Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-09-10
Maj. Perry's speech,
CONCLUDED.

III
it. whilst, this Blno Ridge Road an which
two and one-half millions of dollars haze
been expended by the State. remains uniin-
ished. and au eternal monument of South
Carolina folly. Tho idea is preposterous Ia
the extreme The rest of the State would
rise up In arms against IT, What assurance
could thcro' I've, .thht after spending two-er'
three millions hn this route, it tno might mt
be abandoned by the Legislature? !
1t is u better route, these gentlemen teIius.
But others. who know more about it, assure
MS it is not 80 good. Admit it bctter.--.
The Blue Ridge Road has tho advantage
0f having been commenced. partially graded
and constructed in South Carolina Georgia
and Tennessee. Two millions and half have
been expended omit. But more than all this
tho Spartanburg route lies too fur north tn
intercept the trade aud produce we wish to
carry through the State to the city of Cfar-
lesion, and send thence to the North aud
Europe. When this western produce inten-
ded Tor the North or. Enropo, has boon once
put on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. \
1t can never bc rc,St0ppcd on the Spartan
burg Road and pass through South Carolina.
1t will contiuue on the Virginia Road to
Rlchnond. because it is nearer and more di-
rect to Its destined market. But the Blue
Ridge Road would intercept it before start.
ing ON the ntlrer, and offer il nearer market
ON the scaboard. This is conclusive us to
the two routes.
The question thon is not between these
two rival routes. No such question wns brc-
sented, nor can be seriously presented tb the
State now, OF. .af any future time. The only
question presented TO the people of South
Carolina ~ to decide between the Blue Ridge
Rallroad and no railroad at all to the West
tor II 1T be abandoned, it is in vain to hope.
for any other. All who wish to be put in
!. connection sc q,
sissippi by n railrontl. must support and raj
ly on the Blue Ridge, as the only hope of,
such connection. This should be done. too.
at oncc--for if our charter through Georgia
be lost. it ncver,cap- be regaincd Tho Iseg.
islature of that State will not renew it. m
was obtained by arcitlent. Scarcely n mem.
ber who voted tor'it, looked upon the charter
as serious matter. No one supposed the
subscription necessary to suvc it could. be oB
taineds Anditwould not have been made
but for tire citizens of Charleston. They
went to Rahun when the books were opened,
and subscribed the dmoont necessary to save
the charter
1t is passing strange that the representa-.
tves or any portion of the people of New
berry. GrcenVillc, Riehland'and EdgeGcld,
shonld be opposed tothcBuc Ridge Railroad.
1t Will do more Tor the town of Columbia than
anything else since the completion of the
Charleston and Columbia Railroad. Colnm-
ba will become the great store-liouse for this
western produce, where it will stop for dis
tribution all over the State. The Grecnvillc
Road passes through the whole length of New
berry District The people of Nowberry, as
well as the people of Riehlapd. stand in need
OF the very produce which is to pass over this
road They have now to procure it by cir
cuitous route, and at much heavier expense
Tho people of Ncwberry are deeply interest
cd, as stockholders in the GrccnYille Road
for no one can doubt That this stock will be
greatly enhanced. in value. They are inter
estcd in trade and commerce which will bc
simulated along their railroad throughout
the district. The people Of Edge6eid are in
tercstcd in another point OF view. This great
enterprise must necessarily bo the means Of
constructing amain trunk Of the road through
that district to connect with the South Car
olinn Railroal, The construction Of that
railroad will cause the disbursement of n
large sum of money in Edgefcld District, and
give employment to labor in a most profitable
way. Tho convenience to the people in hay
mig a railway running through tho whole
length OF their district, cannot we'll DE caicu-
lated. Tho people of Greenvile are not only
,htnrN-tH" rs stockholders in their own rail-
road, shut tl.eG arc, deeply Interested IN the
disbursement Of the money in building. the
Blue Ridge Railroad. 1t flows necessarily
from Pickens into Greenville for labor, pro,
visions, goods, &c. Like all the rest of the
State. the citizchs of Greenville consume a
great deal of western produce, which they
will be able to purchase cheaper.
In regard to the interests OF Greenville, I in
connection with this enterprise, I would far
thcr remark, that if the ingenuity of man
were taxed to invent scheme by which, the
trade, prosperity and Importance Of the Dis
trict should be prostratcd one could not lie
more effectually conceived than that of abnn-
doning the Blue Ridge Railroad and forming
connection with the West by Spartanbutg
and Ashcvilc. This would divert all The
travel to the Wost from Grcenyille. Families
residing in tho mountains during, the sum
mer season would no longcr pass by Green
ville Tho Western trade would no longer
come to Greenyille. Onr merchants would
cease to sell the goods now annually disposed
OF to visitors, Western travellers. aud the
citizens OF North Carolina and Tennessee
Our hotels would have to be shut up. The
farmers would no longer find q market for
their produce in The village and along the
public road leading over the mountains The
source of all our growth and prosperity would
he gone. And yet there are persons in
Greenville who advocate this rtinous policy;
persons who propose to throw away three
millions and a half of dollars spent on the
Blue Ridge Railroad, and encourage the
States embarking in another effort to connect
herself with the Wost~by this other route over
the mountains at an immense and unknown
expense to her treasury and her. citizens -
This Is proposed, too, by the citizens of Green,
ville when, its effect would be the ruin al
In ItnI nIok, .ok