The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-03-12
THE PHOSPHATE WAR,
TtiE COMMISSION TAKE POSSESSION
or THE COOSAW TERRITORY.

I'll" Company to Appeal to the United
Stats C"ur! for an Injunction-An
N"r'S StoprcG--nv"r 1000 Hands Idle.
Land Phosphate Minors Jubilant.
CNANLE>r"N, March 2.-Tho war be.
tween the stat" and the Coosaw Phos-
phate Company was inaugurated to -day.
when the Phosphate Commissioners
who went down to Beaufort Yesterday
embarked i'll tug chartered by the
state, and with Governor Eillman on
board went down 10 tOoSaw and took
possession of the territory to which the
NooSaW company claim exclusive right.
Possession was taken by each member
Of the Commission dropping lead line
"Ecr5oard and sounding the bottom.
'hc Cu"S&W company has shut down it's
machinery and is now idle with it's 900
nr more employees.
It is understood that in case any per-
son "r company attempts to move rock
III t""Ir territory the company will
apply 80 III" 'nitud States Court for an
injunction, Us the river now is a navi-
Edbt" stream and under the jurisdiction
Vt lhr | NItcu States. 1t is understood
that ii is going TO be Il war Of freeze out.
ihr tnoiDW company will not mine any
r"rll itself ami (uo United States Court
VIII y" invoked to prevent anybody else
ir"m mining phosphate in the disputed
territory.
Thr CO"saW company last year ship
ped lGolF~ tons OF rock to Europe, and
| If the litigation IS prolonged this much
rock Will be Withdrawn from the market
The land phosphate miners are jubilant
and already talk of raising the price of
land rock to - a ton. The litigation
also is expected 10 boom the recently dis
covered Florida phoSphates. No process
has yet been ISSUED by the United States
Court here. I,"GiStcr.
\ PHOSPHATE MANS VIEW.
\ WrlikuoWn phosphate miner, not
connected WitH CouSpW, has this to say
Hl tn" action of The state commission
to-day:
"Tl" phosphate commission took for
NAL possession Of thc tOOSOW territory
this morning. At least they say they
did lhry took a tughOat and went to
t"oa@W llNrr, expecting, Of course, to
iinu all the tuoSlW drcugeS in full oper-
dtion, but they were mistaken. Mr..
Moses Lopez, the superintendent Of the
'U"Sa" Mining Company. had quietly
given orders t'l1t al the dredgcs should
| rrmH.n id!r, not Il pound of rock being
mllVd from t,lr waters Of the CoosaW.
| thc cUiHNli jriun We're no doubt greatly
surprised, hu, they had come to take
| p"SStH.,iUN of 'uo%;lW, and this is about
The way | understand they did it. a
meeting VAS held aboard the tug Brit
Anlln in the cabin. Capt. Walter was
ralirN 70 the chair, then IL resolution
WaS passed. ~ the board declaring that
tOoS1W hiNrr WAS open TO general rights.
\ lead line WITS thrown overheard, the
lead tnucncd bottom, and the people of
South Carolina are told by this wise and
ErcH, commission that the COOSaW ter
rltOrI is no longer under exclusive
rights. Was thjrr ever such redicu-
louS sight before: The Coosaw super
mtcmhrnL WAS in his own tug, the Ivan
| hoe, within iHiiiMg distance all the time
when this WAS happening. Not a word
was said TO him and no formal notice
| was given the tnOSaW Company The
whole scene would appear nonSensical
| 10 Il set of school boys. Yet these are
lhc l""n to whom is entrusted one of
I he greatest Industries in the State.
THE Loss TO TlIT; STATE.
ur shutting up Of the COosaW Min
ing Company is Il much more serious
matirr i'Eu most people suppose. The
company employs about three hundred
laborrrS, eighty Of whom are white men
with families 10 support. The weekly
pay roll OF the company is more than
;SG,UJ) The :>tNto1o-day alone lost $500
IN royalty, this being about the daily
production OF tho urcdges under the
control .! the tNOSUW Company. How
long can the STAT" stand such a loss as
clllS tnG state counts on S220 ,0OO per
HHnlm from me royalty. will venture
10 say ii wont gct $l5O,UOO this year un-
less some compromise is made, and that
soon.
"rhc Coosaw Mining Company have
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