Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-03-05
pIcNENs COURT HOUSE, s. C. SATURDAY MARCH 5, 1859.

bor, progressed 80 far as to commence her
road, and having expended $2,500,000, is
now taking breath, and gravcly dclibera-
ting whether she shall complete this short
road OF l9S miles, at cost of 50 100000
more, and thus place herself on CONNER
cial equality with her neighbcrs, or content
herself with her present facilities, entirely
careless of the effect to be produced on her
future prosperity by the spirit of enterprise
exhibited all around her. Shall our villa
ges, towns and cities withcr aud dry up for
the want of commerce, while those of neigh
boring States are growing in wealth aud
population? Shall our railroads. already
i'll operation, languish for the want of bu-
sincss, when we have only to reach forth
and touch the rock, that the water may
flow Who can estimate the wealth of
this mighty West at the present day, even
with the statistics furnished by the mag
niicant highways alluded to above, the
bare freight and transportation amounting
to so many millions whilst every stream and
river is burdcncd with precious cargocs, all
seeking the cheapest and best market Is
South Carolina SO badly located that none
of the commerce Of this vast country can
bcmadc tributary to her? Has she already
dallied until other and rival enterprises
secured the prize, and left nothing for her
Although she may have lost much by delay
yet we think she may still place herself in
a position by the building Of this rairaod
where she will prove formidable rival to
any other State North or South of her.
1t her seaport town can be brought
nearer to central points in the West than
other markets, by q direct and continuous
line of railway, owned and conducted by
our own people, free from restrictions or
distractions any kind, she may well cal
culate to attract the trade and travel concen-
tratcd at such points. Such depot and
distributing point Knoxville is destined to
become. Situated at the head of steamboat
navigation, the proper and natural market
for the produce or the valleys Of the Clinch,
llolstou, French Broad and Nollichuckic
Rivers; surrounded by nine of the rich and
fertile counties of East Tennessee, whose
white population now numbers over one
hundred thosund, with six thousand farms,
81, ,OOOacrcs of Improved land, aud 800
! 600 unmprovcd with eleven counties i'm
kentucky, containing now population of
100000, 10000 farms, 6lS,0 900 acres of
improved lands, and 1 ,S45,000 acres of un-
| improved, whose produce and trade must be
drawn to Knoxville, over the Knoxville,
and Kentucky RailroaL; contiguous to
large and valuable coal fields, nexhausti-
bic quarrics Of limestone, aud hy the Blue
Ridge Railroad to be brought % miles
nearer to Charleston than to Savannah and
46 milcs nearer than Richmond. The CT
tico and Athens Railroad will also save So
! miles from Chattanooga. to Charleston. -
80 much for the commercial prospects of
Knoxville, the proposed terminus now,
what ii may be ten or twenty years hence, in
country which doubles it's population and
wealth in an incredible short time, the
hodcst may hesitate to predict But from
Knoxville towards Anderson YOU pass
South through the counties of Knox and
Blount in Tennessee, Macon,s.in North Car
olina, and Rabun, in Georgia, to Clayton,
its county seat. Here the Hiwnssee Rail
road is to intersect, leading from Clayton
/ by the Ducktown Copper Mines to Cleve-
land, III Tennessee, which, when completed,
will bring Charleston nearer to Chattanoo-
ga by 20 miles than Savannah, and 1863
miles hcarcr than Richmond. This road.
if it carried nothing but copper orc, would
prove valuable tributary to the Blue Ridge
! Railroad, and must of itself, furnish a large
amount of profitable business, not only to
the road, but to Charleston Then, there
are the copper mines just being opened, be-
tween Clayton and Franklin in North Car
olina, situated in few miles of this road
and selling now at marvellous prices.
From the Georgia line, the road passes
through the large and fertile districts of
Plckens and Anderson, to Anderson G.
Ill. Since the Blue Ridge Railroad has
been put under contract, the price of lands
in Pickens and Anderson, contiguous to
the road, has been enhanced more than
one million of dollars-.new and varied
enterprises have been commenced prop
er energy and spirit have been infused into
the people, and fresh life impaired to every
branch of industry and trade. Pickcns
District, with her broad and fertile valleys,
her lime beds and valuable minerals, and
her unsurpassed water power, WILL if not
checked by narrow policy, become one
ofthe richest, most energetic and enter
prising districts in the State, and in few
years will furnish a large and lucrative
business for the railroads passing through
her territory, whilst the district of Ander
son, by her industry and energy is building
up market town in her limits, where an,
nually from 5000 to 8 1000 bales of cotton
are sold at remunerating prices, and a gen.
eral trade, calling for near one million of
dollars per annum, and all this produced
by the influence ofthe Grcenvillc and Co.
mmbia, Blue Ridge and pther nroiectnd