The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-30
RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION.


RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION.
An Essay Read Before the Summer Meeting
of the State Grange at anderson, s. G.,
on the 9th Of Augatst 1877, BY ". ".
Russell, Master Pomona Grange Of An
derson County.
Having been designated by the order
to which I belong to deliver an essay on
cheap and rapid railroad transportation,
I approach the subject with sincere def
erence and with many misgivings. AL
ways subject of the greatest Importance
yet recent events have given it a promi-
nence not soon to be forgotten or ignored.
I do not propose in this ESSAY to do more
than briefly advert to the origin and in,
tended use of railways in the United
States, and to show some Of the, abuses
which, have grown up in their manage
ment, and now call loudly for redress,
with some suggestions as to their remedy.
1t cannot now be questioned that wher-,
ever railway charter was granted in any
of the States of this Union, in considera-
ton of the privilege conferred on the cor.
poration, there was also an innate and
corresponding obligation that said rail-
road was not to be conducted or managed
in such way as to injure and damage the
people or property along the line of such
road. In other words, whilst it was in
some sense public corporation, yet it
was and should be regulated by that great
law of right-"That no one should use
their property or privilege to the loss OF
another" Railroads are intended and
do develop the resources of the country
through which they pass. Great and in
estimable have been the advantage de-
rived from the railways established in our
State. New enterprises have sprung up,
new industries been started, and an al.
most endless variety of machinery to aid
manual labor introduced since the old
time transportation was abandoned, And
not only blessing in this way, but has
united our people. In fact, it has done
much toward civilizing and Christianizing
our country. 1t has given us colleges,
schools and churches in every section Of
the country; it has caused us to manu-
facture our cotton at home, and to-day,
within one days journey, there are prob
ably not less than ten cotton factories,
that are of great value and do much for
the country at large, particularly in the
immediate vicinity it has brought us in
contact with the world; it brightens our
ideas, and has taught US to study our bus
iness closely to keep up with the truly
great and wonderful improvements Of the
day. But while all of this is even 80, it
is like other great enterprises intended
for the public good.
Certain safeguards and restrictions
were not thrown around them at the
proper time. Officers that control them
in many instances are wholly unfit for
the position. Neither the stockholders
or the legislative bodies have looked into
their management, until they have for
gotten their legitimate business, the pur..
pose for which they are created, and at
last it seems disease, prevalent all over
the country. They have been formed
into monopolies, rings and cliques, and.I
regret to say, under the present manage
ment, that many of them are run in the
interest of the officers of the company
alone, not even the stock or bondholder
ever reaping much benefit therefrom.
Much of the profits of the road are, in
many instances squandered in large sala-
ries to head officials. In some cases that
I know of, where roads are not even pay
ing running expenses promptly, the Pres
ident receives an annual salary of S1O,-
900, General Superintendent $1,000 and
one or two of. them with a score of sub.
Superintendent, all of whom receive good
pay and do very little work.
All of this would not be complained of
if the company could even pay running
expenses. And again, our railways are
particularly presided over by old men
perhaps not in years, but in ideas
whose time has passed. They are not
equal to the task; have neither the ener-.
gy or the will to work as younger men
would. They live in another age that
has passed, and sooner the companies
learn this important truth the better.
We all have due respect for old people.
We know that our fathers, twenty years
ago, were living, active men; kept up
with the times. But in the South especi-
ally is it true that men over middle age
since the late war are not really compe-
petent to manage public affairs. 1t has
taken the country fifteen years to learn
this lesson, but all are now convinced of
the truth of this statement. Many in
stances besides railroads have the public
interest of the country suffered by having
men too old to keep pace with similar
enterprises managed by younger men
with maiden ideas. In fact, there are but
two companies in the United States, as
far as 1 can learn, that pay a dividend at
sll.
Of the many evils complained of by
railway managers, and of which we, as q
people, feel most, is the system of railway
management in South Carolina, and
probably Anderson County has suffered
most in this respect. 1t really seems
that our railway authorities are under
the impression, as people we have no
claims upon the road, although we built
them and since their completion sup
ported them and their army OF employees.
They have gone on in this wild career
until they find, after it is almost too late,
that they have not only injured the peo-.
pie of the upper country, but our great
and much-beloved city by the sea. This
course has actually driven away from her
annually, for year or two back, large
amounts of freight which would proper
ly belong to this road. What is the re-
suit of such suicidal railway manage
ment? First it has caused our merchants
in Anderson and other upper country
towns to seek other markets than Charles
ton, and to-day we find goods coming
from the Western markets to points along
the Air Line Road and being transported
by wagons here cheaper than either the
Blue Ridge or Greenville and Columbia
will carry them. We find our city by the
sea, that we have great cause to be proud
of sinkinn sloulV hit surely. We see