Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-09-05
VOL. IX.--N0. 6.

ness OF thus rock which at first sight would
appear to be a serious disadvantage to the
work, is really the reverse. In nearly all
ifnot all of the larger tunnels of the coun-
try, the material has been such as to re-
qWrc artificial support by arching. In the
Kmgwood Tunnel (41l2 feet on the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad, nc estimated
cost of archiug in 1854, was about S17O,-
600; and the actual cost, including tenn
porary tracks and detention of travel has
probably exceeded this sum In the Stump
House tunnel, there is thus far no appre-,
honsion, from the indications of the work
done, that arching will ever be required
The tunnel was commenced by the firm
of Bangs & Co, in Dcccmber, 1858, but
up to April lst, 1856, had progressed so
slowly and unsatisfactory that for this and
other we'll known causes, their contract was
nnulled. The work has since been reIet
under Col. Walter Gwynn, Chief Engineer
to Geo Collyer q Co., Contractors ofmany
years experience i'll tunnel work, chiefly
IN England. A commencement was made
undcr this contract about July, 1856, but
several months necessarily passed before the
requisite machinery could be brought on
and put up. Notwithstanding these de-
lays, the tunnel work done under the new
contract exceeds thrice thaS done previous
! ly. The work is now, and has been for
some time past, in complete working order
The cost of the Stump-house tunnel (and
of the Blue Ridge railroad) has been com
mented upon by some who are evidently
not familiar with the character OF the work.
and the ease with which its apparently in
surmountable difficulties are ovcreolne--
The intention, as announced, is to build Il
first-class road Many works are started
upon low cstimatcs-to be chcaply finished,
opened, run year on two, and then re
built-wth frequent Interruptions of tray
cl, and occasional accidents, and with loss
| of life; to the regret of the stockholders
that permanent work was not put up in the y
first instance, when the expenditure would
have been less.
But in connection with the cost, should
be considered the benefit accruing to the
State from the construction of the Blue
Ridge Railroad Its future, beyond a GER
tain point, may be matter of conjecture;
but the results attending its progress thus
far, will probably surprise many. These
results arc either directly beneficial, in the
increased value Of property, or indirectly,
in the development of new branches of in
dustry due to the work The most impor-
tant Of the lattoris the powder manufacture.
One powder mill has been in operation, on
Tunnel Hill, for the past year A second
(Col Jno. a. Eoslcy near Pickcns G III,
is nearly completed. More will be needed;
and the time may come when this manu-
tacture will be of even more importance to
the State than at present Several other
mills, grain and lumber, and tannerics have
been built within two years past And in
the German settlement of Walhalla, (6
miles from the ,TunncD most of the me
chanlcal trades arc carried on, on spot
which five years since was tract of wood
land.
The advance of property is even more
/ striking, as will be seen from the annexed
comparative statement of the value of stock,
I provisions and laborin 1850 (about the time
the surveys were commonced) and in 1857:
1850. lS57-August.
Horses S5000to 60 SSO.0O to l0G. 90
Mules 5000 to 100 100.OOtol5U. 90
Oxen, per yoke 1000 to % 50.00to ca. 90
! Cows, 10 to 5000 to 26.0U
! Sheep OOIo to - Loo to 200
Beef, Ito cts perlb OU.O4 to OO.O5
Pork, to cts. per Id -- to Door
I, Wheat, G2 to Is cts. per bushcl LOO to l.l5
Corn, 40 cts. per bushCl
Oats, 25 cts. per bushel 90 ST to 00. 50
lIuttor, 10 cts. per lb. 0D.l5 to O0.2O
! White labor, 80 cts per diem - to / 60
Negro labor, So toS1Oper month - to 1000
This increase is chiefly due to the mar
ket afforded by the railroad; for 1850 there
was no cash sale for most Of tho articles
quoted, The reverse is now the case; at
least 70 per cent. of the money paid out in
The construction of the road remains in the
State.
The advance in real estate has been in
tluenced somewhat by the rapid growth of
Walhallv but even that is dependent upon
the railroad, The sales of land near the
road Gas far as can be asccrtainod) show an
increased value of from 200 to $50 per
cent. More distant it is less; but all whom
| have consulted, agree in estimating tho
Eayerage increase forthe entire district, from
1850 to 1851, at from 80 to 100 per cent.
The census of 1850, gave for Pickcns
district, 98,206 acres of improved land,
Ii474,756 acres of ummprovod land, and
l'Sl ,708, ,636 value with improvements and
among other products, 433,99S bushels of
corn Apply TO these figures such Increase
of valuation as the cautious estimate would
warrant, and YOU will perceive that the
Blue Ridge Railroad has added3to the real
7 and personal property of Pckens District,
a large per centagc of the entire cost of tho
road ~ N
Similar results, though to less extent,
may be shown. in Anderson District; and
their beneficial influence may be traced