Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-01-08
From the Charleston Mercury.
The Blue Ridge Railroad Enterpris


for which the members of the Legislature
that has Just held its first session, must am
swer to the people Of the State not the
least grave is tho failure to remove the
condition formerly imposed on the guarnn
tee offered by the State on Sl,00O,0U0, to
the Blue Ridge Railroad Company. By
the course they have pursued, after an cX-
pcnditurc of some two millions of money,
her own and others, the work of constrnc
ton is stopped. No man having put his
hand to the plough and looking back is
fit for the kingdom of God Aud in the
domain of worldly enterprise, whether pri-
vate or public, vacillation and delay are
equally fatal to prosperity aud success.
The great project of connecting South
Carolina and her seaport city with the
rich and incXhuustiblc regions beyond the
mountain barriers which separate us from
the West, has been variouSly canvasscd for
twenty odd years 1t early met the !;
proval of the great minds of the Statc.-
Our people looked upon ii as an object of
anxious desire. In 1856, when the celeb
rated Knoxville Convention met, South
Carolina was ready TO iucura responsible
ty of S12 ,000, 600 for the construction Of
this great highway The financial dsas-
ters of 1887 prevented the undertaking.
The subsequent unwilingncss of Georgia
to grant Il charter prohibited renewal of
the scheme. But, in 1852, by much cN-
crtion, charters were obtained from the
Legislatures of North Carolina and Gcor-
gia, under which the Blue RIDGE Railroad
enterprise was inauguratcd The opportu-
nifty WAS hailed by this State and aid given
to Il large extent. In lieu of Il subscrip.
ton of s 600, 900 to the stock Of the com.
pany, and endorsements for 81 1000, 600
more secured by Il common mortgage with
other bondholders, as first proposed, South
Carol agreed to endorse the bonds of the
company to the extent of S .2JO, 600, on
first mortgage of the road In 1854, find
ing the aid granted unavailable the State
agreed to subscribe for s | 600, ,0C0 of the
stock OF the company. and to guarantee, on
certain terms and conditions, its bonds to
the amount of S il 600 GOO more. The
principal condition was, the production of
proof to the Governor ofsuch subscriptions
OF aid granted elsewhere, as would give
reasonable assurance of the completion OF
'ic roau. laVorao'c contract was iladc
WIN bangs " Co.. to construct road, re
cc'Ni"S IN payment OF one halt ot the work
stock and bonds, instead OF cash This
would have ensured the completion of the
road ON the terms stipulated by the State
for the obtainmcut of her guarantee; but
Bangs a. Co., failed. Other contractors
have not been found TO perform the work
o'' ''o s'''' ,T,'''S Hn VI circuit ',.S'. became
m'eVSH''y INC company. 'PP"ou 10 tne
"'"'c " 'c"'oNc '"c To,'"'l,"h OH Whlch 'he
S"''"'tcc wa" P'oN'oro' lhey ohGr every
'e.Soh'o'o assurance .S, ''''.' having exhausted
''l'S' '"cy w''i oe"o'e, Irom otncr frSour-
T'H' :" "'''St '"o WIN A"c n'Si''".ure
n'' ''i''S'" 10 'c'''oIc u c"'u'I'on, inc
.o"P'"y arc ,''""S"' It" SWhu's'l'' NOT
N.'oW''s .r "o" 70 "cIoi'' us" 'ne Gnt'rPr'se'
y. ~ "'I"'I !" o1'''" '''r iu''"', we ic"r''
','"S ''lG 'es'ue"V """ u',cc'o'S nave rs
:u o'uo'S Us, ~ =: VIC Mo'H q" Soo'i 10 '''c
V'"l.S ""9' 'o''Io III''Ic" ny I"e'' con-
soU noe cNP'0N '''' ."o So'''I'''c'''S VI
"o, N''' ~ ''c ';o"t''"''," are " o'c'N up
""I t,'"V 'i' '"v'''' 'I' o' ''c w w0rN'n'n'
'i" Il t'i''I "'o'' "o0p," ''.S"'o' WIN S"o' ~!
'o", 40 =, ~" .o' ''''~'' "'Sc' "S'i' 10 pe
','o",'i" S,ai, VIZ" "i',''s' u"' D',u''S'
'V''' , DV,''S ,"r '.'e'S .. '"' past n'S'o'!
M ,,, ,,a = ,I - '"'~ 3'','', '''j"''
v"U -" "v''1 y. '"o i.I ';'''"'t 'e'""'' arc
oh";S "S . ~ ''oao"Sn I'' 'p,vs''s'''o". h
,o"' '''"' 'oI3 ''''s' ''"NS D'T i"''"u"-
r,a u D9 % "i @ ~ 'm'aJ 'Ps'',o,tH @ :i E'''e. cue yn'
,pnu ooH,,' r "u "o",u oe o"'' without '"r-
.ne' h "'u , rom ''r '7'''e or py granting 2
v,u J''''o,se','e"I ] nS propose, 'h' 0'|'c
w""'u "SS"'NG " p"'ac'i q 'aNh''oh %re"tcr