Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-02-27
THE KNOXVILLE REGISTEI AND ooh
RAILROADS.

tho several proposed railroad projects in western souh
Carolina:
"We observe a controversy Is being carried on
through the columns Of The Augusta papers, re)atve
tUlhs proper terminus of the railroad prelected irnn
that city, and designed to lap the line OF the hnoase
and Cha rIeston road. The Two points IN questIon
70 Anir rsoh and Edgefed 8. c. If The people OF
Ibis section could have choice in the matter, they
could point the citizens Of Augusta TO very we'ghy
argument in favor Of Anderson, in the fact that py
making an outlet at Anderson, from the Blue hidge
rad 10 Aueaia, much Of lie trade that VIII necess"
fiy- pass over Ihat'road woud TINS md an easier ae
cess TO market at Augusta and Savannah; whereas,
as APPEARS 10 us, il the Augusta road he taken down
10 Edcsfsld all such trade will Of necessity 60 e1ea-
sisely to Charleston. This road is one OF conslGeta
BILE importance TO the people Of this portion OF the
country, in as much it would shorten the route 10
Augusta about one hundred miles"
The extract shows one thing very conclusre!y: il is,
that the Register knows little nothing of the mat
ter he is writing about Edgefeld is not a "point in
question: as the terminus Of railroad projected
from Augusta - neither there any contest for that
position between Anderson and Edgefeld, or between
Anderson and any other point. On the contrary
Anderson is looked to as being virtually The upper ter
minus Of The Edge6eld Us we'll as of the Savannah
Valley project. true, the Edgefeld road will not
reach higher point than the neighborhood OF New
market in Abbeville District; but there it will unite
with the Greenville g. Columbia road which courses
right on 10 Anderson c. H. Thus Anderson becomes,
TO all n,en,s and purposes, our upper terminus; and
the expected Rabun Gap trade will by that connection,
flow down our road just as certainly as If our own
track were continued alongside the GreenVile q
Columbia track from Newmarket oil the way through
to Anderson.
Again, the Register apprehends that If the road
were run down 10 Augusta by the way OF Edgeheld
c. H., all the trade by it "would Of necessity go to
Charleston" Does our Kpoxsillc brother know tho
location of EdgefeId Court House! He speaks as
though it were somewhere entirely out Of the way,
perhaps in the latitude Of Orangebnrg; Whereas he
will find, by examining The map of South Carolina,
that to go from Anderson 10 Augusta by this place
requires very little curving TO the East than the
route ria Lowndesville and DoRNs mine would 10 the
West The actual difference in distance, even with
the angle now made by the Anderson branch Of the
G. g. C. road, is scarcely three miles; and we know
of no why it could not be made still less in
time by cuttrg off that angle.
But the Knoxville editors conviction appears to he,
that If once train freghied with produce from be.
yond the Rabun gap gets rs low down in the dlrec'
,ion of Charleston Edgefed, must inevitably con-
tinue its course directly Charleston Why so! Firs,
and foremost, connecting link would have to be built
from Aiken; which might ur might not he done.
Grant though that this link is to he built. What
then! When carloads Of the valuable products of
our great Interior shall over into South Caro
ma by the Blue Ridge railroad, they will not come
like travellers with carpebags in hand TO choose their
direction according to the whim Of the moment. Their
destination will be fixed at the outset. If they are
loaded for Charleston to Charleston they will go; il
for Augusta or Savannah, then will they bo empiisd
ou, in those cities; if for Columbia of course Colum
bia will be the recipient. The building Of railroad
down the Savannah Valley will doubtless subserve .
useful end in carrying portion Of the Rabun-Gap
trade to Augusta. But it is idle to suppose that it is
to diminish the portions Of either Columbia or Char
leston If the latter city that such was to be the
result can it be doubted that she would immediately
awake to the business Of constructing direct road
from Aiken toward Anderson in her own defencei !
And does not every one know that such road could
be built easily and that it would create current Of
trade with which neither the outlet by the way Of
LowndesviIle nor any other outlet could in any wise
contend! But if road were built from New Market
ria Edgefeld village to Augusta, there would be no
earthly probability Of any sdch competition being
set on foot By Charleston. She would be satisfied
with branch from our road TO Aiken, knowing that
thus at small cost sbs would certainly command her
legitimate quota of the Rabun-Gap trade. And still
the main trunk of our road would lead to Augusta
aordng that city and Savannah every opportunity Of
advantage that any energetic and enterprisng people
could n.k for,-every facility in fact that they could
derive through any other channel.
There is another suggestion that may hero be made
In all railroad enterprises is the part Of wisdom to
consider we'll the probability Of profits to the company
II is too often the that this consideration is left
entirely in the background; while the whole atten-
ton Of stock holders is directed to the necessity Of
muniiicent expenditures for the attainment of some
underlined magnificent ends. True prudence, we re-
peat, puints to different policy, teaching us that with
all our gettings should seek To get speedy return
in cas, upon our investments. In this view, We are
prepared 10 uphold the projected Edgefeld and Angus
tn road of equal promise with any work of The kind
in any part of the country. 1t will be cheap Of con-
struction only so miles in length, admirably located
for way trade and travel, certain Of the bulk Of the
Blue Ridge business and exactly adapted to draw to
its support very large End wealthy portion of South
Carolina. There will be no expensive oEshoots re-
quired to its prosperity and success. We have
bu, TO build the strait road 10 New-Market, and the
work is dune There will be no waiting for profits
until q business is created. The business already
awaits the road. He who doubts this will please
qnire as To the fertility and wealth Of all the Cam.
bridge and Saludn side Of Edgefrd, of Newbery, Of
Abbeville of Laurens and the other upper districts
He will please ask where the great mass Of this popu.
lalion desire TO trade, and the answer will assuredy
be: "If we could attain the proper facilities, Augusta
il our preference by odds" II only the other day
that we heard Of an old and highly intelligent planter
of Laurens saying that he would himself subscribe ten
thousand dollars to the Edge6ed and Augusta road.
This is the feeling in all that scope Of country. And
urge the assertion, that Augusta will prove herself
blind to her interests if she fail TO seize this best
and, in truth, only feasible method Of securing the
superb business which would accrue to her from the
lucrative custom of several lhouaand South Carolina
planters.
We beg to say in The conclusion OF this article, that
while advocating our Edgefield route we are by no
means inimcal to the Savannah valley enterprise. lie,
that road be built if prudent policy shall decide.
But in the name of all that is rational and practical,
let no. the EdsOfeld and Augusta railroad remain IN.
built.
GOOD ADVICE.
LET every young gentleman and lady, every old
gentleman and lady, the boys and the girls and all read
the following excellent advice upon the subject Of cor