Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-03-05

one e-half the amount of the estimated cost
of the Road in their own stock and bonds
could not he incorporated into other CON
tracts, and thus by the failure of Anson
l}nngs u Co., the resources of the Compa-
NY were reduced almost onc-half.
This change in the condition and affairs
OF the Company was with proper candor
communicated to the Legislature in De-
ccnhcr, 1856, and again in December,
1887, and the necessity for additional aid
from the State urged with great zeal and
ability. In the meantime, the work has
been pressed forward by the Company, and
nearly all the available means expended -
Indeed, in rourd numbers, the sum of So :
100000 has already been paid cut Ii
miles OF the Road is in operation. In South
Caroina, three fourths of the grading, one.
third of the tunnel excavation, threc-fourths
of the square drain masonry, and one
fourth ot the bridge mcsonry, have been
done In Tennessee, the grading and ma
sonry of Is miles is nearly completed
with tins brief history of The Blue Ridge
Railroad, its original prospects and pres
cnt condition, the question returns to us,
whether it is the part of prudence and wis
or abandon it--whethcr we shall cast away
forever the millions already iudiciously ex-
pended, turn our backs upon direct con
ncction by a, railroad of our own with the
great cities of the West, or by small ad-
dtional guarantee of the credit of the State,
secure that which has employed the intel
lects and energies of many of our wiscst
and best men for more than twenty years.
t is grave question, and should be met,
not by captious objections or narrow and
sectional prcjudiccs, but by open and man
ly arguments and should be decided, af-
ter the maturcst delibcration, upon princi-
pies of sound policy. The State of South
! Carolina may not be bound in honor to fur
nish the aid now applied for, nor, ifshc re-
fuses, can she he charged with direct and
palpable breach of good faith, yet candor
compcls me to say looking to her past con-
ncction with the enterprise, her engage
ments as stockholder, and her silence up
to the present time, when her money and
that of the private stockholders was being
expended, in what was essentially conSid-
cred Il State work, that if she now abandon
it, she must be fortified with strong and
sound reasoning, or she will be Justly char
! gcablc with an utter and reckless disregard
OF her own interests, and the interest of
/. those who embarked with her, and confidcd
i'll her wisdom and libcrality If, however
the advantages and benefit of this Railroad
connection, arc not commensurate with the
rest, then it is the part of prudence aud
| wisdom to abandon il, and thus save fur
thcr useless and improbable expenditure.
But let us determine this first, in such way.
as will not only satisfy ourselves and the
people of our own State, hut the people
of other States interested with us, and q
part OF whose money we have used. that we
have decided and acted wisely and we'll
1t the anxiety cvnccd by many other
States North and South Of us, and the i'm
mense amounts paid by them to secure the
trade of the West, afford any evidence of
the Importance andadvantage of such trade
and intcrcommunication then we need en-
quire no further, but might safely rely upon
their Judgment and experience
New York was the pioneer for this great
trade, and through her Erie Canal first in.
vitcd an exchange of commodities. The
value of the tonnage on that canal in 1925
was SlS $40, ,000;in 1857 $136, ,977, 900.
I New York MISC bniit her Central Railroad
at a cost ofS8O, SOC, 600, the gross earnings
ofwhich 1857 amounted to $4,000, 900,
and the nett earnings S3,573,00, or 8 per
cent. Also, the New York and Eric Rail
road at a cost of S34 800 ,000-gross earn
ings in 1857 S5,742, ,000--nctt earnings
S1,454,0 900.
Massachusetts, has built her Western
Railroad ut a cost of 10000, ,000-Sross
earnings in 1857 $2,117, ,000-nctt earn
ings $3.50, 900, or 8 per cent
Maryland has her Road, the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad alta cost S24, SOC, 600.
Gross earnings in 1857 S4,616,000; nett
earnings 81 ,S5G,000.
Georgia has her railroad, terminating ON
the Tennessee River at Chattanooga, ut a
cost of $5,000,000. Gross earnings i'm
1897 O,OOO-nctt earnings $405, 900,
or 8 per cent.
Virginia her Road terminating at Knox
vile at cost of the State of $4,000 900 !;
gross earnings S269, ,000--nett earnings
Sl38,00O. This Road is just opened, and
furnishes an example of the enhancement
of real estate which ipvaribly results from
railroads wherever built. The assessed
value of real estate along the line of this
road, before it wgs completed, was $26, ,0OO,-
900. Since the road has been opened for
business, the assessment amounts to $52,-
100000, the same real estate having dou-
bled in value in "a very few years. Ala
bama, Mississippi and Louisiana on the
west of us are pushing their railroads far
up into this Western county, whilst North
Carolina is girding us still closer on the