The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-11-15

crowded with cOttOn unprepd1eo Ao.
shipment, because the merchants and
weighers have no platforms other
than the shipping platforms of the
railroad on which to weigh and store
cotton.
| General Superintendent Anderson
and General Freight Agent r. A.
Brand being called on promised their
explanations Of the troubles expe-
rienced by Sumter business men with
their company by thanking the Cham
| her Of Commerce and merchants an,
cotton buyers for the very couteous,
/, friendly and patient manner in which
their company has been treated, and
the methods ad.,.ted to remedy IN"
unfortunate situation. They said thd;
! it was not that the Atlantic Coast Line
was too parsimonious to employ sui'
icient force at good wages, because
! Agent Cooper being asked if he want
ed more clerks said he does not need
them. But combination Of circum-
stances, among them the widespread
prosperity throughout the country,
particularly the South, had complete
ly outgrown the ability Of the rail-
| roads to buy or build enough cars and
locomotives to handle the cotton and
other freight There We're blockades
along the entire line of the Southern
railroads. Hundreds and hundreds Of
cars of unloaded cotton, and thous-
ands of bales of cotton which there is
not platform nor yard room for are
piled at Wilmington, Columbia, Au-
gusta, Charleston, or had been stored
at these places and at Sumter and
other places, not only for lack Of cars,
but for lack of ships to take cotton
from the cars. The. Atlantic Coast
Line has ordered 5000 cars and 20
locomotives to help break the un-
avoidable congestion and blockades
which must some times happen. But
one reason why the cotton was not
promptly loaded and shipped away
from Sumter was that the weighers
have no platforms to weigh cotton on.
The railroad wishing to accommodate
it's patrons allowed the buyers the use
of the railroad shipping platforms
which handicapped the railroad and
produced a blockade. Next year this
will not be permitted, in all prohabil-
ity, and the public weigher and mer-
chants must furnish their own plat
frons for weighing and storing cot
ton. The two railroad officials did not
say that their company was not to
blame for congestion of freight, but
showed that to great extent the con-
ditions were beyond their control for
the present at least. They promised
Improvement in the service and ex-
pected, however, that there will he
more or less trouble until the busy
fall rush is over.
The meeting throughout was char
acterized by the friendliest spirit and
there was some amusement caused by
the remarks of some Of the speakers
The meeting will result in good fo-
Sumter and surrounding towns and
has tended to cement closer the very
cordial relations between Sumter and
the Atlantic Coast Line Railway Com
pany and proves that Captain Brands
and Captain Anderson's advice about
going direct to the Coast Line with
our troubles is the best plan after all.
Railroad Commissioners Earle
Caughman and Wharton were present
at the meeting, having come in with
Messrs. Anderson and Brand during
the afternoon from tour Of insrec-
ton of the Pregnals branch Of the At
lantic Coast Line.