The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-03-26
THE C00SAW WAR.
AN END TO THE EFFORTS TO CON-
PROMISE THE NATTER.

|
Tie State Cannot Consent to tho Kesump-
ton OF Mining by the Coosa,y Company
Unless tho Lesxees OF tho State nre Per-
mitted to Mlno Also.
COLUMBIA, March l8.-The phosphate
| commission met to-day at IL NJ; pres
ent, all the members. senator Smvthe
came up to represent the Coosaw Com
pany. Mr. III. a. Nj. Smith and MIR. T..
f. Brotherhood also came up to-day
and had hearing before the board.
The correspondent Of Tine News and
and Courier made 4 proposition that
| he be permitted to be present and take
| full StenOgraphic notes of the proceed
lngS, 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 by 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.. III. a. 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 Adger 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, $. c., March II, 1891.
Hon. B. II. Tillman, Governor and
Chairman Board Of Phosphate Com
miSSioners, Columbia, 5. C,-Dear Sir:
| Your 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 were al
| lowed to mine in the territory claimed
| 10y us, is received this morning.
j 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 buSi-
ness offer but to be entered into with
out prejudice to the rights Of any party.
The issue in the case is whether the
|
| right to exclusively occupy the terrific.
ry III CooSaw River. This right we are
seeking to enforce in the Courts. TO
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
~ put us out of Court.
Another practical reason also goy-
ernS our action.
\ on must bear in mind that the mil
lion and a quarter of dollars royalty
which we haye paid the State repre-
SentS that many tons Of phosphate rock
removed from Coosaw River, more than
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 limited time TO come. But
II other companies are allowed to mine
in it under general rights licenses the
result III 4 short Tins will be to ruin
the remaining deposit.
The damage to us would be irrepara-
bic, anG we are sicere in saying that if
Such licenses are permitted to mine
until the end of the litigation, expedite
as 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 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 a survey and
examination Of our territory, under
thplr nnpOntr rnllpI hn,
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. Wcfa to see why
their interest should be the cause of
preventing satisfactory adjustment
by which, pending the litigation, loss,
both to the State and the Coosaw Com
Pany, could be avoided.
| am yours very truly,
Robert Adger,
Chief Manager the Coosaw Mining Co.
| MIR. Smythe was then heard, and af-
forwards Mr.. II. A. NJ. Smith and Mr.
brotherhood appeared before the COM
mission. At nearly 3 O'clock the COM
mission took a recess until later in the
| afternoon, the impression left or the
! press being that the negotiations had
been broken off.
The rock on which the negotiations
were wrecked appears to be that the
Legislature inStructS the commission to
perform a specific duty. i. G., 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 impalring 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 Il Gre
alton Of IN Act of the Legislature de-
timing both its powers and duties.
Mr.. II. "A. NJ. Smith, after the session,
would not or could not be interviewed
most probably would not Senator
Smy;he said that the line of what he
had to say was included in the above
| letter Mr. brotherhood said that he