The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-03-26
THE COOSAW WAR.
AN END TO THE EFFORTS TO CON-
PROMISE THE MATTER.

ho"loG TIE VIA Ch.
Tie Stato Cannot Consent to tho Resump-
tion of Mining by the Coosaw Com pany
Unless tho Lessoes Of tho State are Per-
mitted to Nlne Also.
COLUMBIA, March 18.--The phospeate
commission met to-day at II NJ; pres
ent, all the members. Senator SIN Vthe
came up to represent the Coosaw Com
pany. Mr.. III. A. NJ. Smith AMI MIR. l..
f. brotherhood also came up to-day
and had hearing before the board.
The correspondent Of The News and
and Courier made 4 proposition that
he be permitted to be present and take
full StenOgraphic notes of the proceed
ings, which would also be the property
OF the commission. Governor Tillman
announced this proposition, stating that
he personally had no objection. Sena-
tor Smythe also did not object. The
objection was, however, made 10y men,
berS Of the board that other newspaper
correspondents might ask the same
privilege, and that colored and incOr-
rect statements might go out to the
press.
Senator Smythe said that he had no
objection to the presence before the
commission Of Mr.. II. \. N. Smith and
Mr.. Brotherhood.
The commission has SO far given out
all of its proceedings to the press, and
the rule was not broken to-day. At
tOrney General Pope either reads the
minutes OF the meeting to the report
crS or makes IN abstract Of the same.
The special business Of the commits
sion to-day was to consider the reply of
Mr.. Robert hdger to the last letter from
the commission ana also to hear Scna-
tor Smythe. The follc wing is the let
ter Of Mr. Adger:
OFFICE OF THE COOSAw MINING Co.,
CHARLESTON, 5. c., March II, 1891.
Hon. Il. II. Tillman, Governor and
Chairman Board Of Phosphate Com
missioners, Columbia, 5. C,-Dear Sir:
y our favor of the 10th instant, stating
that the board were not willing to ar
range withthe Coosaw Mining Company
to resume, operations under your super
vision unless other companies we're al
lowed to mine in the territory claimed
10y us, is received this morning.
| regret that wo cannot consent to
the conditions imposed by the board,
The proposition Of the Coosaw Com
pany was made in good faith as Il buSi-
ness offer but to he entered into with
out prejudice to the rights Of any party
The issue in the case is whether the
| CooSaw Company has the continuing
right TO exclusively occupy theterrito.
~ in Coosaw River. This rig we are
consent, pending the litigation, to
waive this right, and allow that to be
done which we are asking the Court to
| forbid, will, as | am advised, practical
| y put us out OF Court.
Another practical reason also goy-
| ernS our action.
You must bear in mind that the mil
| lion and quarter of dollars royalty
which we haye paid the State repre-
Sents that many tons Of phosphate rock
removed from Coosaw River, more tn an
the entire amount taken from all the
rest of the States territory. This has,
Of course, seriously diminished the
original deposit.
with careful management and pur-
suing the system we have always fol-
lowed we hope that there is enough
left to supply us our average produc-
ton for Il limited time to come. But
If other companies are allowed to mine
in it under general rights licenses the
result III 4 short Tins will he to ruin
the remaining deposit.
The damage to us would be irrcpara-
bic, and we are Slcero in saying that if
such licenses are permitted to mine
until the end of the litigation, expedite
rs we may. we would not care to ex-
pend the amClnt necessary to conduct
the suit to obtain decree securing us
the exclusive right we claim.
AS Il proof OF sincerity in this opin-
ion we offered the board, before any
action was taken by them in this mat
ter, the use of Il complete mining plant
with which to make such survey and
examination Of our territory, under
their uncontrolled supervision, us they
might desire.
We are sincerely deSirouS of making
some arrangement with the board. 1t
appears to us from your letter that this
could be effected, but for the licenses
referred to therein. We fail to see why
their interest should be the ca use of
preventing satisfactory adjustment
hy which, pending the litigation, loss,
both to the State and the Coosaw Com
pany, could be avoided.
| am yours very truly,
Robert AdQer,
| Chief Manager the Coosaw Mining Go.
MIR. Smythe was then heard, and af-
| terwards Mr.. II. A. NJ. Smith and Mr.
Brotherhood appeared before the COM
mission. At nearly 3 O'Clock the COM
|
afternoon, the impression left on the
press being that the negotiations had
been broken off,
The rock on which the negotiations
were wrecked appears to bc that the
Leg gISlaturc inStructs the commission to
perform specific duty, l. e.. to open
| up the COOsaW territory to miners gen
orally. Licenses have been granted to
several companies to mine IN CoOSaw
territory under the Act, and the State
cannot now revoke such licenses with
| out impairing its obligations with its
| licenses.
The genesis of the difficulty ante
dates the phosphate commission. 1t is
probably wasting time to criticisc the
phosphate commission, which is Gre
alton of an Act of the Legislature de-
lining both its powers and duties.
Mr.. II. a. NJ. Smith, after the session,
would not or could not hc interviewed
| most probably would not senator