Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-26
THE SOUTHERN FREIGHT DEPOT.


THE SOUTHERN FREIGHT DEPOT.
There is to be a decent freight
house at the Southern railway station
in Yorkville before many weeks long
er, II the promises Of the railroad
commissioners count for anything ana
the power of the courts is sufficient to
enforce laws on the subject. +. This
statement is made on the strength OF
developments that become public In
Yorkville yesterday.
The Commercial Club, through Its
chairman of the committee on. rail-
roads, has had the matter OF the
Southern's inadequate facilities for
handling freight at this place, under
consideration for more than a year.
Several letters were written TO-. the
railroad authorities; but as there was
no result beyond unfulflled promises,
the case was taken to the railroad
commissioners, and that body now has
the matter in charge. s-
Commissioners Wharton and Caugh-
man came up to Yorkville yesterday
by appointment with the Commercial
Clubs committee, made personal In
vestfgatfoh OF the Southern's freight
handling facilities, or rather lack OF
the same, and were so impressed by
what they saw that they gave their
unqualified promise to do all that lay
in their power to apply the necessary
remedies.
The commissioners were accompan-
led to the Southern railroad station
by members Of the Commercial Club
and other citizens, and spent half an
hour or more looking over the sur
roundings. The conditions were as
have already been described In these
columns. The only shelter provided
for freight Is small shell of struct-
ure, about thirty feet wide by about
sixty feet long, planked up and down
around the sides, with cracks from
quarter to half an inch wide between
each two planks. The room had eV1-
IDENTIFY been put in the best order that
was possible under the circumstances;
but still all kinds Of merchandise lay
piled about in promiscuous confusion.
There were thousands Of dollars
worth Of freight lying on a dilapi-
dated unsheltered platform that ad-
Joins this shackly makeshift Of
freight house, and there stood on
side track a number Of carloads or
other freight that could not be un-
loaded for want Of place to put 1t.
One citizen told of a box Of books
consigned to him that had laid in the
depot for a year before he was finally
able to locate it. Others told how
they would send for freight one day,
be told there was nothing there, re-
peat the process daily, and at last be
called upon for demurrage. Still
others complained of the damage to
goods in handling, sometimes not
enough to warrant the trouble and
annoyance incident to the filing Of
claims; but still enough to depreciate
their value. A statement was made,
on good authority, that as many as
twelve cars of Yorkville freight have
stood on a side track for days at a
time, because there was no place In
the guano-shed freight house to store
the goods, and 1t was also said that
goods are frequently carried on by to
Blacksburg and Rock Hill for the
same reason.
When the commissioners came up
to Yorkville, it was evident that they
were looking for the same old condi-
ton Of affairs that has long since be-
come familiar to them-a town al
ready possessed Of freight and pas
senger facilities fully up to any rea-
sonable requirement, trying to pull
the railroads for additional improve
ments that were really unnecessary.
and which would not be thought of
except at the expense Of the railroads. |
But in what they found they were as
tonished. They said so. Both admit
ted that they had never seen such a
situation In all their experience. Mr..
Wharton expressed his amazement.
He said he was amazed that the rail-
road company should pursue a policy
involving so much waste and loss to
itself, and he was amazed that the
people of Yorkville should have
borne the situation in patience so
long.
why" one gentleman explained to
the commissioners, they are unable
to keep an agent here. There have
been five changes within a year. Mr..
A. S. Clarke was one Of the best rail-
road men who has ever been In this
section. He had to give up the job.
He was followed by Clarence Hobbs,
who had quite a record. He lasted
but a short time. Next came Mr.. w.
?. Bray, one of the best workers any
If us have ever known, fully deter