The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-09-27
THE ALGaLu RAILROAD.
INSPECTED AND OPENED FOR
TRAFFIC.
An Interesting Account of the Rail-
road Built and Owned by D. w.
Alderman & Sons Company.

writer's pleasure to be one OF party
who were invited by the Alcolu Rail
road Company to take a trip over
their road yesterday on its inspection
by the Railroad Commission.
On account Of the illness OF the
other members of the commission the
inspection devolved upon its genial
chairman, Col. ]. H. Wharton, who
announced at the end OF the trip that
he was very much pleased with the
condition of the roadbed and rolling
stock, and that he officially declared
the road open for a general freight
and passenger traffic.
The honors of the occasion were
happily performed by the following
officers of the company: The far-see-
ingAy ice-president, Mr.. D. W. Alder
man and his able co-adjutor, Mr.. Paul
Alderman, one Of the Office force;
General Superintendent F. L. Collins,
General Timber and Right-of-way
Agent Furman Cole, and Station Mas
tiers ]. II. Garland and w. D. Gamble.
The rest of the party were Messrs. Il.
D. Noise and E. J. Brown, Of the en-
gineering corps; Hon. D. L. Green,
member of the House from Claren-
don; Magistrate ]. S. Sellers, of New
zion; Messrs. Buddin, Johnson, Green
and Cole and others from along the
me,
The train left A1colu where the line
connects with the Atlantic Coast Line
atS1e:so o'clock and reached Beulah.
IN Florence county, its present termi-
nus, at 1890 O'Clock, the run Of 25
miles having been made at low speed
to give every facility for careful III
spection. At Beulah the train was
met by an enthusiastic crowd Of the.
BeuIahltes, headed by that gallant old.
Confederate Veteran Squire Thomp-s
SON After ongratulations and gen
eral handshaHng eand by the way tiass
young sold veteran who presides ovel
fhesrailroad commission is an adept0
The party dispersed to see the varied
attractions of the city Of Beulah.
One of the points of interest is the
shady grove with its bold artesian
wei where the good people Of FIVE
COUNTIES assembled to the number of
two or three thousand every fourth
saturday in July for grand Confed-
crate reunion and jolly picnic.
Two churches, a half dozen large
mercantile establishments, a system
ginnery and saw mill, i've public roads
that radiate like the spokes of wheel
into one of the best farming countries
IN the State, the building OF a cotton
mil under serious consideration, it
would not be surprise to see Beulah
court house town inside Of the next
decade.
At the right time for those Of us
who had breakfasted quite early, an
elegant lunch was served in the din
ing compartment Of the 'vestibule, ,
as the new train is called. A crafty
ing feature was the entire absence of
wines and liquors that sometimes mar
the dignity and prophecies Of such
an occasion.
AT 8 o'clock Eau revoir,'' for we are
going back sometime, and the return
trip was begun. The party gradually
thinned out as we passed stations un-
t1 at Sardinia We left very few besides
the officials Of the road. The writer
took Col. Wharton by buggy from Sar-
dinia through the Black river country
and the old Brick Church to Mayes-
Vile
Now something of the history and
prospects of the Alcolu railroad which
is destined to play an important part
in the development of the middle
eastern section of the State, and ii
the transportation facilities Of several
important towns. Some tweleve years
ago the Messrs. Alderman found it
necessary to cross BLACK River with
their tram road to secure timber for
their immense lumber plant at Alcolu
on the Central railroad about three
miles north of Manning. People along
the line who had to haul their cotton
fertilizers and other freight from
twelve to twenty miles began to ask
that freight be delivered along the
line. They could not see why a rail
road, even but a timber line, should
pass by their doors and yet not bring
keg of nails On the fiat car that was
used to transport tools, and feed for
the laborers and mules in the logging
woods. The demand became a clamor
and a freight car was added, the.
carload shipments were made when