Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-29
POWER COMPANY. TROUBLES.

The Southern Power company
says the Charlotte Observer of yester-
day, posted a notice on the bulletin
board at Great Falls last Saturday
announcing the discharge of approx
imately 400 men employed at the
Rocky Creek and Great Falls station
The enforcement Of the order left
but 100 men to look after the work
under way.
The reading Of the notice created
nothing short of sensation among
the employees. The great majority Of
them were engaged in clearing away
the debris from the site Of the Rocky
Creek development. They were toll.
ing without any premonitions Of trou,
BILE. The work had just commenced
and they looked for employment fol
months and months to come. Theil
discharge came as bolt out OF
clear sky. They could not account
for II.
The most Of those checked out
were ordinary day laborers. few
score were skilled operatives who
were sufficiently well acquainted with
current affairs to understand how Il
had all happened. Those who were
In the dark believed that the wors
had happened and that the Southern
Power company was about to go un'
der. Strange tales were circulated
They passed from mouth to mouth
until they had reached astounding
proportions. One story which crop
ped out in the city yesterday was thai
the Southern Power company was ir
debt $50, 100000 and that its collapse
was momentarily expected.
It is needless to add that the re.
ports were altogether fabulous. The
Southern Power company found mon.
ey scarce at this season and decided
to curtail the immense development
which 1t had under way.
This may be readily understood
when 1t Is stated that three monster
developments are under way, one al
Great Falls, another at Rocky Creek
and a third at Ninety-Nine islands
near Gaffney, s. C. The number OF
employees required to keep these
places going is enormous and results
in the expenditure Of vast sums OF
money weekly. The Great Falls sta
ton Is just being finished. The ma.
chinery there Is now being limbereo
up preparatory to use at an early
date. The work at Rocky Creek has
Just been completed. and that al
Ninety-Nine islands Is we'll under
way.
The money market being close In
New York and the stock market al
a standstill, 1t has become exceeding
ly difficult to secure funds at reason
able rate Of interest. Many OF the
financial giants are hedging for q
panic and the market Is unprecedent-
ly stringent. Such being the case
the directors Of the Southern Power
company decided to postpone heavy
operations for the present. They ex-
pect to resume within few months
1t is significant that all those who
were paid up last Saturday were re-
auested to leave their addresses In or
der that they might be reached In
case their services were again needed
While operations at the Rocky
Creek station, a few miles below the
Great Falls station, has been practi-
cally abandoned, this does not mean
that the work at Ninety-Nine islands
has been suspended also. On the
contrary, it is being pushed there
The demand for power in that local
ity Is very pressing and the officers
are seeking to concentrate their ef-
forts there. 1t Is hoped that the
Ninety Nine islands station Will be
ready for service early next year.
Messrs. ]. B. and B. n. Duke, OF
New York, who, with DR.. w. Gill
Wylie are the largest stockholders In
the Southern Power comapny, spent
last Friday and Saturday in the city
It is likely that the foregoing order
was determined upon by them then
after a conference with Vice Presi-
dent w. S. Lee, Jr.