The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-19
THE RAILROAD SITUATION.
COL. THOMAS WILSON INTEREST
ED IN BUILDING NEW ROAD
TO LAKE CITY VIA
OIIANTA.
Speculation and Surmise Relative to
the Final Working Out OF The Sea-
board's Plans and the Construction
of the Sumter-C Charleston Exten-
sion.

road from Andrews in Georgetown
county TO Charleston, and had Sc
cured from the city OF Charleston a
franchise and the pledge of a right
OF way through the city to the termi-
nails on the water front. which the
Seaboard Air Line and Cllnchfleld
road have owned for several years,
the syndicate on it's part giving a
bond of si50.oOo TO the city OF Char
lesion to have the railroad completed
and in operation within eighteen
months. served to- revive the waning
interest I'm the railroad situation in
Sumter and there has been much in
quiry an TO the prospect OF the extern
sion OF the South Carolina Western
Railroad to Charleston. as was de-
clared to be the plan when the road
was built TO Sumter last year
Many people have jumped to the
conclusion that the building OF tho
Bonsal road TO Charleston from An
drews In equivalent to q positive dec
iarauon that the Seaboard interests
have abandoned for all time the pre-
viously expressed purpose to build
from Sumter TO Charleston and to
make this road the trunk line OF the
system from tho west TO tide-water.
Others. who profess 10 be better in
formed, place no such construction on
the Charleston announcement but. on
the contrary. assert positively that
the Bonsai syndicate IL proceeding
with carefully worked out plans for
the development OF a we'll articulated
railroad system that will open
up new and undeveloped territory and
bring business to the Seaboard sys-
tenn. They claim TO be assured that
the Andrews-C Charleston line is not
an alternative route. adopted In lieu of
the one-time talked Of Sumter Char
lesion line. but merely one part OF the
general plr.. that the syndicate finds
expedient to develop before taking up
the sumter-Charleston line. The
Charleston Northern r. r.. Is a link
In the line that the Seaboard has plan
ned to give that system a through
route from the North to Charleston,
while the line that Is to be built from
Sumter to Charleston will give the
shortest route from the west to tide
water. since the preliminary surveys
show that n line from McI3ee to Char
lesion. via Sumter. In at least twenty
niles shorter than the line from
McBee TO Charleston via Florence and
Andrews. IL In also argued that the
SUMTER Charleston line will intersect
the Andrews-Charleston line at Straw
berry. and the fact that the Andrews
line follows the route via strawberry,
is almost proof positive ehat the orig
inal plan TO build an mir line from
Sumter TO Charleston is merely held
In abeyance. for the time being. and
that the Andrews line Is being built
TO conform to the general plan. 1t
In further said that the recently built
Orangeburg railroad from North. on
the seaboard. to Orangeburg is part
OF plan to build g. through line from
Columbia to Charleston. which will be
shorter than any existing route be-
tween the capital and Charleston. The
Orangeburg road In To be- extended
from orangeburg to Elloree. and
thence southeast To connect with the
Sumter-Charleston line. somewhere
near Furgcson.
All OF this may be mere speculation
or supposition. but there are contri-
buting circumstances that give ground
for belief that the plan will ultimately
within the next two years-work
out somewhat as outlined. IL IL To be
hoped that the plans will materialize.
for Sumter would be benefited and
the country To the south OF us would
be opened up and given facilities that
II has long neeied.
sumter. C:snta. Lake City.
Laying aside speculation and guess
Ing u Is Of more interest to make
an announcement that has substantial
Foundation and is OF probably early
contamination. For several years
there mas been much discussion of the
uesirabiiity OF a railroad from this
city to shiloh and Olantt,. and varl-
Gus plans have been suggested. The
most promising. and the one that for
" tme appeared susceptible of being
carried to success. was the conversion
OF the Belts Lumber road into a COM
mercial railroad and it's extension
from it's present terminus. near Good.
Will. in lower Salem. to Shiloh and
oianta' ana building OF an extension
into this city. in the event THAI the