The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-02-29
(Communicatcd.)
Sl0ckhoIdcr and The Camden Branch
truth Stranger Than Fict:O'

Editor Camden Jomnol-Pcrmit me the
use ola small portion of your columns. for tho
purpose ofcorrccting certain statements made
by your correspondent, styling himself
"StOckholdcr." Such statements coming
from such source, may bo naturally expect
ed to affect the public mind to considerable
degree; and to impress the travelling public
with grave apprchcnsions, when 50 untortu-
nate as to be compelled by business or other
engagements, to risk life and limb upon that
unhappy little railway, known as the Cam
den Branch of the South Carolina Railroad
Your correspondent, who begins his cpist;c
with hint Of certain inquiries to be made,
soon launches his pen from that eafr-sround
and takes himself, with perfectly rccklc s
Indifference to: and .'dirceard of .tact, to a
series of assertions, few if any Of which can
be substantiatcl. l hrs your indulgence;
while | draw your attention to few of them
whic!. NAY lie considered most worthy Of no.
ticc. '.Thc train does not leave Camden,
until all hour hchinl schedule time ~
The want ofany suggestion: even of proof
for this alarming error of statement, Is suffl-
cient Of itself to allow us to pass over it
without rther comment. than t say that
the officers of the road deny positively that
such has been the case, owing to the transpor-
tation Of fjeight, or 20 a"y other cause what
ever
Now, as to Stockholders spcculations
upon the propricty Of ruunins daily freight
train, | reply, that the experiment now pro-
posed by him, has been sufficiently triel to
convince any one, who should have taken
the pains to explore the subject, that ono
train daily afforded ample facilities fer the
transportation Of all freight cf all des"rip-
Iions, without delay to this market, and n
tcrmcdiate stations on the Camden BraDch.
However, it il not very reasonable to sup
po<e that the voice Of the gentleman, who 8
so LIBERAL of his strieturcs upon the manage
mcnt Of this road has made itself heard in
ethe recent convention of the SOUTH Carolina
Railroad Stockhuldcrs, at Charleston; and
may not the public congratulate themselves
upon having such bold and uncompromis-
ing advocate for their rights aud privileges?
And now bcg leave to slate, that the Cam
den Daily Passenger Train has, in tho spirit
of accommodation, been unusually stnppcd
at the crossing ofthe W. C.& A. r. r., for the
purpose Of permitting passengers desiring to
travel upon the latter, to transfer themselves
and their baggagc to the trains Of that road,
though without any special order, as ! am
informed, 10 do so.
Concerning the tariff argument "Stock-
holder' is again wide Of the facts, as it can
easily be proven that neither the local nor
through rates upon the Camden Branch, or
any other portion Of the S. G. II. II. are dou-
bic, or anything like double what they were
before the war; aud moreover, the present
rates upon all classes Of merchandise will
compare iavorably with those of any other
rail road in the State Of South Carolina, not
excepting the w. G. e. \. r. r., nor the
Watcree River Steamboat Company, so deli
cate,y alluded to by yoar correspondents
And here it recurs to Inc that perhaps the
gentleman is really stakeholder, not of the
lis rnifcapt Camden Branch, but of the
W. C.. e. A. r. r., and the Waterec River
Steamboat Company Is not this arcasona-
bic conclusion to draw fromthe gcntleman's
own delicate allusions?
Passing over the less Important asscvera-
tions of "Stockholdcr," VIC come to the re-
markablc statement, that "heavy trains be-
hind time arc run with speed over the most
/ unsafe portions of the road, and it is only
by the mercy Of Providence that awful acci-
dents do not frequently occur" We. take
the liberty of inferring that "Stockholder"
is mechanic, thoroughly informed on the