The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-05-13
THOSE QUESTIONS.

challenges any friend of the road to re-
ply. In default Of a speedy rraponse he
threatens to hang tho scalp Of that cor
poratien to his belt. AZ i, would be
wrong to scalp that body il alive and a
pity to mutilate it il dead. let us zee If
che Medium is unanswered. We think
that the public, for whose benefit the
questions purport to have been asked.
had then before it or has since bccn fur
nishsd with all the information sought
to be elected. Let US see: and for con-
z%enioncc we will group the questions.
in Relation 20 the Finances and Man
agcment Of the Road since Con-
sOlidation.
!. How much money was on hand when you
took charge of the enterprise
Z. How much does the Company owe fur
work. salaries, surveys, printing, Office rent
ar anything. else.
3. How much grading has been done under
5our administration.
In the letter Of the Prcsidentt to Dr..
Widcman who asked questions similnr
to tho frst two above and which letter
WAS sent for publication to NIL the coun-
ky papers Including tho Medium is Civ
an an explicit reply to the same. We
extract.
"At this time" the beginning Ct the present
administration "the roads referred to had iu
khe aggregate aud in round numbers outstand-
jng liabilities to amount say $4,000 and un-
collected assets to a larger amount. These
alike passed into the hands of and under the
management of the &C. 6: Railway
ida,ion the company received the williams
t"n subscription in part" = "Thc
management of the present Direction may be
briefly summarized. They have collected and
applied to debts Of the two original roads a
part of the assets of said roads placed in their
hands, and they have applied the Williamson
subscription to the survey and location Of the
Carolina Division of the line"
The President further stated (see the
letter itselD that there was now due and
unpaid the remaining liabilities Of the
two original roads and certain balances
of salaries to officers. He added that
che now uncollected assets on the books
OF the company exceeded its liabilities
unpaid of this date: and that writing
without then, access to the records of
the company he would cause to be for
warded to Judge Cothran the resident
Director at .Abbeville for reference u
transcript giving figures in detail. This
was done: and the figures arc, Assets
$22,666 SO, Liabilities, $16,657 l6.
The property of tho road outside of
that considered above was shown to be
its valuable franchises, its rights of way
and depot sites donated or paid for, and
an amount Of work chespIy dono by
Convict labor and valued by competent
EnginesrsA At over 100000.
DR.. W'ideman did not ask the Sd ques-
tion above relating to a matter Of public
notoriety. He might possibly under the
circumstance have regarded it as flip
pant. II the Medium has any doubt
however in the matter we inform it that
in point Of fact no grading has been done.
Question In Relation to Mr.. schotield.
I. Has any agent for the company solicited
aid in New York, Chicago or any other mon
led centre 10 this country Ii not shy not !
D. Has Mr.. Schofeld invested one dollar in
The stock or bonds of tho road Has h.
raised . dollar from any other sourceH Has
AnI individual or company given him y / legal
Sayi
Extract from the Widelnan letter.
"By tho Scho6eld contract" entered into
before she present management Assumed office.
MI. Schofeld was created Financial Agent
OF the G., q. g. d =. Railway Company with
sole management Of the negotiations for
funds TO complete the road, HIS coutracts to
thas end to DO subject to the approval only OF
tho direction of the company. Mr. Schoield
as 10 known decided to try.iis frtunr abroad
and has been for two years engaged in prose
cutting his efforts in England."'
His reasons for doing this seem 10
ns apparent. The sum 10 be raised was
large and money is cheaper abroad than
in the United States. London is the
money centre of tho world, and its CAP
italists restrict their Investments to no
quarter of the globe. The United States
j. f~avorito field for them; Government
bonds, mines, cattle ranches farming
lands, forests, city property, mil ronds in
this country alike attract favorable at
tention in that market.
Thase are reasons that may have in
fusncsa Mr.. Sehofeld, beside the fncs of
his having = favorable business connec-
there, and having met with former sue.
cess in England in a similar negotiation.
His efforts have been for the negotiation
at one time Of the full amount to COM
plcte tho through line to- kontucky: and
without discussing the reason why,
though, we arc disposed to think that in
the depressed and unsettled money mar
ket which has prevailed for the two
years Of bis agency, any one else would
hsye Jared no bettor, the fuet remains
that Mr., schofcId has failSd to date, to
place our bonds. H. has not yet re-
cured the money for tho through line.
1t is this ssry condition Of things that
brings about the discussion now occupy
Ing orr people,. They ore unwilling to