Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1907-04-17
RAILWAY CONFERENCE.
Edgefield Merchants and Busi.
ness Men Confer With Railroad
Commissioner and Repre-.
sentative of the Southern.

Commissioner and Repre-.
sentative of the Southern.
Tn response to letters and COM
plants from Mr.. Vim. P. Caihoun
and Others. Mr.. B. l.. caughman.
chairman of the Railroad Com
mission, accompanied by Capt
H. A. Williams, superintendent
Of the Southern railroad, came
over 10 Edgefeld on Monday for
the purpose of hearing complaints
against the freight and passenger
service with the view of giving
Erelief as far as it lies in the pow
er oftbe commissioners to do so.
An iLformal conference was
held for two hours in the court
house, Beginning ateleven o'clock.
After goodly number had as
.semblad, Mr.. Calboun called M.
Caughman to the chair, and Mr.,
B. E. Nicholson was asked to acl
as secretary. The ball was get in
motion by the presentation of a
number of complaints that had
been hurriedly drafted by Mr..
Calhoun. In few words, these
complaints called to the attention
of.the Railroad commissioners the
very unsatisfactory handling Of
frs:ghts at Edge6eld, lack of Eff
cheney Of at least a portion of the
force OH duty at thu depot, The
breaking open aud pilfering o.
freight, Che want of lights about
the depot at night, the need of
more platform space for cotton,
the backing in of the passenger
coaches from Trenton and the
failure of the railroa | to mako its
passenger schedules.
After a few appropriate remarks
by Mr.. Calhoun, the following
representative citiznns and busi-
ness men discussed the present
unsatisfactory situation, setting
forth their grievances snd those
Of the public generally: ". W.
Adams, w. l.. Dunovant. Sam
Cheatb am, A. E. Padgett, C. H.
Fisher, o. Sheppard, T. w Car
vile, J. M. Cobb S. McG. SIM
kins and F. N. K. Bailey.
By each Of these gentlemen pre-
senting and discussing the si!ua-
tion from a different standpoint
the grievances were fully and
forcefully set forth. And wrile
some nave had personal knowl-
edge of the unsatisfactory service,
particularly the, freight service,
things were brought out al this
conference that proved to be a
revelation to many. The wonder
is that Il patlent and longsuffeling
public has tolerated such con-
dition of affairs SO long.
In the remarks ot these gentle
men, not one word was uttered
that ref Aected upon the local
agent, Mr.. Philips, or upon Capt.
Williams. the. division auperin-
tendel.t. The former has doubt
less been over-worked aud with
ont competent help, while the LAT
ter has been uninformed as to the
real conditions that obtained here.
After full and free discussion
by the citizens, Capt. Williams
was called upon to make any
statement that he chose to make.
He is an open, frank, honest,
straightforward business man and
does not mince words. AT the out
set Capt. Williams stated thatshe
would do his utn ostto correct the
I.evils cited. He seemed surprised to
Learn of the conditions that ex-
listed about the depot, stating with
much emphasis that all these
things will be speedily corrected
and that henceforth there will
be no just ground for complaint.
The need of having the proper
facilities for weighing freight bav-
ing been presented to him, Capt.
Williams said that he would have
scales placed in the depot at once.
He said also that be would have
the premises properly lighted aud
tina. hereafter there would be no
more passenger coaches backed
from Trenton. Capt. Williams will
give relief as far as possible in the
matter of improving the passen-
ger service.
The breaking open and stealing
of freight while in transit is one
of the most difficult matters with
which railroads have To deal.
Capt. Williams said that within
the last go days the road had been
instrumental i'll sending 81 per
sons to the chaingang for this
offenso. Furthermore, he states
that the road now has 40 special
agents, secret service men, work
ing up these cases. He says the
officials of the road are even m''re
anxious than the shippers that
this practice of breaking open
freight by employees be stopped.
Two of the most important mat
ters in connection with the rail-
L