The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-07-19
WANT A. q. L.aSrAfI0N IMPROVED
Chamber or Commerce Will Fake up
a. Matter With Railroad Commission.

tends to start work giving this city the
long promised Improvements at its
passenger station in Sumter, it is re-
ported that there will be something
doing at this end of the line to get the
railroad commissioners to grant
hearing to Sumter people regarding a.
union passenger station for this city.
The City Council and Chamber Of
Commerce have been meeting with
and corresponding with President j.
r. Kenly Of the Coast Line railroad
company ana his engineers for several
years (since 1919 about the enlarge
ment Of its passenger depot, building
of sheds, putting down of concrete
walks and driveways. better lighting
facilities, widening of space between
tracks and additional tracks, the set
ting aside of a portion Of the park on
the western side Of the depot, running
around from Telephone street on the
Harvin street side, and coming out
again at intersection Of Telephone and
Harvin streets as an automobile drive
way, and the closing Of Hauser street
crossing so that the railroad can run
their trains far enough eastward to
warrant building train shed and cut
ting trains in half. and other improve
ments wanted and promised.
The city entered into an agreement
whereby the Hauser street crossing
might be closed so that the proposed
shed or sheds together with concrete
walks might be put in provided the
railroad opened up q new street not
less than fifteen or twenty feet in
width between Telephone and Mag
|nolia street and provided further that
the Sumter Electrical Company would
give five feet additional width for a
sidewalk, and other considerations on
tho part OF the railroad company. ~
This was on July 18th, 1914, that
the Coast Line submitted the final
plans for approval of the city and the
Chamber of Commerce directors for
certain improvements. ~
Nothing. however. was done towards
the erection Of the sheds but the
street has been opened, the train
yard better drained and cheap, tenn
porary granite screening placed
around the train yard and walks to
better muddy conditions.
On August 1st, 1914. the great Eu-
ropean war with it's consequent tenn
porary world wide financial and indus
trial depression broke loose.
The transportation lines were hard
hit and faced bankruptcy.
On October %. 1914, President
Kenly sent Assistant Chief Engineer
j. e. Willoughby here to ask for all
extension Of time for improvements
until industrial and financial activities
resumed normal conditions. This was
agreed to at a joint meeting of City
Council and several Of the officers OF
the Chamber with Mr.. Willoughby at
the Office Of Mayor Jennings, as it was
shown by Mr.. Willoughby and Col.
Thomas Wilson, president of the
Northwestern Railway company, that
the railroads were in rather desper-
ate financial condition at that time
and likely to continue so until the cot
ton market opened up, and fertilizers
tcould be sold and shipped.
But now that times are about as
prosperous with the railroads as they
have ever been, if not more so, it
seems that the Coast Line railroad
company ought to begin to put in
those much promised improvements
which were guaranteed when that
union passenger station bill was tenn
porarfiy sidetracked in the legislature
during January, 1914, providing that
Coast Line passenger station i'm
provements were rushed, and such a
depot provided as would avoid the ne
cossity for the time being Of union
passenger station, it being argued at
that time that the Coast Line sys-
tenn of seven out of nine lines enter
ing Sumter handled ninety per cent.
o. the passenger business.
Secretary Reardon has requested
that opportunity be given President
Kenly to do something or say definite
ly when he will start work on the de-
pot improvements before any of Sum-
ter's citizens appeal to the railway
commissioners.
President Kenly has been written to
by the commercial organization sec
retary, and requested to say some-
thing right away. There is some talk
of inducing at least two candidates to