Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-23

of the business houses Of that town;
Lowryville by practically every citi-
zen Of the place and the Yorkville pc
tition likewise being subscribed to by q
large number Of citizens. .. -
| Mayor John r. Hart, of Yorkville,
speaking on behalf of the extension
said that the relations between the
railroad and its patrons had always
been cordial and friendly, and that the
patrons-at least those in and around
Yorkville did everything they could to
| aid the road. The G. g. NV. receiv-
ed more than half Of the Yorkville
freight business. York and Chester
counties had built most Of the road,
they having subscribed approximately
$500, 900, while all the North Carolina
counties through which the road oper-
ates had subscribed only $4,000. There
being some doubt about the power of
the railroad commission in the prem
ises because Of the interstate COM
merce element involved, Mr.. Hart
thought this difficulty could be obviat-
ed by an order that would require The
operation Of the trains between Bowl
ing Green and Chester. Mayor Hart
argued that the service offered by
mixed trains Nos. go and 81 was un-
satisfactory for various reasons, among
others that 1t threw white and colored
persons together. He was confident
that the proposed extended service
would have the patronage of an aver
age Of five passengers to the mile II
not more to begin with, and as the
convenience Of the service became bet
ter understood, the traffic would in
crease, According to his understand
ing Of the cost of operating trains the
increased cost involved In the desired
new service would be only $79 a month
In addition to the fixed charges and he
felt sure that the receipts would be
sufficient to give profit.
Mr.. ]. H. Glenn, secretary Of the
Chester Commercial club. spoke Of the
impossibility Of people from the north
Of Chester going to and returning from
that city In one day. People from
Lowryville and other points north of
| the town can be seen in Chester ev-
cry day. In order to return home the
same day they use private convey
ances. Chester is the natural trading
point Of q good portion Of territory
through which the c. & NV. runs,
and IL the extra trains were put on so
as to insure return the same day,
Chester's business would be greatly in
creased and he believed 1t would be a
profitable enterprise for both the pa
irons and the road.
| Commissioner Richards inquired of
Mr.. Glenn the reasons the C. & NV.
give for not extending trains and 8
to Chester. Mr.. Glenn replied that the
road claimed the trains would be un-
profitable. #r
| Mr.. Hampton, of the commission
wished to know what the Chester
| Commercial club would do II the rail-
road showed that the trains were
/ Improbable after q years trial.
Mr.. Glenn said that II the additional
freight which would be given the road
In the event Of extending the trains,
did not make up the deficit, he felt
sure that the Chester people would be
quite willing for the railroad to sus-
pend the two trains
| Mayor John R. Hart Of Yorkville,
suggested that were the trains extend
ed to Chester, people at Bowling
Green, Glover, Yorkviile and the other
points along the line would be enabled
to get their mails several hours earlier
on account Of the connection which he
said would be made with Southern
train No. 81 at Gastonia.
Senator Beamguard spoke OF the
many advantages to be derived from
the proposed new trains. 1t was quite
often necessary for people from Glover
and the surrounding country, he said,
| to come to Yorkville for the purpose Of
paying taxes, shopping, etc. The Clo-
yer people would largely patronize the
new trains.
In reply to question Of Mr. Rich
ards, Senator Beamguard said he
| thought that the demand for the SER
vice in South Carolina was as great as
In North Carolina. Many Glover peo-
| pie go to Gastonia to do shopping, etc.,
| on account Of the convenient schedule
i but most of these people he thought,
| would prefer doing business in York.
vile and Chester and II return train
| was available the same day he be-
lieved they would come into this terri
tory.
Mr.. L. T. Nichols, general manager
of the Carolina G. North Western rail-
way, said that the railroad had no
quarrel with the York and Chester
tension Of Nos. and s, and did not
think there would be any quarrel. 1t
was purely a business proposition and
| the railroad did not believe II would
pay them to make the extension. If
the road had been able to see where
the trains would be profitable, the SER
vice would already have been inaugu-
rated. The C. & NV. railway books
| were always open to patrons Of the
road. Nothing was done behind closed
doors and reports were filed with the
| railroad commissioners according to
law and 1t would be easy to see that the
| new train could be run only at dead
loss. Nos. and 8, Mr.. Nichols said,
were run the year round between Le-
noir and Gastonia because the greater
part Of the manufacturing plants along
| the line were between those two points.
Gastonia, Dallas, Lincolnton, Newton,
| Hickory and Lenoir were all large
manufacturing towns, and even then
| the trains, Nos. and paid only in
directly. While Yorkville, Chester and
Glover had cotton mills and other
manufactures, the railroad did not
think that there was enough traffic be-
tween Chester and Gastonia to justify
the extension. 1t would cost 81 cents q
mile in addition to fixed charges to
run Nos. and from Gastonia on to
Chester and five passengers at three
cents a mile would not nearly pay the
cost of operating the trains. Were the
trains given a years trial 1t would cost
the railroad something like $1,000 and
Mr.. Nichols did not think the road
could afford to make such costly ex-
pertinent.
Mr.. Nichols said that trains Nos. Z
and were extended to Edgemont for
two and one-half months in the sum-
mer This was a loss to the road of
approximately $500 per month but
they suffered this loss because they
had faith in the future Of the mountain
country.
In answer to a question Of Mr.. Thos.
F. McDow, as to why the railroad
should keep up the extension to Edge
mont at a loss and not extend the
trains to Chester as an experiment at
loss, Mr.. Nichols said that there was
quite difference between losing ST.
200 or $1,500 for two and one-half
months and losing $1,000 on the Ches-
ter extension when they (the railroad
people) were quite sure that they ex-
tension would not pay. The Edge
mont mountain country was new and
undeveloped, he said, but the c. &
NV. railway had about 65 miles OF
territory in which to draw from In
that section. Great progress was al
ready being made in the hill country
and the section would be Of untold