The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-06-13
morn ABOUT CHE r. II. e. w. O
What the Litigation Means TO
Laurens-An Interview with
5 NJ, ~ M nt.x
Mr. n. m MAI

AA
Mr.. N. B. Dial.
The people OF this section of the state
and particularly ofthis county aredeeply
interested in the recent litigation with
regard to the Port Royal and Western
Carolina and with the Wow of obtain
ing some Information as to how they
will be affected an ADVERTISERS repor-
ter sought an interview with Mr.. N. b.
Dial. Mr.. Dial is ono of the attorneys
in the cas- aud it was at his suggestion
that the fight against Receiver Conner
and the Georgia Central was originally
inaugurated at tho meeting of stock
holders held in Augusta In May when
the Central stock was not allowed to be
voted and Receiver Conner was forced to
secede from the meeting. 1t should be
remembered that Laurens has stock In
the road to the amount of one hundred
n fifty thousand dollars, twice as
much as any other county.
In roply to a question as to what led
to the recent litigation against the Cen
trail, Mr.. Dial said:
"You know some of us were never in
favor of q complete consolidation of the
roads composing tho sport Royal & Wes-
tern Carolina" system and were espec-
rally dissatisfied with the way the Cen
trail mortgaged t~hem,-hence 1 had often
boon asked by tax payers to see If some
thing could not be done to better u
condition; TO give these counties and
cities the competition which they had
bought and paid for. Therefore in Feb
ruary last l had a conversation with Mr..
@ II Gfpnn,nr ~ ,,orforIt,rn q, roo,rl
TO the interest of this part of the state,
and we decided to make tho fig. t. We
were elected among others to represent
the stock of this and S~partanburg
ties at the meeting of stockholders
which was held in Augusta May 9th.
At that meeting the stockholders were
appraised of their rights and were deter
mined to act Tor the best interests of the
parties who had built the road and to
refuse to sit quietly by and let the Cen
trail people elect a board of directors who
were in sympathy with them
In fact the Central people had no
standing in the meeting whatever, did
not legally represent a single share of
stock. The parties representing the ma
iority Of the legal stock elected a board
of directors who were in full sympathy
with the people who built the road and
who are largely interested in the devel-
opment of this part of South Carolina
and OF Augusta and whose policy would
not be controlled by competing lines.
AT this meeting a resolution was passed
requesting the President and board of
directors to resist tho foreclosure Of the
mortgage of $2,50O,OOO over the property
and to demand an accounting Of the
Central. The board Immediately organ
lied and made a wise choice by electing
Col. Dyer of Augusta, president. They
also employed attorneys who at once in
tervened the foreclosure suit and had
the legal board and the counties made
parties. Mr.. Conner had appeared and
had virtually consented to foreclosure
and you can readily soc that a a re-
ceiver Of thoir w choosing been APP
pointed aud the road sold our stock
would have been completely lost. On
the contrary we havo a receiver who is
eminently qualified to take caro- of the
interests OF all parties concerned.
"Mr. Dial, are you of the opinion that
the appointment of Mr.. Cleveland will
prove satisfactory to tho people of Lau-
rtns?" asked the reporter. "Certainly,"
he replied, "Mr. C~leveland's appoint
ment will not only be acceptable to the
people OF Laurens but all the citizens of
this section of the state will be delighted
with 1t; also the people OF Augusta will
be much pleased because they as well as
we baye cause to complain of tho Gen.
trails mismanagement,"
4What will be the immediate effect of
the appointments"
1--WE will have bettor schedules; tho
road will be more economically run we
will have through freights and better
ones. The road will do moro business
and will be more popular with the peo-
pie. They will feel that they arc patron
izing their W property. Heretofore
the Central would not make through
rates for freight coming over other
roads to certain points in this territory.
Then as to economy, at present III
road pays enormous interest to tho Gen
trail for the hire of locomotives, etc. and
pays a good deal more than its share of
the terminal facilities In Augusta. The
Central people havo been awake while
we slept. That is they had the
stock which they held in the eau
gusta and Knoxville" amounting to
about $4,000 included in the mortgage
when ours was left out. In addition to
this, making the road Independent will
afford a splendid opportunity for a road
to be built through tho mountains to
Knoxville or Chattanooga"
"What do you think will be the result
of the litigation, Mr.. Dial?"
awe will wait INC see after we have
had our reckoning with the Central. No
doubt the lease will be broken, a large
amount of the bonds be declared invalid
and our stock will be of value"
~Dispensary.
Several petitions are in circulation for
a ~dispensary here but at last accounts a
considerable number Of names were
IL 1lrs - ~ 20 N1Nfatt, N tN,afN.tfr ~ I,a rra4