Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-05-06
WHAT DOES 1T MEAN?

The county board of commissioners
entered into transaction last Wednes-
day that is calculated to excite great
deal of interest in this section; but as
just what it may amount to capnot be
told with certainty. 1t is in the ma
ture of a railroad deal of considerable
proportions, and as is well-known in
matters of this kind the parties inter-
ested have a way of keeping their
business pretty closely to themselves.
The county board of commissioners,
of course, are perfectly willing to tell
all they know; but in this case they
only know about their side of the
transaction. .
The transaction of Wednesday is
the result of negotiations that have
been pending for several weeks, look.
ing to the securing of an option on the
purchase of the 1000 shares that
York county owns in the Carolina and
North. Western Railroad company,
formerly known as the Chester and
Lenoir. Mr.. w. R. Carroll, of York /.
vile, is the. other party to the negotia-
tions. Sometime back he asked for a
9O.day option on this stock at SIG a
share. There was nothing definite
about the proposition, or any offer OF
earnest money; but the thing involved
such important possible consequences,
that the board felt disposed to 60 slow
and postponed final decision until
Wednesday, when, after further nego-
,iations, it entered into the following
agreement:
The county of York, by its county
supervisor, duly authorized thereunto
by the county board of commissioners
of said county, hereby agrees and con-
tracts to sell to w. R. Carroll, or as
signs, at his Office, at any time within
three months from date, one thousand
Il ,OO0 shares of the stock of the Caro-
lima and Northwestern Railway COM
pany (or certificate right to the same),
now owned and held by said county,
at and for the sum of twenty-five dol
lars (s25) per share; provided, never
theless, that during the time above
specified, the said county of York
should desire to accept any bona fide
cash offer, in writing, from other par
ties wishing to purchase said stock
then in the event the said w. r. Carroll
is unable to meet said offer with q
similar bona fide cash offer and to
comply with the terms thereof within
fifteen (15) days from the time of such
offer from said "other parties" is
brought to his attention, this contract
shall be null and void.
No member of the board Of COM
missioners to whom the reporter talk
ed, has any information as to just how
much importance is to be attached to
tbe above offer. They know, how
ever, that as matters now stand, that
although York county has stock in the
Carolina and North Western railroad
that originally cost 100000, this stock
is not now supposed to be worth any
thing at all. At least, no dividend is
being received. If by any possibility
Mr.. Carroll should comply with the
terms specified in the option, then the
county would be better of than 1t ID
now to the extent of $4,000. The
option, of course, does not carry with
it the right to vote this stock at the
annual meeting of the stockholders OF
the road, which takes place within the
three months covered by the agree
ment, so there is no danger on that
score. The arrangement whereby a
better offer will make Mr.. Carroll
come to terms, or drop the trade,
seems to fully protect the county, and
so the commissioners have everything
safe.
The reporter saw Mr.. Carroll We'd
nesday afternoon and asked him some
questions intended to develop further
as to his object in secur-