The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1906-05-30

& bring the Columbia State to this {
4 city early in the morning. +
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The adoption of the above resolutions
was the result of quite an enthusiastic
mass meeting held in the court house
Monday afternoon for the purpose of
discussing railroad schedule conditions
as affecting this city.
During the day Mr.. F. H. McMaster,
chairman of the railroad committee of
the Columbia Chamber of Commerce,
and the members of the South Carolina
Railroad Commission, Chairman j. HI.
Wharton, Mr.. B. l.. Caughman of Co.
lumbia and Major j. H. Earle of Green
vile, arrived in the city and were pres
ent at the meeting. Mr.. G.. G.. Lynch,
of Augusta, general superintendent of
the Charleston & Western Carolina
railroad, who had accepted an invitation
to attend the meeting, sent a telegram
saying that it was impossible for him
to come. This fact was regretted as it
was one of the objects of the meeting
to secure from him if possible conces-
sion to President w. G. Childs' PROPOSE
tion to hold the Greenville and Spartan
burg trains leaving here at 8 O'Clock A.
M. until the arrival of the mixed train
from Columbia leaving there at A.
M. instead of one o'clock.
The meeting was called to order by
DR.. H. X. Aiken, who has been most
active in the matter of trying to secure
some regulation along the line of better
schedules, and Mayor w. r. Richey
was chosen chairman of the meeting.
The object of the meeting was stated
by DIR. Aiken. Laurens wants an early
mornings mail from Columbia. This is
the foremost purpose of the organized
effort being put forth. DR.. Aiken told
of recent conference committee
from Laurens had with President Childs
of the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens
road. He was asked to hold the one
O'Clock train until A. M. in order to
bring the Columbia State to Laurens in
the morning. He agreed to hold the
train provided The State Company
would have the papers ready at that
hour. He was assured that this would
be done. Later Mr.. Childs stated that
he would hold the train three hours if
the G. & w. C. people would make con-
nections advantageously at this point.
Thus the matter was passed up to Mr..
Lynch and thus it has stood for several
weeks, Supt. Lynch refusing to make
the concessions as requested. However,
he promised to meet the citizens of
Laurens land in his dispatch Monday
he stated that he hoped to be able to
do this later) the railroad commission
and others for the purpose as was sup
posed, of reaching some adjustment of
the matter.
Col. Wharton, speaking for the rail-
road commission, said the board
stood ready to make fight for any
reasonable demand the citizens of Lau-
rens might make of the railroads as to
a change of schedules.
Mr.. McMaster was called upon. He said
he believed Laurens the worst treated
community in the State in the matter of
railway schedules. 1t is an outrageous
condition of affairs when you consider
that practically every railroad station
and from one third to one half of the
rural free delivery routes in the State
receive The State newspaper before
noon on the day of issue and yet Lau-
rens, only rs miles from Columbia does
not get the mail from the capital city
until three o'clock in the afternoon. He
emphasized the fact that Luurens would
simply have to keep after the railroads
and demand of them the relief wanted.
His remarks were received with enthu-
siasm.
Mr.. w. l.. Gray, Postmaster Nc
Gravy, DIR. w. H. Dial and others adj
dressed the meeting. Mr.. Gray made q
rousing speech. "Let the railroad com
mission say to the railroads put OH
certain schedules and all mail matter,
freight and passenger traffic will take
care of itself" declared Mr.. Gray.
AT this point the resolutions appear
ing at the head of this column were of
fered and unanimously adopted.
On motion, DR.. w. II. Dial was
chosen as delegate from the meeting
to railroad conference in Greenville
yesterday along with DIR. II. X. Aiken
who was selected by the Laurens City
Council at meeting during the morn
ing as its representative. These two
gentlemen were also chosen to repre-
sent Laurens at meeting of a similar
nature in Spartanburg, June 4.
The thanks of the meeting were ex.
tended to the members of the railroad
commission and Mr.. McMaster for their
attendance and interest shown in behalf
of the citv Of Iaurens in this vital mot