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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

OFFICE OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS,

COLUMBIA, S. C., October 16, 1889.

To His Excellency JOHN PETER RICHARDSON,

Governor of the State of South Carolina : DEAR SIR: We have the honor of transmitting to you, to be laid before the General Assembly, our Annual Report as Railroad Commissioners.

Respectfully,

M. L. BONHAM, Chairman,
D'ARCY P. DUNCAN,

Commissioners.

EUGENE P. JERVEY,

M. T. BARTLETT, Secretary.

ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT.

To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives:

The Board of Railroad Commissioners have the honor to submit their Eleventh Annual Report herewith.

REPORTS FROM RAILROAD COMPANIES.

Annual Reports have been received from all the Railroads in the State which have been in operation more than a year, and your attention is called to the statistical tables of same, published elsewhere in this Report.

NAMES AND MILEAGE OF RAILROADS IN THE STATE.

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Blackville, Alston, and Newberry Railroad......
Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway.....
Carolina, Cumberland Gap, and Chicago Railway.
Carolina, Knoxville, and Western Railway.
Central Railroad of South Carolina.......

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........

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Charleston, Cincinnati, and Chicago Railroad...... 149
Charleston and Savannah Railway....

107.5

102.5

90.5

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Green Pond, Walterboro, and Branchville R. R....

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Spartanburg, Union, and Columbia Railroad........ 68
Wilmington, Chadbourn, and Conway Railroad... 39.17
Wilmington, Columbia, and Augusta Railroad...... 192
Wilson and Summerton Railroad...

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68 25.17

124

15

15

2,084.13

June 30, 1888..

1,913.92

170.21

2,093.78

An increase of.....

Since the 30th of June 9.65 miles have been opened, making the total number miles October 1, 1889,

A greater number of miles than have ever before been built in South Carolina in one year. This record shows the fallacy of the arguments used by many, viz., that the existence of a Railroad Commission within a State prevents the building of Railroads, and thus retards the prosperity of such a section of the country.

CONDITION OF ROADS.

The steady improvement in the physical condition of the roads in South Carolina, as alluded to in our last Report, has continued, and your attention is called to the following synopsis of general improvement, also to the report of inspection of each road published elsewhere.

STEEL RAILS.

There have been relaid with steel rails during the past year 127.44 miles of track. To this add the new mileage laid with steel, 170.21 miles, and there is shown the large total of 297.65 miles of steel rail laid during the past fiscal year.

BALLAST.

The improvement in ballasting the roads with better material continues, and during the past year many additional miles of track have been put in good condition in this particular.

CROSS TIES.

On most of the roads very particular attention is paid to this portion of the track, and improvement and renewing of same continues, as indicated in former Reports.

BRIDGES AND TRESTLES.

There has been a marked improvement in bridges and trestles during the past year--no less than 1,969 feet of iron truss and girder bridges and iron viaducts having been built during that period, part of which replaced wooden structures.

EQUIPMENT.

The equipment in both passenger and freight departments continues to be improved, and the Commission notes with pleasure the introduction (particularly on the Richmond and Danville system) of a large number of freight cars equipped with air brakes and automatic couplers.

CASUALTIES.

During the past year the casualties have increased-fifty-one having been killed and one hundred and eighty-three injured. Eight were killed from causes beyond their control, and forty-three by reason of their own carelessness or negligence. No passenger was killed from any fault on the part of a railroad.

CIRCULARS.

The following has been issued by the Commission during the past year:

[Circular No. 16.]

OFFICE OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS,
COLUMBIA, S. C., September 28, 1889.

From October 1st to November 30th, 1889, the rates on Acidulated Rock, Tankage, Blood, Fishscrap, and Sulphur will be 75 per cent. of current Fertilizer rates on all Railroads in this State.

By order of the Board.

M. T. BARTLETT, Secretary.

M. L. BONHAM, Chairman.

I cannot consent to the foregoing Circular, as, in my opinion, the selection of Acidulated Rock (one out of many products of Phosphate Rock), to be transported at a reduced rate, constitutes, in law, a discrimination. Should the Circular be made to read: "All products of Phosphate Rock, Tankage," &c. ; or, "all commercial fertilizers," &c. (and I do not see why we should not include Kainit and all other ingredients entering into the manufacture of fertilizers), I will consent to same, although in my judgment the issuance of such is neither particularly in the interest of the Railroads, nor of very much benefit to the

consumer.

Charleston, S. C., September 27, 1889.

EUGENE P. JERVEY,
Railroad Commissioner S. C.

CAPITAL STOCK.

Capital stock of railroads as far as reported....... ...... $21,149,696 58

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The total income of year ending June 30, 1889, shows

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The Commission, under amendment to the Railroad Law of December, 1888, viz., G. S., Section 1451a and 14516, re-arranged and amicably adjusted the local rates of freight within the limits of the State. This re-adjustment was somewhat delayed in consequence of a call issued by the Interstate Railroad Commission, asking for a conference in Washington, D. C., of all the State Railroad Commissions, to be held on March 5th, 1889, to ascertain what (if anything) could be done towards harmonizing the work of the various Commissions and the Interstate Commission, particularly in the following items: Unification of freight classification.

Harmony in State legislation.
Uniformity in statistical reports.

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