The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-07-26
PRESIDENT BONSAL HERE.
AIR LINE CONNEC-
TION \ CERTAINTY.
survey OF Route Will Begin at Once
and Work Will be Under Way at
an Early Datc-Ninc Capitalists
Accompany Mr.. BOnSaI.

Mr.. w. r. Bonsal, president OF
the South Carolina Western Railroad
and promoter Of the several other
railroads that connect the Saabn4rd
Air Line with a number Of towns
in the eastern part Of this state ac .
2ompan'ed by Mr. W. \. Moncure.
chief engineer, ana nine capitalists.
representing some Of the largest
iank" and trust companies Of Balti-
more, Philadelphia and Boston. ar
rived in the city yesterday afternoon
on special train, and after con-
ference, lasting less than an hour.
with Messrs r. /. Manning, Neill
O'Donnell, w. H. Ingram and II. 7
McLaurin, j., Of the committee rep
resenting the Chamber Of Commerce.
left for BishOpville and Hart.ville in
automobiles to go over the route of
the railroad that is to be built via
BlshopVille to this city.
Mr.. Bonsal confirmed the accep-
tance of his proposition 10 build the
road into sumter, and informed the
committee that the survey Of the
route of the rOad would be started
Within th2 next few day ana that
active construction would be COM
menccd as soon - the permanent
line was located and the rights of
way secured. 1t will he necessary to
survey two or more preliminary
lines before the permanent route can
be located and this will, Of course.
take several weeks. No time will ba
wasted, however, and Chief Engineer
Moncure will return to this city early
next week and will make his head
quarters here for several weeks To-
eating the line into and out Of town
and making a careful investigation
bility Of the several available term
inaI sites.
The last element Of doubt concern
ing the coming Of the Seaboard has
been removed and it is needless for
any interested citizen Of Sumter to
continue asking, rs the SeahOard
coming to Sumter?"
Mr.. BonsaI has decided to build
the road at once, and is is as certain
as any human undertaking can be
that the road will be in operation
into this city within the next six or
spared to complete the road on or
before January 1st.
The representatives Of the banks
and trust companies, who accompan-
led Mr.. Bonsal. were here for the
purpose of inspecting the country
through which the road will pass
with view Of furnishing money re-
quired to build and equip the road.
The institutions which they repre-
sent have heretofore financed the
railroad enterprises promoted by Mr..
BonsaI and his associates, and it goes
without saying that there will be no
difficulty in obtaining all the money
needed to build and equip the Sum-
ter and Bishopville line.
AS to the extension Of the road to
Charleston in the immediate future
no information has been obtained,
but the fact that Mr. Bon
sal required right of way
through the city and two miles
south indicates that the road will not
stop here. If it does not go to
Charleston, where will it go?
Mr.. d. w. Alderman, president Of
the Alcolu road. was in the city to
meet the committee at the same
time that Mr.. Bonsal did, but the
result Of his conference was rot
made public. 1t can be asserted.
however, that it is practically n GER
tainty that the AlcOlu railroad will
be extended into Sumter and will he
running trains here TO connect with
he Seaboard almost rs soun as that
road reaches this place.