The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-01-04

connection with the coast defences.
In october. 1898, he accepted the po-
sition OF resident engineer OF the CO.
lumbus (Ga) Power Company, which
corporation had just begun work On
the Chattahooche River at Columbus.
This dam was completed in the au-
tum OF 1900. Some time after Mr..
Lee was put in direct charge Of the
work at Columbus, holding the posi-
tion Of chief engineer and he chang
ed the design so as to insure more
safety, raising the height of the dam
and completing the work in 1902.
The Chattahooche River has a repu-
tation for quick rises and Mr.. Lee
was quite expert in handling the Sit
uation, and it was largely due to his
success there that he undertook the
work Of Catawba. While he was at
Anderson, and later or at Columbus.
he was studying the cotton mill situa-
ton which has stood MIN IN good
stead. He went with the Catawbf
Power Companv ...,
work at Columbus and took uu a tasl,
that hsd bafied previous contractors.
and under hs plans the foods which
arise III IL Cataw ,e, 4..,et ,,v.e .alA-
en- care Of and the dam whicb had
given so much trouble vas Gnally
completed in the spring cf IgG-. to-
gether with transnissicn lines to
Rock Hill and Charlotte. This de-
velopment as has been stated result
ed in the organization of the Southern
Power Company and Mr.. Lee has
since the inception of the power COM
pany in June, 1905, been it's second
vice president and practically in
charge of it's designing, construction
and development. With the co-op-
Grafton of Mr.. Duke and the company
Nj. Lee realized that the only way
for such a development to be success
full was to distribute power, and it
was along this line that he planned
and insisted upon the high-tension
long distance transmission lines that
have proved so successful.
Mr.. Lee is highly thought of by
the engineering fraternity and is a
member of the American Institute Of
Electrical Engineers; the American
Society of Civil Engineers and the
American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers. He is president Of the En-
ginering Association of tho South
Of the Greater Charlotte Club, and OF
the Commercial Club of Charlotte
But it is not only as an engineer
that he takes his rank but also as
| well rounded conservative business
man. Me Lee is not what might be
called an aggressive man apparently
taking things easily and qcietly, but
by his strong personality he convinces
those with whom he is connected and
with whom he is thrown in contact
eiidl Ills SuSSeSllOIS are Tie pest. L lie
success with which he has met GER
tainly is an evidence of his great
ability. He believes that the work he
has in hand in developing the water
powers is only in its infancy, and
that the developmer. of water power
means the bringing here Of untold in
dustrial enterprises and consequently
the growth and upbuilding Of this en-
tire section. Mr.. Lee is now in Eu-
rope, where he is studying out plans
and getting the benefit Of the most
| improved scientific observations in
connection with the use of electricity
and in the making of commercial fer
tiizers Upon his return here he
will inaugurate a plant along these
lines at Great Falls for the Southern
Power Company.