The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-03-03
Blue Ridge Railroad.


REpoRr Of SPECIAL JOINT ,CoMMITTEE AP-
POINTED UNDER CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
OF THE. GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO INVEsTI-
,saATE THE. AEEAIRs OF THE COMPANY.
.ssib sCoruMB1A, S. c., Feb. 81, 1870. s.
Tine Special Joint Committee, appoint
ed under concurrent resolution OF the
General Assembly to investigate the at
fairs 1.-The Blue Ridge Railroad Compa-
NV. met ut the Office oftthe company, ,oin
this city, Wednesday, February l6, 1870.
lophey were courteously received by the
President. Gen. J.,W. Harrison, the Chief
Engineer, Col, j. P. Low, and by the
members of. the Executive Committee,
bis Excellency; Gov. Il. K. Scott, Hon.
James l.. Orr, Wm. Gurncy, Esq, J. Il.
Jenks, Esq, ali Of whom were present.
The ,Committee, in the outset, desire
to i,l,r express their qualification for the cour.
tesy tissgi With which they we're received, and
tie readiness and disposition evinced by
the officers Of the company and the mem
Bers1of the Executive Committee to facil-
itaiSe your committee in the object OF
their visit, and meet the wishes OF the
Geheraf Assembly.
eaTBe committee found the records of the
company carefully kept, embracing
minute detail of the work, its history, the
rer,orts of it's former and present officers
ande engineers, .also,- the proceedings OF
tho Board, of Directors and Executive
Committee,e together with all the facts
and information relative to the contract
with Cresswell & Co.. and the causes
which resulted, in the resembling OF that
contract. @G'ecA~l
After; careful examination of the re.
cords of the proceedings OF the several
nisetingssof the Board of Directors, and
the Executive Committee, held at Charles
tor. and Columbia, your. committee fully
concurred inathe opinion and request OF
the stockholders and directors, that the
proceedings, including the annual reports
of the President and Chief Engineer,
should rot be published until final ad.
iustInent OF the. contract with Crcswell
&, Co., was made. The committee also
find that another reason why the annual
reports to the General Assembly have
been DELAYED, is, that the company have
had in tile field for the last two months,
a.corps of engineers running an exper,
mental, line, which il is believed VIII
avoid all the tunnels in South Carolina,
cross the Blue Ridge, or Stump House
Mountain, with tunnel of but 30O feet
in length, be q saving of two miles in dis
tance, great saving of time, and large
expenditure in construction. Owing to
Indictment weather, the report of this
corps of engineers has been delayed, the
company being desirous to include state
ment of this new survey in their pro-
ccedings. The committee, however, arc
pleased 10 state that all the reports and
proceedings are now being prepared for
pubficationin in pamphlet form, ard, 1T is
hopeds viii be ready to be laid before the
General Assembly prior to its adjourn
ment. Your committee, however, direct
ed their principal inquiries into the facts
and,particulars connected with the award,
and resembling of the contract with Cres-
weiF & co. After hearing tho explana-
tions made by the Executive Committee
and officers Of the road, yonr committee
were fully convinced the company was
fully warranted in withdrawing from that
contract, and efccting. q compromise, by
which the company, at the prices tor
which the work can now be let, save at
least sl.4OO,OOO, chiefly by the great de-
cline in the price of gold, and the prices
at which labor can be obtained, and the
prices also at which iron>and other mate
rails can now be purchased. Asa further
explain talon IF this great difference, the
attention. of yonr committee was directed
to the price OF gold in July last, when
the contract with Creswell d Co. was
made, 1T then being at 1856, and the pres.
-ent price, which is 1l9. This decline of
itself. the officers and members of the
Executive Committee claimed, effected
saving to the company of least fifteen per
cent. ny ~
Your committee, with aview to bring
to the attention of the General Assembly
more fully and particularly all the facts
and details connected with this matter,
submit with this report some accompany
ing documents, including report OF Hon.
James l.. Orr, Chairman of the Execu-
tive Committee.
From the examination made by your
committee, it appears that Creswell d
Co. their contract, undertook to COM
plete the entire road, to make it ready
for the rolling stock, and receive in pay
ment, at the prices named In their con
tract. the bonds of the company, at par,
and for reasons which are fully set forth
in the above report alluded to, OF the
Chairman of the Executive Committee
Creswell l. Co. also undertook to advance,
from their own means, within the first
eight months, to the Blue Ridge Railroad
Company, s1,OOO,OOO Your committee,
after reviewing all the circumstances
connected with consideration of the
prices at which the contract was awarded
Creswell & Co., especially considering the
price of gold, the cost of materials, price