The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-05-19
Port ROYAL S. G. May 6. 49,


Editor Tribune.
For sometime past the friends of the
Port Royal Rail Road have been looking
forward to the meeting of the stockhold-
ers, on WedDt sday the 9th inst, with
considerable and painful interest. No
dividends having been declared since tue
completion Of the Road and no wages
having been paid to employees for
the past four months were sufficient
causes for the universally expressed
desire that the May meeting should re-
form abuses of power and provide means
to secure to laborers and other employees
Of the Road prompt payment for their
hard and justly earned wages.
| In prosperous times it is quite hard
ship for n,en who are altogether depend
ent on their labor to do without at least
monthly payment, but when we take into
consideration the present financial de-
preston and the impoverished condition
of this section we feel unable to name
the amount of suffering and privation
endured by this useful and important
element during tins long period of non
payment. 1t appears almost miraculous
how men of families who are engaged
in this calling have been able to keep
the wolf from the door while working SO
long on bad promises. To add to the
Importance of the occasion at ten O'Clock
the steam Tug Petit appeared Mt our
wb arvec froirbfo5 ,,.;tl tI,a I,.,,,tr >f
and men of Beaufort and offered oppor
tur.ity to stockholders to share the pleas
ures of excursion no 1. of that day to
u s. Fleet. At half past twelve p. m.
the stockholders assembled at the earnest
solicitation of Bondhold,rs Atty and
and after reporting stock represented
and passing minor resolutions adjourned
to dine, to take part in trip no to the
Fleet, and to assemble again for final nc
ton at Up. m. Judging from this refresh
ing programme outsiders were pursuaded
that these financial lights meant business
intended to have full expose of the
affairs of the Road, and "go' for delin-
quents with prompt and ursparing jus
tice.
Upon our entrance at the 9 p. m. meeting
we found the most prominent and impos-
Ing figure to be Thos. P. Branch the
President. I had often heard him
roundlyj abused by Rail Road men and
imagil ned that he was a hard featur,
closefisted man, whose haggard counte
nance plainly showed the Ill effects of
| lavarlce, spt culation and excessive mental
tolls. But in the full and handsome
countenence of the elegantly dressed and
portly individual who was pointed out as
the late President of P. II. r. I saw
every evidence of o light heart and full
purse, fair, fot, saucy and forty. And to
judge from the easy and almost flippant
manner with which he treated the civil
and necessary questions Of his experienced
and able opponents; we were almost
made to believe that We were in the pres
ence of modernized Nero who could iov-
fully strike the chords of mirth while his
Rome was in flames.
We do not know much about Rail
Roading, and to judge from the cxpprienc,
of Port Royal Rail Read men are not
anxious to obtain this class of knowdoe
but we were surprised that Mr.. Branch
was not ready and anxious to give full
and detailed report of his administration
1t Is possible that his report would
have rlvaled Ctasar's Gallo note in brev-
lty had it not been tor the prompt 'stime'.
call tf sturdy up country stdckholder
who offered a resolution requiring a sat-
istactory repor.
We are acquainted with few of these
stockhold, rs and know tn; m to be gen.
tlemeil Of ability and courage and ON.
especially is amply qualified to fill any
position OF trust or profit, bur we are
nevertheless constrained to. agree with
the disappointed employees in saving that
the stockholders came, met, had a good
time but did nothing
Mr.. d. G. Wilson the new President Is
a man of good business reputation. and
by those who know Inn it Is expected he
will make every X rtinn to redeem the
bad reputation cf the p,rt ROYAL Rail
Road. s
lhe election of the Pre- sent Board of
Directors has met with demonstrations OF
JOY ON ali sides. A latent sati .tnctiop
sceemed to posses e cry ne based upon
tho TACT That though unpr parcd to iutloe
the capabilities "t n!Ost of the pcntIem m
chosen, they + II sure at least they could
not do worse than the old Bonrd. One
OF their first ncta Which C Ien.ly predics
the. justice of th, ir lur. .hlr course was to
require a hlank page to be I.fL i'm the
minute books to the memory of the L.,
mented 5. g. hlllett; A re. olutio,,
which was passed a y, ar ago but nDti1
this. time straEg-ly neeL cicd. We SIN
ce; Y hope HAT { e prese It administra-
tIon Will by It's acts oi,Iiieratc the Inst
yesti;ge oil The child s., prejud ce Mt. t :
FED BY the pim ers that ruled for the pus,
| ftw6 years against this man who took
charge OF the Road a br, X N down &C rnor.