Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-04-09
THE Y0RKYxhLE EMQUfRE

favorable feeling at first entertained against
the convention in Washington. The Wash
ington Chronicle, an administration paper,
and exceedingly hostile to the efforts of the
delegation, makes the following admission,
which is quite complimentary at least:
The committee from the Taxpayers Con-
yention" of South Carolina, now in Washing
ton, are earnestly engaged impressing their
views and opinions on the attention Of the
Government officials and other influential
persons at the national capital. Among the
means used for this purpose is the circulation
of the printed proceedings of said convention,
containing the reports of its various commit
tees and the addresses of its officers, and in
the form of an appendix the speech of Rich
ard Lathers, made at the opening of said con-
vention. This pamphlet contains altogether
over one hundred octave pages of printed
matter. Its contents manifest a high order
of ability on the part of the gentlemen who
composed this asscmblage. Some of the pa
pers would do credit to any deliberative body,
and, as rule, are free from abuse Of their po-
litical opponents. Thespeech of Mr.. Lathers
is, however, an exception to this rule.
A careful perusal of the proceedings of the
convention will be sufficient to release the
majority of its members from ali purposes Of
vituperation or assault on the officials Of the
National Government. All allusions to them
in official papers are couched in terms of
proper respect. We take pleasure in record
ing this fact, because the character of some of
the speeches delivered before this convention
were grossly offensive to the President and
other leading statesmen connected with the
Administration party, which has made an i'm
preston all over the North which we are now
satisfied the majority of these gentlemen do
not merit.
In their efforts to secure the full redress Of
every wrong and correction Of every act Of
injuctice under which they may be suffering,
we are certain they will have the cordial
sympathy of the President his Cabinet, and
every member of both branches of Congress-
Work on the Railroad in Lenoir.
The Hickory Press contains lengthy
account of the formalities observed at Lenoir
on the occasion of commencing the work Of
grading the Chester and Lenoir Narrow
Gauge railroad at that place on the 9th ul'
timo. Several hundred persons assembled,
and after brief and appropriate prayer, the
contractor for the first section, the venerable
James Harper, was introduced to the assem-
bly,. The account then proceeds:
"N1r. Harper said that he could make no
speech, but that in recognition Of the compli-
mentary manner in which he had been noticed,
he would try to do some work. He then step
ped on the line, and threw the first earth from
the cut upon the fll. Rev. Mr.. Rankin, with
a mattock, and Col. Green Moore with a
shovel, assisted Mr.. Harper, and the work
was begun. At Capt. Moore's suggestion the
young ladies of the Episcopal, the Methodist
and the Presbyterian schools then continued
the work until relieved by the gallant young
gentlemen of Finley High School, who in
their turn yielded the ground to the citizens,
and they to the regular working force of the
contractors. AS each detachment went to
work, they were greeted with three cheers from
the spectators Before theassembly dispersed
the FIVE clergymen present, Messrs. Rankin,
Ivey, Bland, Robey and Beall, each trundled
a wheel barrow full of earth from the cut to
the grade, amid the cheers and laughter of
their pashioners and pupils. To judge from
the spirit and enthusiasm shown by to'day's
proceedings, the work thus auspiciously be-
gun, will neither falter nor fail until its sue
cessful and speedy completion.
"To all who knew the venerable citizen who
threw the first earth, there was something pc
culiarly fitting in his selection for the cere-
mony. Nearly seventy-6ve years old, he can
remember when there was not a railroad in
the world. Nearly fifty years resident of
North Carolina, he remembers that when he
came south, there was not railroad in North
America, and now, after long life spent in
usefulness, he is spared, in vigorous old age,
to join with his neighbors, kinsfolks and de-
scendants, in breaking earth on his own land,
for the first Narrow Guage railroad in the
State. May he live to see the road finished
and be able to ride by rail, from his own door
to Charleston, S. c., from which place he used
to haul his goods by wagon generation ago"