| From the Memphis Appeal |
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| September 12, 1862 |
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| Railroad Convention |
| The Columbia South
Carolinian furnishes the following report of the most important part
of the business transacted by the railroad convention which assembled in
that city on Thursday, 4th instant: |
| The railroad companies
represented in the convention have an aggregate length of completed
roads of 3,528 miles in extent. There are in the States of Alabama,
Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia, all of
which were represented by their several presidents or superintendents.
From this State, the Central, Southwestern, Muscogee, Macon & Western
and Atlantic railroads were represented. Mr. John Caldwell, of the South
Carolina railroad, was president, and Messrs. S. G. Jones and A. L.
Tyler were secretaries of the convention. The business of the convention
was disposed of with railroad speed. A report was adopted recommending
that for the transportation of soldiers on furlough, and discharged
soldiers, two cents per mile on main lines, and three cents per mile on
side roads, should be charged -- commissioned officers on furlough to
pay full fare. |
| On freight, the rate offered
by the government was adopted, to-wit: 1st class, 65 cents per 100
pounds per 100 miles; 2d class, 20 cents 3d class $20 per car load; 4th
class, $15 per car load. If carried on passenger train, the rates to be
increased 50 per cent. Each road to adopt and publish its own
regulations in relation to the carriage of dead bodies. |
| A report was made recommending
that two establishments for the rolling of railroad iron and the
manufacture of supplies be erected: one near the iron and coal region of
Alabama, and the other on Deep river in North Carolina and Virginia to
join in the erection of the work on Deep river, and the companies in the
other States to join as far as possible in the erection of the other;
and as the government has taken possession of all the coal, iron, brass,
copper, tin, tools, etc., and all the mechanical skill of the country,
that application be made in the name of the convention to the
government, requesting that such articles may be supplied at cost to any
company that may truly need them. |
| The following resolutions were
also adopted, when the convention adjourned: |
| Resolved unanimously by
this convention, That our best endeavors for the future, as in the
past, shall be given to the Confederate government in the transportation
of troops and government property, and we hereby respectfully request
the President of the Confederacy to issue an order that officers of the
government shall not interfere with the loading or running of trains, as
our experience has been that such interference has heretofore resulted
both in detriment to the government and to the road. |
| Resolved further, That
Dr. Lewis, representing the government in this convention, is requested
to bring the above resolution to the notice of President Davis, and to
solicit his prompt action in the premises. |
| Resolved, That in
making schedules in future, time shall be given, suitable watering
places, for soldiers and other passengers to obtain water, and that it
shall be the duty of conductors to have it announced to the passengers
on all the trains upon arriving at those places, that the train will
stop ---- minutes for the purpose of obtaining water. |
| Resolved, That the
rates reported and adopted this day go into operation on the 1st proximo. |
|