The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-27
THE CUMBERLAND GAP.
WE ARE TIRED OF THE OLD CONCERN
WHICH HAS so OFTEN DISAPPOINTED
US.
If AbbcviIlc Can Have Any AsSur-
ance That Business iS Meant the
Town Will Give Literally. but
No More Vague Promises IL
Wan1pI.

ance That Business Is Meant the
Town Will Give Literally. but
No More Vague Promises IL
Wanted.
Perhaps the editor Of the Press and Banner
is about the last man from whom any en-
couragement. or help is expected for the cum
| berland Gap road.
1t is not our purpose to manifest any great
deal interest now, but as 1t seems 10 be u
| live question which cOnfrOnts us, we propoes
to say a word or two, ana hew TO the line 'ls
In the first place, we started out some ten
years ago To build short road, the conpie.
| lion of which, we believe was in the range OF
Il possibility, and up TO the c:oSe OF the flrst
chapter in the history of that road, there
seemed 10 be Il perfect frankness on the part
of those who were entrusted Win ieaoer-
When our citizens had spent some 5000 or
SD, ,UUD in actual work, MIR. Scoflelu ana his
immense construction company came
along. 49,,
a few private conferences were held in
private quarters. $50
The result was. that the Cumberland Gap
Road was transferred body and soul, To those
| by SchOileld.
| Although there was not n completed inch OF
road, and although the company hau not
single hand at work. and, as far as we KNOW,
had not Il single dollar, the P1csldeit ol inc
impecunious road WAS to be paid Il salary or
| we believe, 5000 year, ana IL secretary at
| perhaps OQe-LNlru Ol LllaL sul ~ bdi ahS'
case TO this complete surrender ot all our
rights. and the undertaking to pay large sal
aries to men To do literally nothing more than
| TO open an office, is not OF record.
| a great flourish Of trumpetS was mauc
however Dogens Of daily train were soon
TO come ito Aboevi!le, numbering over the
impenetrable pink beds which had never
even been surveyed.
| The work didn't begin in the next few
months, and our people became anxious.
After an indefinite amount Of caucussing,
it was made known that the company wall
| ted five per cent. of our property.
| Because of the knowledge OF particular iaetS,
and the lack OF Information AS to the move
nentS, intentions, or ability OF The company,
| u distrllSt was created In tho minds OF u few
OF our citizens, who opposed the voting away
An exciting campaign followed, and IL is
believed that some Of those who opposed Inc
voLi ng Il heavy tax on this community, with
out some safeguard, were looked upon as
public enemies.
Alter the election, and when the tax was
voted, the President neglected or refused To
sign this proposed obi CATION aud deposit II
with the Clerk ofthe Court, whlcn proposed
obligation was in the nature oi
contract, and which would save US
| harmless beyond contingency. Ihls re-
fus;,l 10 perform his voluntary promise IN the
campaign did nothing To restore cCnfdence
| III the Ell terprise.
Very little, except meetings of the direc-
| tors, was heard OF The road until the limit 10
our subscription was about expiring.
Then we had Il new face Ut the door. MI.
Avcrill or some one else, we know not WHO,
wrote some letters to some ol our clllZcns,
which, US far US we know, were never made
public.
Another great whirlwlnd was raised, and
the time for giving the bonds was extended 10
January, 1892.
Now, when the time Is about expiring, there
is some more Office talk OF bonds Tor Mr..
Potts, and some talk OF carry Ing tile road TO
Greenwood If We do not surrender our money
| l,..I,,r int. ,fk IL ts dana
Further than this, we believe MIR. Potts Is
very much III outs with Abuevillc, and out vi
spite he proposes 10 use his INFLUENCE with the
com pany To change the direction Oi The ROAD
10 Greenwood
Now, us u matter of fact, Mr.. Potts has no
right to like or dislike our people. With per-
haps two or three EXCEPTIONS. lie has not, as
tar us we are informed, ever sought The ac-
quaintunce or friendship oil our people.
II Mr.. Potts, or any one else, will come TO
Abbevilc and talk openly, frankly, squurely
| in u business like way, hc Will lind the whole
people of Abbevile ready to treat with him
or anybody else who may talk business; but
| in pubic muttcrs-nalters in which every
citizen Is as much Interested as amy other cit
iZen-we arc utterly and absolutely Tired OF
having IT, filtered out to us from private let
| ters in somebody's coat pock ell, or from some
| uOdy's back office.
| No man who has business with this pe0-
| pic will have cause 10 complain Of them.
| Abbcvile has voted SlS,0JO for the building
OF this road, but IL Is not within the power OF
| Mr. lOtlS, OF OIncT W BeI Jul
| before the road is finished.
In the last ten years not single promise
has been fulfilled. Each, and all collec-
lively, have failed, and We would DC a set OF
natural born idiots II we give that road
which has so often disappointed us, one dol
| lar before the road is completed. We have
| lost all confidence in amy information which
may come To us by filtration from secret cau-
cuSrS.
We learn that there is talk Of building the
Cumberland Gap road iro,n Edgeiield to An.
dersCn by the way OF Troy, Aobcvillc and
This looks like business, ana Is the best and
most feasible proposition That has been made,
and, all Of AbUevIile will most gladly well
come anybody vino may come here i'll the In
icrcSL OF the pro, ,'oScd road.
Let them come to see the people ana meet
them face to face, and tall man To man, with
lrankncSs and with candor. We have had
enough OF secrecy. We want definite and
plain talk.
If any body will come here, and call on our
Mayor, who Is the official representative OF
the whole people. he will bring them face to
face with our people, when u perfect under
Standing can be had.
The Mayor Is the proper person with whom
the railroad builders should treat, and he Is
people together. He is public spirited, and
he will at least be understood.
We are ready to do no more on vague pro.
misses. We would not under any circum-
stances entrust our money or our bonds In
the hands Of an irresponsible corporation
which cannot be made to pay it's
debts, but II Mr.. Potts and others
viii stand aside and let Mr.. Ward of the
South Carolina road, or anybody elsu, come
here and talk awhile, he will receive all the
aid that he wants, provided, OF course. lie
builds the road.
Abbeville wants the road, and If there Is
any possibility OF getting II, we Will DO our
uart, and At the right time, but neither the
old company that has SO many times failed TO
come to time. nor Mr.. Potts can get cent
from us until the work is done. The time has
come when the old managers of that concern
can't even raise hope on our part, much less
be entrusted with our bonds.
BY AbbeviIic and Anderson is the best pos
Sible route for business, and 1t Is along u line
where most aid can be had for any road in
this section.
by this route subscriptions could be had as
follows:
ADDcNlic. ID wv
due ~ wv
ANDERSON. ~ VUU
Sl0S OOJ
This Is Uv.ru and above the township bonds
in Edgeii, III. From the EdScIcld line 10 An
derSon is !! t. rI;icS. more or less, being Il
fraction over ;G,Uua mile of subsidy and the
best poSSiblr liir of road for business.
fr,p ..I.t nf r,ltf