The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-04-20
We GeOrgians.

built Tor a SPECIFIC purpose, nut De
fore that purpose was accomplished,
adverse circumstances occurred. over
which we had no control, and the
railroad was leased TO foreign corpo-
ration. says the Augusta Herald. But
the wisdom OF our forefathers in con-
structing the railroad at a cost Of
about S4,OO0,OOG was fully justified, in
that II pays a handsome rental on the
amount of the investment, which is
sS5, 900 per month. or 100000 per
year
But the original intention of the
builders Of the states railroad was not
carried out. Their purpose was pri-
marily to complete II from its termi-
nus, In direct line to Savannah.
They had already begun to operate it;
two engines were hauled 68 miles
through the country and placed upon
its tracks. The Georgia railroad from
Augusta and the Macon and Western
railroad from Macon were subsequent
ly completed, giving the states rail
road connection to those two Georgia
cities. At Augusta It had both water
and rail connection to Savannah; at
Macon It had rail connection to Sa.
vannah. So, their purpose being par
TALLY carried out, and there being
no immediate cause for haste. they
allowed their plans to remain in abey-
ance. while they busted themselves in
operating the line to the Tennessee
river, and in solving the problem of
the new science OF railroading.
The Confederate war came on at
this juncture And in its train the
era of reconstruction, with carpet bag
gers and scalawags galore. With the
chaotic conditions incident to the war.
with the state treasury looted and
depleted. and with its tracks torn up
and its rolling stock run down, the
states railroad found great difficulty
in making ends meet 1t may be sup
posed that ii had the time of its life,
bringing buckle and tongue together,
with tracks torn up and rails twisted
around the trees that grew by the way
side.
In these circumstances, the states
railroad was leased for S25, 900 per
month. This moderate rental may have
have been good makeshift, in view
of the fact that Georgia was unde-
veloped and the further fact of an
empty treasury and impaired credit.
AT any rate, II was thought to be
good trade. all things considered. but
the biggest thing considered then was
the uncertainty of things in general,
particularly the dearth of revenue with
which TO rehahilitate the finances of
the state bordering on bankruptcy, by
reason of the effects of a devastating
war coupled with the more serious Of
fects of the riot of pillage and plumber
of the reconstruction period There
fore. the temporary makeshift of leas,
ing the states railroad for $4,000 per
month might nave been a good thing,
as no man could foresee the outcome
OF the conditions then prevailing, But
the lease met with bitter opposition.
This, then, is how the amount came
to be fixed at $4,000 per month.
When the old lease expired and a new
lease was made, this amount was TAX.
en- To figure on MS a basis for the new
lease 1t was shown that the traffic
OF the railroad had increased enor,
mously, and that its capacity was
taxed TO the utmost 10 handle the i'm
mense tonnage. but ali the same they
only offered raise of $4,000 per
month, and this amount was accepted.
making $500 per month that the les
sees are now paying Whenever il
comes to making the worse appear the
better cause, or getting something for
nothing, they are there by an over
whelming majority. So when the
question of making new lease came
heforethe legislature, the men who rep
resented the people of Georgia, in leas-
ing the states railroad, they could
only hide their diminished heads and
accept what was given them which
was $4,000 per month,