Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-06-29
Are Railroads injurious to small Towns
and VILLAGES!

the affirmative of the prefIed query was trne. In
vain did we point to the nurishing and villages,
North and Sun,h, which moi only their prosperity
but their VERY existence to Railroads. " "Siop-st"p
-s,nn." inerpos.d lie, " it is something else than
Railroads lha, has made them prosper" In VAIN u1
we cite him the Frightening prospects OF our S"h'h
Carolina villages, Ncwberry. Ab'evlls, Lanret''
Anderson Grcenville Chester, Winsboro and others
:. Oh STOP stop. stop now again he exclaimed
'Ill bet half I'm worth that every one OF Those places
is worse of this day than il was beiure it had anything
to do with Railroads. Bet Why, know 1t" l'u'
Iioy do YOU know it, Colonel! We'll, just know
its obliged 10 be So
What say our brethren Of the Press in the various
Railroad villages of South Carolina 10 this wholesale
,ssrmntinn We would he glad 10 hear their candid
.s,;,u,,.s Of the real benefits which have accrued to
their Respective towns from the attainment ut Kali
road facilities The nnri-rallruar man OF whom we
~ rite Is in many things gentleman of sound, prac
cal Judgment. Bu in this matter he Is sally one
sided and we won!d he glad 10 show l'm some cal
ruaIiuns CT coihclra which might modify ti'e Dei'
Of his views. 1t is nui however for him alone that we
d..ir. the infnnnaliun The public generally would
b. cdilicd thereby. BY comparison o The different
estimates stme valuable truths might he established.
If thnse estimates proved highly favorable 10 Railroad
advantages many such diSseners as our frehu aoo'e
alluded To might he made slauch advocates ol cause
which they are now daily decryins and inJurins I'
on the other hand, they shuud chance TO prove uh-
favorable the lnodgaes Of progress might he partial
IL clus, down i'm time 10 rescue the Stale from great
prcuniary troubles.
Located as we are, in isolated old Edgefeld, our
means of actual observation in this respect are very
limited What omr village would be with n kal'roau
". can only conjecture. But we are fully enabled to
say what it is without 1t is dull, liieess anu
nninteresling place as TO all business purposes 1t Is
fiat, stale and urprolitgbe for all social purposes 1t
is worse than any pen,.up Utira for all purposes oil
general intelligence and wholesome excitement.
mail from below, and one from above, and one IRON
the Last drags itself slowly mp 10 our post office three
times a week. Those who are not two lazy 10 give
up their loang seats in Suivans plaza, or under the
Court House steps, or OH Cugans sill, or III the
Apohccarys shop, hurry up for heir individual shares
OF the old news thus brought to town. Look around
our square and you will four store rooms closed
! Scarcely All average Of five persons day come IN
| from the country TO trade or barter with us. The
\
abominahe credit system which fels far more than II
profits. Oar hotels, however neatly kept will barely
enable their proprieors 10 make the Two ends meet
And 50 on to The end of the chapter. Such is Ege!ield
without Il railroad She could certainly be no worse
with ulle, and might be vastly benefited.
But, as we have remarked, all ,re conld say to this
point would be sci down purely conjcclura There
| Han pdi
daily hear railroad whistles and daily witness railroad
b.>lc 10 COM. with their Candid expressions oil
opinion as TO the proved advantages of this class ol
enterprises. Have your people, as some assert So
overson. The ark as 10 make them sicksn at the very
thought of a raroad Have Your improvements hui
| involved You in debt and difficulties Have your
general Interests been injured Has yonr comfort,
your daily satisfaction been diminished! las The
aggregate wealth of your corporations been decreased
Has your society been injured! Have your schools
been Gu, down! Have your manufacturers been
thrown out Of employment? Do you, in short look
back with regret ,u the days when y"n had no Nail'
road Every one nearly, will smile AT such enquiries;
! they hnvo nmn"t the appearance Of d"ii""r"t" H"%
| Zing. But such is no! our meaning Nrare rs much
in rarnc>, as the nature of the requires us TO be
We want light. We live away off in Il corner, and
tu,rahv dark corner at that If We tell neighbours
that Il Railroad would helpus nut Ul this misty topdi'
~ which wc all feel more less. they lean back i'll
their old Sriil-holloms and ask " what do You know
:bnit it any more than the rest Of u.s." II we tell
item they are dropping behind the age, they turn oil
| with an inrrr,ia!Gis q humph,' much as To say
.who told yun SUI" If We point them 10 the exam
pies ui more energetic towns, they get around it all
hy cxriani;lg. ''ul, they'll soun bust up--tnind ii
they don't" THUS things gu on with u.s. spell lis
hound uS down a newly arrived visitor, or even a
strange dog c.iciiS more animation ani interest from
nur Iualiug c"lcres than any alusi"n whatever 1t
progress \ dish uf scandal would b. exchanged
hv iilrm for :. IIocsrad Of wllnlrsUmc suggestions
All The w!rIr strange In say, Icsc same ornIzrIlS I"
l. .srcId village rsIrcln themselves the very CrlrSlIa'
OF l.r. State Aud thus will they dream on, we lear
un;i ii"y shall awake uny 10 their streets washed
liu gui.ic. their shops rDitng down, AMI IN, rh"'sl
utwralih len among chem repair the evil. AhunS
": fear tins. we yet lnpe better things. There /:
latent energy enough among IN do great things yet
il II could be aroused above the level of nine mill
Plank Road In ai.xiuus hope, let tile awakening br
awaited.
In The mean time. gentlemen editors of the up-conn
,rv give us The statistical facts to your actual pro-
grcsS 1t V Ill make for each Of yUu good editorial
and will enable us present tabular demonstration
wlr may possibly tell with good effect upon this OLD
home Of our affections.