Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-03-29
Correspondence Of tho SENTINEL
Letter from South Carolina.


COLUMBIA CRY, s. c., March ls, 1871.
EDIroR SENTINEL: Sir, First let me
tell You that your correspondent has just
laid aside the last copy Of your interest
ing paper, and while perusing it's columns
it occurred to me that few lines from
this locality might, perhaps, be of some
interest to your readers, as quite a num-
Der of Juniata folks are sojourning here
As you are doubtless. aware, the State
Legislature has adjourned. and the major
portion of the members Of that hororabie
body have returned to their homes. some
doubtless, never to return, as it is cur
rently reported that the * XXX" gen.
tlemen are looking after some of them
The last few days of the session were
decidedly stormy, and all, too, about
railroads. 1t was frequently asserted
during the session that "big railroad jobs
were on the tapis; and, true. enough, a
few days before the final ending. along
they came; and with others was the
Greenville and Columbia Railroad Com
pany, with our old friend and fellow
towpsman, Col. J. J. Patterson. in the
lead. he being the Vice President of the
abovs.named road. For some months
past the South Carolina Railroad Com
pany. whose road runs from here to
Charleston-and, by the way. an old and
wealthy corporation, composed entirely
of ar;stocrats of the State-have been
using every possible means to purchase,
and thereby gain control of the Green
vile and Columbia Railroad. This line
extends from here westward 165 miles,
with branch roads to Abbeville and An
derson. and is owned by a partnership
which at first consisted of fifteen or
twenty gentlemen. but recently il has
been reduced until there are now only
eight and they are State officials and Re
publicans, with Col. j. J. Patterson at
its head a1d one of the heaviest stock
holders. The old aristocracy of the
State dislike the idea Of Yankees owning
and running railroads. and have been
bitter agains. the company; but notwith-
standing the -oad is doing = large and
profitable business. They style them the
/. Greenville Ring" and they are as well
known and as much abused here as was
ever the Pennsy lvania Railroad "ring
abused at Harrisburg for their operations
in days gone by. Not long since the
South Carolina Company offered Col.
Patterson snd his party million dollars
for their interes: in the G. and C. road,
but they refused to sell on any sucl,
terms. The object of the "ring" was to
keep THEN road, and procure certain leg
islation by which they would get the use
of two million dollars worth of good
bonds on their road, and four millions OF
State endorsed bonds on The Blue Ridge
Railroad, and one million three hundred
and ten thousand dollars of stock held
by the State in the Glue Ridge Railroad
the Lawrence Railroad. and the Spartaus
burg Rsilroad-the two latter being feed.
ers Of the Greenville and Columbia Rail.
road--and, to accomplish this. bill was
introduced to consolidate all in one com
pany, which would make a very power.
full corporation. 1t was indeed decided
ly bold scheme, and as soon as it was
developed, created terrible howl, urged
on by the different companies who op
posed the measure The Port Royal
Railroad Company, which was also ap.
plying for two millions of State bonds,
a, once saw defeat to their game if the
ring" succeeded in getting their bill
through, and they used strong arguments
against the rings bill. The "ring
offered several bills, ana had two or three
passed but the one they really wanted,
and the one that covered up the SNAKE. u
was put in one of their bills by the Com.
mittee on Railroads in the Senate, (aftcr
having passed the House. and supported
as amendments. and it was a "big" "
amendment, for it changed the title and
almost the entire body of the original
bill as it had passed the House. After
being reported to the Senate. it passed
with little opposition. and was the same
day returned to the House for concur
renee, where it received very prompt and
likewise favorable consideration, when,
after terrible fuss Gall on the surface J,
it was signed by the Governor, while the
newspapers were all, with few exceptions.
denouncing the wrong bill. 1t was a
grand old fight, and hard work for two
weeks. bu: the ring" were the victors,
and defeated the Port Royal schemes,
and got all they wanted In other words,
they "gobbled up" about eight millions
of the State and railroad bonds.
If time and space would permit,
would give you statement of the estate
Startling Funding Bill" recently passed
1t is brother chip to the above, and
fully as essential to the interests of the
ring"
The excitement created was very great,