The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-02-07
doubtless be insisted upon by our City

1t should be borne in mind that every
dollars worth of produce, with the cxcep
ton Of what now comes by river and canal,
coming to our city by the Savannah Valley
road, would be Il clear addition to the pres
cnt receipts OF our city, and we would have
an opportunity 10y this new mode of tran
sit, of supplying an immense back country
with goods, wares and merchandise. That
our merchants can enter into competition
with Charleston aud Savannah for this
great trade, OH favorable terms, no one ac-
quaintcd with the energy and enterprise of
our merchants will doubt,
When the Savannah Valley road and its
connections are completed, the amount of
produce and of travel passing over them
TO our city, and the amount of goods re-
turning over the same route will be enor-
nous. 1t must, if Augusta gets one tithc
OF 1t, add immensely to our prosperity
None of that trade, or very little of it,
comes to this city. 1t goes chiefly to Co
lumhia and Charleston, S. G. If the Sa-
vannah Valley road is rot constructed, all
OF that trade will 60 to those two cities,
and will he forever lost to Augusta.
Let us look ut these connections. Tie
Savannah Valley road will pass from Au-
Susta up by Bull Sluicc into Soutl, Caro-
lima, and thence via Woodlawn and Dorns
Mines to Abhcvi!lc and Anderson. The
latter IS the terminus of the great Blue
Ridge Railroad from Knoxville, now i'm
progress, aud certain to he completed i'm
three or four years. A connection at An
dcr>on with the GreenvIle and Columbia
lt;'ilroad, would carry the whole of the i'm
mcnse trade passing from Knoxville and
over the railroads radating from that point
North. West anal South, and seeking II South
Atlantic port, down direct to Columbia and
Charleston, unless we compete for it by the
Savannah Valley road. This latter road
would afford Il route sixty-two miles shorter
to Charleston than that hy Greenvlle and
Columbia. 1t would place Angnsto on the
'lne, when the choice of the markets Of
Augusta, Charleston and Sa:annah would
be afforded the planter and trader This
would inevitably bring produce and trade
through our city, and give our merchants
i" chance OF stopping it here. To do this
we arc willing TO trust 10 their entcrprizc
and tho acknowledged advantages our mar.
kct affords. Without the Savannah Valley
road, they have no chnhcc for this trade
1t is lost TO us inevitably and forever
Now as TO the means. The bona file
subscriptions to the Savannah Valley Road,
after dcducting the State subscription, and
the Hamburg subscription amount now to
about s35O,O0O. This is chiefly from
planters on the lower half of the line
The amount, it may he reasonably calcu.
lated, can be increased to $5OO,OOO. II is
not doubted, that the said proposed Au
gusta subscription would, if made, secure
the additional Sl50,000, from the South
Carolina planters, anxious to he put in
railroad communication with Augusta, but
holding back from want Of conlii"nce in
the achievement. Let Augusta subscribe,
making her subscription contingent upon
other bona .ti1e subscriptions being made
to the amount of S5OO,OOO This being
done, subscription of 81 900 900, in ali.
may he calculated upon with certainty. In
addition, large subscriptions can he relied
upon by those, through or near whose
lands the road will pass, and who desire to
half in stock. This would materially aid
in the construction Of the work. The
100000 with this aid will 60 far to-
wards lis accomplishment.
In addition, let us bear in mind the uni
form experience Of all such cnterprizcs.-
The first blow struck adds strength to a
road i'll popular favor, irnparts confidence
in the result, wins friends and co-orcra:ors,
even from the mass Of the previously in
different and sccptical. A Lcg ginning under
such auspices us we have above indicated,
would be virtually guarantee of sue
cess.
But let us suppose that only 81 900, 900
is secured to start with. This amount will
complete the road to Dorn's. We will
suppose the road will stop there for want
of funds to proceed. Reaching there, n
distance of tl'irty-six miles form Augusta,
i will he onl twenty miles fiom the Green
vile and Columbia Railroad. 1t is conf
IDENTIFY believed that this gap will be closed
by the citizens of that portion of South
Carolina, interested i'll u connection with
Augusta.
This route, then would give to Augusta
all the advantages she could promise her
self from the proposed Edgeficld and Co.
lunbla Road. In one respect, at least it
would have superior recommendations, for
it could tap the Blue Ridge Railroad trade
above Columbia and bring it hero by a
nearer route.
But the road once in fair way of COM
pletion to Dorn's, it would he unreasona-
hIe to doubt its final completion, to Able
vile twcnty-six and to Anderson fifty-four
miles.
There are conditions and restrictions which
it would be competent and eminently
proper for Augusta TO attach to her sub
scnption. These we do not undertake here
to detail. They will not escape the sa-
gacity of the constituted authorities. They
should see well to the mode Of raising the
money and Of its expenditure, and to the
privileges and restrictions under which the
contemplated Road should enter and pass
through her corporate domain.
An abundant caution may counsel Au-
gusta not to commit herself TO this enter
prize, to the large amount proposed, until
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