The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-06-28
MUTUAL BENEFIT.


Advertiser threw out some weeks ago
that the equipment on the early morn
ing and late trains to and from CO.
lumbia over the c., N. e l.. railway
should be improved, The Daily Rec
ord. after a few Introductory remarks.
had the following to say:
THE equipment of the c., n. & l.. is
not what we would like to see 1t. 1t
is doubtless not what President Childs
would like to have. Further. 1t is
probably not what the c., NJ & L.
hopes to have in the near future. 1t
must be remembered that this road
has not had the advantage of the tre-
mendous financial backing that other
lines in the State have enjoyed, and
that the roadbed is light and there
fore heavy equipment cannot be safe
ly handled on it at present.
The increasing business which this
road is receiving warrants the belief
that its equipment will be improved
as rapidly as conditions justify. We
say this on our own responsibility and
without consultation with President
ChildS. AT the same time 1t is only
fair to say, and it has been upon our
mind for some time to say. that the
management of the c., N. & l.. and the
management of the C. & W. C. deserve
very great commentator for the sta
tions which they have recently erected
at several points on their lines. The
c. Il w. G. has spent several hundred
thousand dollars in the Improvement
of it's terminals in Greenville and the
depot there would be credit to any
or I 10,
equally as creditable, and the same
may be said of the stations at Clin-
ton and Little Mounain. These
buildings have been erected with a
view to permanency. and if they are
kept up as they should be, which we
do not doubt will be done. their pres
ence will be a qualification for many
years to come"
The Advertiser is not one among
that very numerous set of people who
believe that the railroads are heart
less corporations and are run with
the sole view of prosecuting those who
have to use them. On the contrary
we believe that we are somewhat more
generous in our views towards rail-
roads and such than most people. We
realize that they have invested capt.
tai that must show returns and to do
this they must practice as much econ
omy as the business of the systems will
allow. But coming to the c.. N. & l..
railway in particular, we agree with
The Record on several points and,
while 1t cannot be said that we entire
lily disagree on several others, there
are some points around which we
slightly iifler.As regard the roadheds
inability 20 withstand heavy traffic, we
believe that the people along the line
would be entirely satisfied with the
rolling stock on the early morning and
evening trains If it was as good as
that on the midday train run by the
Coast Line. The roadbed stands that
train so il stands to reason that it
could support another heavy train.
AS to the financial backing, while the
editor of The Advertiser has not
reached that stage yet where he can
talk with much authority about big
financial affairs, it seems to him new
erthelcss that railroad backing could
generally be gotten if the prospects
for returns seem bright enough. In
this case it seems to us that bet
terment of the rolling stock, better.
ment of the schedule and n little more
well directed advertising would bring
tn hn ~ o., itc nIl tAI
far greater returns i'm passenger traf-
fic than they are getting now. 1t seems
to us then that with these prospects
1t woud be reasonable to suppose that
the roads could get the capital We
would call the attention of The Record
to the fact that although now the
schedule on these lines is one hour
shorter than on The Southern railway
between Greenville and Columbia, that
the great majority of the people go the
other way. We can explain this in
no other way than by laying 1t at the
feet of poorer service.
AS to the new stations and improve
ments along the line we can join with
The Record in giving to these roads
due credit for them. They are a cred
1t to the railroads, and speaking for
Laurens, they are the pride of the
towns that have them.
We have no i'll feeling against these
two railroads. We enjoy very friend
ly business relations with them: both
railroads hold advertising contracts
with us In return for which we are is
sued transportation, or what The New