The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-10-06
THAT BOAT LINE

CHARLESTON no RAISE HER TEN
HoUsaND DOLLARS.
Conference Between orangeburg Del
egation and Business Men OF That
City Held Tuesday.
at conference held Tuesday in
Charleston between representative
business men Of Charleston and Or
{ angeburg, the Charleston men, speak
ing fors the Chamber Of Commerce
I Of Charleston and for the city, strong
" endorsed the proposition to estab-
!, lish a boat line or boat lines. to oper-
! ate between the two cities provided
the Government opens the Edisto
\. River to navigation. The following
/ account Of the meeting we take from
Y The News and Courier: 4! -, +
Vice President P. H. Gadsden, OF
the Chamber of Commerce, presided
at the meeting. The 0rangeburg
men were told that, while those pres
,ent had no authority to take official
! action on the part of the Chamber Of
Commerce in the matter, they were
I: nevertheless prepared to pledge the
financial support Of Charleston to the
enterprise, and they gave it as their
opinion that a fund of $4,000 for
the ablishment Of boat line
would be raised in this city within
the next ten days. Strong evidence
in favor Of this opinion was furnish
ed when Major T. T. Hyde added his
I subscription Of $500 to. the $1,000
already pledged by Mayor Rhett and
;, MIR. Gadsden.
The Orangeburg delegation, head
ed by Congressman A. F. Lever, con-
sisted Of the following gentlemen:
). Col. M o. Dantzler, Messrs. w. w.
% Wannamaker,rEW L. Glover, John
Cart and r., H. Jennings. They were
met at the Union Depot upon their
Z arrival Tuesday morning by Mr.. Geo.
4 w. Williams, chairman Of the COM
nittee of twenty-five Of the Chamber
Of Commerce, and Commercial Sec
retary McKeand, and after being
shown about the city were conducted
to the rooms of the Chamber Of Com
merce, where the conference was
held. ...s..-5..@..
Congressman Lever, made the key
note speech, so to speak, of the meet
ing. He outlined very clearly the
proposition in view and stated that
the whole matter hinged on> getting
assurances from Orangehurg, and
Charleston that a boat line or boat
lines between the two cities would be
established and supported if the Ed
isto were opened by the Government
for navigation. 0rangeburg has al
ready done her part. Her business
men have gotten together and sub
, scribed $4,000 to establish boat
line on the river.- It is now Char
leston's turn to guarantee another
$4,000. -,
Two surveys Of the Edisto River
have been made, said Mr.. Lever, and
in each case the project was reported
/. upon unfayorable by the engineer,
not because it would be difficult or
expensive to open up the river, but
because in the opinion Of the engi-
neer there would not be sufficient
commerce to justify it. Now third
survey has been made by Capt. Ad-
ans, United States engineer in
charge of the district. Capt. Adams,
while he has made no official state
bent as to the matter, is, it is con-
fidently believed, very favorably i'm
pressed with the project from an en-
cheering viewpoint and itsis. believ-
ed that in his report he will state
that the Edisto River can be opened
for navigation at small expence and
with little difficulty.
Before submitting his report, how
ever. Capt. Adams desires evidence
that in the event the river is OPEN
ed, it will be used. In other words,
he wishes the people Of the territory
affected, and especially of Orange
burg and Charleston, to say to him
that as soon as the Edisto is made
navigsble boats will be established
and commerce carried on along the
(: river.
! Congressman Lever pointed out
the benefits that would acrue to both
cities by the establishment Of boat
lines plying the Edisto and Ashley
rivers between Orangeburg and Char
lesion. Then, he said, the whole Of
Orangeburg's cotton crop would be
brought to Charleston, and not only
orangeburg's, but the cotton crops
Of contiguous counties, large part
of which now goes elsewhere. The
establishment Of the boat line on a
firm basis would mean that the rail-
roads would grant better freight rat
es. The enormous quantities Of fer
tilizer thGt are sent out annually
from Charleston to Orangeburg and
its neighboring counties would be
carried on these boats. There was
very little doubt, he said, that the