The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-03-28
'.The Carolina Railroad King"

The ability energy and enterprise which
has secured the above title to Col. William
Johnston, of Charlotte, N. c., is too we'll
known to require demonstration, but an ex-
change has so cleverly grouped some of his
achievements in the subjoined extract, that
We are grati6ed It being able to lay it before
our readers as proof of the distinguished
merits of worthy fellow citizen and neigh
Dor. Well would it be for US, if his genius
presided over the enterprise now on foot, of
connecting Charlott with Charleston, via
Camden and the central Railroad.
Since the war he has built and rebuilt near
ly two hundred miles of railroads in North
and South Carolina, without any State aid
from either, among poor, destitute people:
much of country along the line having been
laid in utter ruin by Sherman's army, and al
most in a state of revolution; without conf
dence, pecuniary means, or credit. To
rebuild about 80 miles of the C. & So. Ca.
R. R., its shops and bridg,s, with all its war
debts hanging upon him, we learn that Col.
Johnston only had about 73 bales of cotton,
When the war closed, about; SIS, 900 worth of
grading only was done on the Columbia &
Augusta R. R-the Company saving out of
the wreck about 1000 bales of cotton In
the ia, l of '66, the stockholders requested
him go on and build the Road. In 1870
the Road was finished, and is IS miles long.
The Congaree and Savannah bridges alone
cost over $500, 900 in the aggregate-more
than the proceeds Of the sale Of the cotton
and all other means Of the Company in hand
when he began the work! while the Road
cost over TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS!
During the entire construction of this
Road, amid the other almost insuperable
difficulties he had to contend with, the South
Carolina R. R.-the most powerful corpora
tion in the State-fought him with her
heaviest artillery, bringing suit after suit
against his enterprise in almost every form
known to the law In all this he succeeded
beyond his most sanguine expectation, wheth-
er as President or attorney for his Road.
How he ever realized the funds-Or sustained
his credit to get through, has been mystery
TO the best railroad men and 6nanciers ofthe
country.
In June last, he finished rebuilding Al
miles more of Road from Charlott to States
viles, and built it in FIVE and halfmonths!
A public journal has remarked that Col. j.
has done more for the improvement and
development of North Carolina than any
man living" How much more has he done,
however, for South Carolina? having built
over 13l miles of raad mithia- -her.tiu1iittaz
truth. the opinion Is that he has done for
her material prosperity more than any citizen
of that State. Without any aid from either
State. he had, in 1870, constructed more
miles of near road than all other railroad Off
GERS in both States, while they had millions
of bonds used in their aid. No man south Of
the Potomac, since the war, has been able
to accomp plish such results with double the
means. 1t is said that when he first built the
Charlott L. Statesville road before the war,
he began it with only $4,000 Ifto accom-
plish much, with small means, and under the
most unfavorable conditions of the country,
is evidence ofability, then he has shown it
in the highest degree. >.