Cost Of road and property. S. 70S 81
Capital stock paid in by individ-
uals and corporations. S1076,414 b4
Subscribed and paid in by the
State. 7oosoo w ioioo'f Oh
Leaving amount of cost Of tho
road over the capital stock
paid 1851 333 9S
To provide for this difference the Company
issued their bonds, bearing date from January,
1852, to March, 1854, respectively having ten
years to run-for SS00,000. And to give them
a higher market value, on the 18th of January,
1854, they executed mortgage to secure their
payment. They subsequently, issued their
bonds, bearing uate July, looo, anu July, 1000,
respectively having ten years to run-for
S66O,0O0 No mortgage, nor other lien, was
executed to secure the payment of this latter
class of bonds.
These two sums combined, did not yet make
up the deficiency or difference between the cost
of the road and the capital stock paid in.
In 1861, when the bonds secured by mortgage
were approaching maturity, the Company ap-
piled to the Legislature for aid, and an Act was
passed authorizing the endorsement of the
guarantee of the State upon the bonds Of the
Company, upon specified conditions, for $780,
0l0-S10 600 of which were to he used for;