The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-07-21
For the Lancaster Ledger.
PLEASANT Hill, July l6,

hfAShNi .li.l'' Jull iO, 1910.
Mr.. EDITOR ] noticed in the columns
OF your paper proposition to build Rail
Road from Lancaster to Chester. In nv
opinion the road would never pay one cent
Of dividend to the stockholders, rs the II.
mount of freight and travel on that Road
would never pay the expenses of keeping
the road in running order; the whole IL
mount of freight and travel over that road
for twelve months could be carried in one
week from Lancaster TO Chester, and from
Chester to Lancaster. Not more than one
month would be required to bring all the
Groceries, Dry Goods, Oranges, Fly Traps
and everything else, that " ould be required
by the citizens of Lancaster, from. that d.
rection and doubt very much, whether
the majority of the citizens of Lancaster
would avail themselves Of the use of the
road, if built The freight from Camden
and Columbia 10 Charleston, is the same,
then we must add the freight from Colum-
bia to Chester and from Chester to l.ancas-
ter, and compare the cost of receiving
goods by this route with oul present facii-
ties Would the freight or passengers fare
be any lower by rail road via Chester to
Lancaster, than from Camden to Lancaster
by Wagon and stage the balance IN favor
of the rail road should DO very small, if
any; not sufficient TO induce the Tax PAYERS
TO submit to m Increase Of their taxes, at
the rate of nineteen hundred per cent, or
gross tax Of three hundred Thousand dollars
especially, when very few of the tax payers
of the District would be benefited one
cent by the road. The North and North.
western portion of the District is nearer a
rail road at present than they would be to the
Lancaster and Chester road and the South
ern and South western part of the District,
would receive no benefit from the road, Ms
Camden would not bc much farther from
them than Lancaster, and they would save
the freight from Columbia via Chester to
Lancaster This Road would only run
through about seven miles of Lancaster
and would benefit few near the Road, if
they had a surplus of eggs chickens and
butter TO sell, or those living near the Vii.
lage and Road might get higher price
for wood, but it wouid be unfair to tax the
whole District for the benefit of n few in
dviduals.
The reason, Mr.. Editor, I have devoted
as long notice TO the suggestions made In
your paper of building a road by taxation,
is, that it is a legitimate subject of discus
sion and one in which we are all interested.
1t appears that isolated individuals may be
benefited in remote parts Of the District,
from private communication noticed by
your correspondent in the last number of
your paper from an "extensive Planter Of
Hanging Rock" who appears to be pleased
with the suggestions OF former communi-
cation advocating Taxation, and claims a
place in the picture for Hanging Rock, but
the Tax Payers of Hanging Rock are not
all steam-mill men, nor shiDgle makers, both
Of which classes have no doubt would be
benefited by rail road to Lancaster from
Chester or any point where pine timber is
scarce, but This would he no argument in
favor of taxing people who are not inter
ested
The only road that can benefit the peo-
pie OF Lancaster, would be- a road f,om
Ridgeway or Camden to Concord, N. C.
That would give us the most direct com.
munication with Charleston and the up
country, the only places we would want 10
bring fr'ighs from or carry it to--thIs
would also accommodate travellers better
than any other Rail Road we could build,
as it would connect with other roads on the
most direct course that make connections
with all the principal roads In the United
States. This road would also secure the