The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-01-05
4 Big Railroad Deal.

The Atlantic Coast !.;1o la, bought
the Charleston and Western Carolina
system and will, it is understood, take
control Of the property at once A
rumor to that effect came out Of New
York yesterday morning, and the Ncms
""d C"nrtrr set to work at once to
verify it. A dispatch sent to the
Headquarters Of the Atlantic Coast
lane system in Wilmington brought
forth the response: "lour informa-
ton is correct
The deal will be news to many nco-
pie IN Charleston, among them being
number OF railroad men. Every
body knew that Mcssrs. Thomas and
Kyan did not mean to hold on to their
Charleston and Western Carolina
lines. but Just what they did propose
to do with them has been montcd
question for many a month. The nv.
craze railroad man. when ap, called to
on the subject. wa> accustomed to
predict that sooner or later the prop
crty would fall in.a the hands Of tic
Southern system. even provided it
we're not true that hcssrS. Thomas
and Ryan were silent representatives
OF that corporation all ulon.. no one
who was ut all well Informed on traf-
fic affairs believed Mr.. Ryan : often
repeated assertion that the property
had been bought for operation and az
an Investment. In the very nature of
the case the Charleston and Western
Carolina system had to consolidate
with some other compapy--as an in
dividual systemic occupied an anoma-
lous position. It's business was strict
ly local, and the only hope of render
ing it profitable luy in having one or
another Of the big systems touching it
take il up as feeder
Now that the deal is all accom-
plishcd fact, it seems perfectly nat
ural that the Atlantic Coast Line
should be the company to absorb the
Thomas and Ryan lines The Coast
Line has been in the absorbing bust
ness for some years. The policy of
it's management has been one of ac-
QUESTION wherever opportunity Of
fered. The system has long wanted
direct Inlet TO Gcorgia, and the traffic
originating in the southwest, While
this purchase also puts it into the
heart Of a territory in which it has
never before competed for business
activcly-the western part of this
State.
This deal will unquestionably add
greatly to the Atlantic Coast Lines
prestige as factor in the traffic af-
fairs of this section of the country.
While there is now no direct connec-
tion between its old and new lines.
one may be easily made at more than
one point. Tie close relations exist
ing between the Pant system and the
Atlantic Coast Line might readily
convert the Charleston and Savannah
into connecting link by trackagc
arrangement, similar to that which
was commonly supposed to be in pro-
cess of perfection between the Plant
system and the Charleston and West
ern Carolina Company. The Coast
Line has branch which touches Den
mark. point little removed from the
route Of the old Port Royal and Au-
gusta road. The same company has
Tor several years had more or less in
tcrest imthe Columbia, Ncwberry and
I4aurcns. In these and other ways
cIoscr relations may be brought about
between the parts of the Coast Line
as it was and the Coast Line as it is.
Last night, the Nr~s nna Courier
had its Spartanburg correspondent
call upon Mr. John B. Cleveland,
president of the Charleston and West
ern Carolina system. SIr. Cleveland
had retired for the night and consc-
qucntly could not be seen, but his son
said his father had heard the rumor
Of the sale Of the road. and had tcie-
graphed to New York for information
on the subject. The dispatch from
Wilmington referred to above, how
ever, leaves no doubt that the owner
ship of the property has been changed.
The people Of this city will. of
course, hope to see the Coast Line
convert its new branches into direct
feeders to Charleston. The Charles
ton and Western Carolina could. if
rightly handled. be made very valua-
bic to this port and city, and in order
to operate it in another way the new
management would have to 30 out of
its way to slight Charleston com
mercial interests.
The Charleston and Western Caro-
INA company has a total mileage OF
:E"'. - miles. ll2 of Which extend
from Port Royal, S. G.. to Augusta,
Ga. l:G' from Augusta to Spartan
burg, 5. c.; 57.775 from Mccormick to
Anderson, :. G., and 363O from Lau-
rens to Grecnvillc. S. G. The road
was practically owned by Samuel
Thomas and Thomas +. Ryan. of New
York. j. Is. Cleveland, of Spartan
burg, S. c.. was the president 1t
was capitalized for 81 200, 900 .Nc~s
and T0nrier.