The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-02-05

bridges amounted to 5ff7,S66.63, or
an average Of S1,57181 for each coun-
ty along our lines. Every dollar paid
to the Southern Railway for transpor-
tation charges thus includes also a
substantial contribution to the main
tenance of the public highways Of the
South and is an indirect but none the
less real public support of the pro-
gressive movement for good and bet
ter roads.
l have referred to the Impractical
bility of determining the amounts OF
interest and dividends paid to hold
ers of securities living along the line
of the road. We know, however, that
large percentage of our population
have a very real though indirect per-
sonal interest in these securities even
though they may never have seen a
railroad bond or stock certificate.
There are few families in the South
who do not hold an insurance policy
Of some sort; either an assurance on
life or against the risk of fire. The
invested funds of the great insurance
companies are, therefore, matter OF
vital concern to the Southern people,
and in large measure, are their own
assets held in trust for their benefit.
We find that the chief insurance COM
canies report their holding of securi-
ties of the Southern Railway System,
including terminal bonds on which the
Southern is joint guarantor, aggre'
eating more than eighty million dol
lars. In that great fund, the integri-
ty of which depends upon the con-
tinued solvency of the Southern Rail-
way lines, the Southern people have
vital proprietary interest, an inter
est which, as they realize 1t, should
be to them a constant spur to protect
themselves by maintaining, as they
can and will, the basis of Southern
Railway credit.
assert with confidence that the
facts to which l have called your at
tention are full warrant for the claim
that in a very real sense the South
ern Railway belongs to the people OF
the South; so much so that its annual
reports might more properly be ad-
dressed ITO the People Of the South"
to advise you of the results Of the
management of your property, for
today it belongs more to you than it
does to the stockholders. More than
this, it's management is and always
has been devoted to the interests OF
the South. It's officers are mostly
Southern-born men and those who
were not born in the South have
been here long enough to become
identified with our interests, our pc
culiarities, our responsibilities, our
prejudices, and our aspirations as a
people; they talk the same language
as the people of the South. l look
forward to the time when there may be
more Southern men sitting on our
Board of Directors, where I know
! that they will be welcome.
AS an organization then, the South
ern Railway, with full appreciation
of, and acquiescence in, the present
tendency of public sentiment as to
what a railway is and should be-
stands pledged to the Southern peo'
ple and is proud to declare itself one
of their own institutions. AS such it
invites the Southern people to help
it to become more and more tfeir
efficient servant and at the same
time the object Of their pride and af
fection. They need have no fear OF
its future if it has their confidence.
trust you will permit me to take
this occasion to say finally word
of a personal nature: I believe in the
South and our Southern people with
all my heart and soul. have given
most of the years of my manhood
to an earnest, though subordinate
part in an effort to realize high pui%
pose of promoting the regeneration