The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-06-06
spmmerton.PanoIa Railroad Racket.

SASOIA, May zo.-IhT. G4tt". - 40 100
enable to infer from an article IN your last
paper, signed "Summerton, that the people
of that prosperous city want railroad. A
short time ago Summerton was so sangulne
of becoming R. r. center, that her cltlzens
looked and talked as though they had al
ready received the blessing Inducements
were being offered to the country folks (as
they were pleased to dub them) by offering
lots for sale OF 500, and upwards. But
how changed Sum merton seems, when IN
formed that it will not be practicable to run
the Eutawville r. r. through It. Their
newspaper representative "Summerton I'M
mediately set up o howl of complaint against
the r. R. president, Col. Barkley, tor talk.
ing in an oscillating manner, and Lack OF
decision, and others for not being Wiling
to be led into Summerton, and taught the
art of buying cotton and selling goods by
the thrifty merchants of that city: Now 1t
appears to us, that "Summerton" lost his
temper and sense OF propriety ss well Zoe
cause self interest prompted HIM to 90 so)
when he makes. such monstrous charges,
without a shadow of facts to sustain .nem
I am informed by those who were with Col
Barkley on nearly every trp he made to
Summerton, and Clarendon, III the interest
of the R. r., that he always expressed
desire to suit and accommodate his road TO
the best interest of the people, and was
particularly anxious to go to Summerton.
But, said from irst to last, that he could
not do so, unless the people Of Summerton
would lend helping hand (Which they de-
cline6 to do), it being out OF q direct line 10
points Of interest to the r. R. can see no
deception in this. Summerton then reviews
the cause of the presidents last determine
ton to run by Dir. Lewis and Pamela thus:
about $500 bales Of cotton are brought on
(what he calls) the new projecting route, by
the Messrs Levi and Brock, ('where there
is no competition, which means at unfair
prices. Now, I have never heard OF either
of these gentlemen taking advantage OF the
want Of competition. 1t is fact, that sew
eral buyers have tried to compete with Mr..
N. Levi, a. Wrights Bluff, but had to give
up the enterprise, being driven off by Mr..
Lewis fair and liberal pricesi which were
the same he paid before competition went
there. The other two gentlemen Mr.. y.
Levi and Mr.. Brock, had to compete with
Mr. NJ. Levi. and paid the same prices, less
the bauling, which is an item Of some e1-
pense. But if the f. R. will only go to
Summerton, all of these gentlemen, from
self respect and duty to their customers,
would be obliged to 90 there too. And
.Sunmerton" would teach them how to pay
full prices for cotton, and not take advan-
tase of the poor and ignorant, 'just as he
would do if he lived out of town. Sum
merton" says further: Il can see the same
opposition to Summerton, that keeps cot
ton buyer from Manning, and who are the
sufferers? Why every man who has cotton
to sell, and goods to buy" I have never
heard any one say, Mr.. Editor, that there
is any advantage in going to Summerton to
sell cotton or buy gocds and that is one
reason why we country people would not
like to be forced to go there to do business.
Again, it appears to me, that it would be an
unprecedented phenomenon, for this pros
porous section along the now projected line
of r R., where two or three merchants han
die thousands of bales Of cotton, and mer-
chandise in proportion, to be dragged into
Summerton with all their business, place
where probably dozen bales of cotton
change hands during the season. Why not
Summerton come over here?
am impressed with the idea, that the
builders of railroads, and particularly those
Of the Eutawville R. R., are level headed
and sensible men. They don't propose to
pay social visits with their road, (for such
it would be to go to Summerton.) but 60
where they can best subserve the interest of
the people, without detracting too much
from their own interest.
..Summerton" seems to know DOW pre-.
cisely where the Eutawville +. R. will run.
having laid out the towns and named them
along the route. must confess the truth,
do not know where it is going, Col. Bark.
ley never having made any positive promls-
es over here. But, hope before the 4th
day Of July next, We vii! see the iron horse
prancing through our section Of the county,
thereby increasing our facilities for travel
and transportation, both north and south.
"Summerton" seems disposed to be sarcas-
tic, when he says, I'VE see in our imagination
two little towns called Leriton and Brochton
along the EutawviIle R. r., and es we stand
at Badgervilie "a new name for Summer
toni, and look down the Wilson tram road,
we see beautiful town called 81. Leviton."
Now, it appears that the latter IS the only
beautiful town of the three. I suppose its
beauty is reflected from the city Of Summer
ton, the great business center Of the country.
Now, in all this we do not intend to reflect
in the slightest upon the good people OF
Sammerton. We have always held them IN
the highest esteem, for their christianity
and morality, being unexcclled by any 9th
er section of the country for such. But oh
their newspaper representative says, the
Messrs. Levi and Brock buy cotton without
competition, which means to make all they
can ou, of it. by taking every advantage
they can get, and says. "of course if I were
in these gentlemen's places, I would do the
same" Now We think we have proven con-
clusively that these gentlemen have plenty
of competition, and pay fair prices. This
candid acknowledgement by 'Summerton,
that he would do what he suspected others
of doing, skin me" he but got the chance,
persuades US, that goat has gotten into the
peaceful lambfold of Summerton. Ba-ba-
ba.a-a.a. PANoLA.