Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-09-28
From the Charleston Mercury.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS AND TIE NEXT
IEGISIATURE


INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS AND TIE NEXT
LEGISLATURE.
The" Spartan" exhibits singular want of
historical accuracy in charging upon the Blue
Ridge Company the SURVEYS or estimates said
to have been made by Col. Brown. Of these,
The Company are entirely ignurant, nor do We
remember 10 have seen the report. Perhaps
this survey is the same rs Col. Barnes. In that
case, the Blue Ridge Company are also entirely
free from all responsibility for it, and the errors
ii MAY have contained. They never did, on any
OCCASION, or on the authority of any one, either
assert, or give countcnance TO the supposllon,
that the Road (l39 or $50 mesl could be con-
slrucird for Sl,750,000 If this WAS Col. Bar-
ness estimate, 1--WE do not remember what his
estimate s)al participation in or responsibili.
ty for it, was expressly discIaimed by the Com.
pany, in advance, even before his report was
given to the public On the 18th of Nov, 1852.
Mr.. Gourdin, the President, and Commitee Of
the Board, made communication to the City
Council of Charleston, and stated that corps
of Engineers from the South Carolina Railroad
were then engaged in surveying the route, under
the direction and control of the President of the
Blue Ridge Company. That the Engineers of
the Greenville Railroad had also made Il survey,
hut not under the DIRECTION of this Company.
This communication appeared at the lime in the
Charleston papers, and was afterwards printed
on Il separate sheet and copies sent 10 every
member of the Legislature. There are, there
fore, no grounds whatcver for attaching 10 the
Directors Of the Blue Ridge Company any share
of responsibility for lhe'eslimal sof $lI50OOO,
referred to by the Spartan: The first estimate
put forth by them is the one founded on the
above survey by the Engineers of .ths South
Carolina Railroad, and is embraced IN the report
of Col. Lylhgoe to Presidcnta afoirdin, publish
ed in the Charleston Megcufy on the 23d Nov,
1852 The length of the Road is there stated
to be I47 miles, and the cost of The II miles
from anderson 10 The North Carolina line, is esiI-
mated at S3,276249. This is widely different
from SJ,750.0O0 per $50 miles; and indeed, the
wonder is, that such 4 sum as this should ever
have been deemed by any one equal TO the con-
slruclion of $50 miles of road through the reSl.
on from Anderson to the N. G. and Georgia line.
The iron alone for Road of this length, " con-
Slructcd in n permanent manner" would cost
from y to 100000 dollars: and it is us unjust
to the memory of Col. Brown to charge him
with such Il statement, as it to the Blue Ridge
r. r. Co., to make it the basis of Il comparison
with its estimates of 1853. 1t is clearly seen
that the Blue r Company never participated in
this unaccountabc error, Yet the Spartan says.
"the same Road which, $50 miles long, could
have been built for Sl,75O,OO0 in 1852 would
have cost in 1853 (afttr being reduced in length
II miles,) S6OOO,0OO;" and it is Significantly
asked what would it cost in 1882" The in
crease in the estimate WAS not S 100000 to S6.
100000 but S3.276,000 to S6.no0,oU0. And
the Spartan says This was for the same Roat
and that reduced l miles in length. The read
pr must be overwhelmed with astoHslIment TO
perceive that so very far is this from being truc
that the sum of $3,276,O0O was the estimate
for II miles only-that is from Anderson to the
North Carolina line; while $6o00,00O WAS the
estimate for the 147 miles, from Anderson to
the Tennessee line. 1t may be supposed that
these facts were never clearly stated to the pub.
lie. There is no such cxtcnualion for these in
cxrusabe errors. They admit Of no defence.
A few DAYS after the publication already cited,
the Legislature assembled December 1922
and the President and Directors madc"a slate
mcnt TO the Committee of Ways and Means Of
the House &C." and furnished numerous copies
of it to the members. Upon this statement was
founded the report of the Committee Of Ways
and Means adopted by the Honse, recommend
ing the aid of $2,O00.000. Beth these doru-
mcnts states distinctly that the estimate cost Of
the So miles of Road in South Carolina WAS in
round numbers, S2,5OO.O0O, and for the / miles
in Georgia, tile further sum Of 100000, MAX
ing together an aggregate of S3.5OO,00o for
these II miles. At the last Session (on the
18th of Dccrmber.) President Gourdin, in 4
communication to the Committee on Agriculture
and Internal improvements of the Senate, which
was printed and furnished 10 the members Of
both Houses, gave the following estimates as
the result of new and more perfect surveys
made by the Chief Engineer of the Company,
and his first assistant viz:
SOL miles in South Carolina $2,3S5.l10
II miles in Georgia $4,000