The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-11
Stunned by the First Blow.

the meeting adjourned. Under the. bylaws
the old direction held over In tho manage
ment Of the affairs of the company. They
closed the Aiken office, furloughing the secre-
.ary. The records were placed In the hands
Of The treasurer, that gentleman consenting
To accept the additional duty of acting secre-
ness incurred for. the salary of any officer
since that date, they at their own suggestion
thus serving. In the further effort to carry
out the views of the stockholders expressed
ut their last meeting In relation to the con-
struction Of the South Carolina division, the
president was instructed "to communicate
with the Board of fTrade and Chamber of Com
merce OF Charleston, and arrange, If accepta-
BILE, an interview for himself and the dfrec-
tors with the said bodies for the purpose OF
berland Gap and Chicago railway, in Its rela-
ton to the city of Charleston; and If such In:
terview be arranged that the president and d.
rcctors Of the South Carolina Railway. be IN.
vited toattend or TO be represented thercat.'
The Conference in Charleston.
The interview thus suggested was arranged
and was preceded by town mct tings along
the South Carolina division, in which, with
much unanimity, their cooperation was
be solicited to make. Delegates were also ap.
pointed Mt these meetings to attend In Char
lesion. These delegates and the directors OF
the road were met hy the representative busi'
VI
Chamber Of Commerce.
To Unite With the Savannah Valley
Railroad.
A full and free discussion was had. and the
sense Of the meeting was expressed In u reso-
luton:
"That earnest and immediate support should
be given to the railway from LAX Aiken In the di;
the Carolina. Cumberland Gap and Chicago
Railway is, in the judgment Of this meeting,
the most practicable for obtaining good To-
cal business IN South Carolina, with the posi-.
bility Of extension to the trade centers Of the
West and also for uniting wi til the Savannah
Valley Road. That committee of seven be
appointed by the chairman to confer with the
president and directors Of the Carolina, Cum
berland Gap and Chicago Railway. to deter
aid to that enterprise, and that the same com:
mittee do also confer with the president and
directors of the South Carolina Railway with
a view TO enllsting said company in any plan
that may be adopted"
Asnr Off and Viewing the
Land of Promise, With Sublime
Indifference.
The stockholders of the South Carolina
Railway responded in the following resold
tion:
"Tlat this company views with great inter
est the line OF railway from Aiken to the
bcrland Gap and Chicago Railway. Company
and will sanction any effort In aid OF such en-
terprise which, in the Judgment of the board
OF directors, may be proper"
Subsequently the directors Of the road and
the committee of seven conferred. The posi-
tion was substantially taken by the commit
tee that Charleston's aid could only be given
in the purchase ofour bonds, and thata pledge
OF local subsidy must precede any Successful
a., mil In, n
ther accepted that the amount of the subsidy
must be sufficient to grade, trestle and cross
tie the roaC from Aiken nOrthward as far al
Abbevile, and then upon first mortgage o
fcient to complete and equip 1t (say 100000
could be placed in Charleston or through
Charleston effort.
What Mr. schofield Promised and
What the People Were Asked to Do.
Mr.. schofeld, the president of the Construc
ton Company, who was also IN attendance ~
legal arrangement in regard to the mortgage
and the delegates from the towns unanimous
ly advised the direction Of the railway com
pany to forthwith call upon tn cir constituents
under the Act Of Assembly already obtained
for the necessary subscription In town bonds
The town meetings referred to had already
fixed their proposed subsidy at per. cent. Q
assessed taxable values and declared that i
SUOuIQ D6 COuultlOUeu luc uCtlou y
Charleston. The delegates now recommend
ed that the condition Of each subscription
should he that 1T be payable upon q line com
pIeted TO the town or through the township
subscribing. as the case may be. This recon-
the railway, and the president directed 10 sigl
the the necessary papers to make /: part o
the subscriptions about 10 be asked.
The Elections Resulted In a Success
To
ship, Except Aiken.
The elections have been held, and resulted
in successful issue in every town and town
township has again and decisively refused t.
vote the subscription. With Aiken we woult
have realized from Abbeville southwark II
subsidy $l50.OOO. Without Aiken we have hat
of Abbeville, and which are not considered II
the terms Of the Charleston proposition
amount to something like $4,000 more. TIT
estimate of the chief engineer Is that to grade
treStle and crosstie the road from aiken t'
Abbevi!lc. a distance of s. miles. would: in ad
dtion to the work already done, require al
expenditure of something over S130rOO, an(
his estimate is probably minimum.
Crippled by Conditions.
To the condition proposed by the dclegate
in Charleston that the subscriptions vntct
some OF the towns and townships voting ad
tled the further condition that the road Shoult
he completed to each within three years, II
accepting their subscriptions the railway com
pany must also accept this further condition
and it may be seen how the value Of the ali
voted is thus affected. 1t Is. as it stands, II
the nature OF q bonus put up to be dcliverct
10 the railway company when within q Speci
fled time 1t has built and put In operation
with such other resources MS it may provide
the road as far as The locality subscribing. l
produces not Il single dollar TO go into con
structiOn until after such locality is passed
and, until then, the only aid 1t gives to con
siructiun is in 20 far as 1T may operate to III
dLcc other parties 10 put their money into tn
enterprise. The Superaddeu condition as t.
time must impair this effect. Still, with tn
immediate commencement Of construction
provided for, these subscriptions retain full
value.
Upon the unsuccessful result Of the AikeI
election the situation was laid before th
Charleston committee. 1t was realized tina
their stipulation as to the amount Of subsid.
was moi complied with and that the effort O
tho railway in that direction, for the prcSen
ut least, was exhausted; but the interest eN
pressed ut the meeting in the Chamber o
Commerce was considered and the cOmInltte
was asked, for your information and guild
stated the negotiation with Charleston coul'
bc continued with probability Of success.
No Hope for Aid from Charleston.
The committee have reported as follows:
"ClIARLESTON. S. c., October 81 1885,
general Johnson Hago0d, PreSident-Dca
General: ! have received yours OF 9th am
the: same has been duly considered by tn
committee referred TO and think that It'll