Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-09-07
Some OF the rail roads in Europe haye cost

| hundreds OF thousands OF dollars per mile
and yet they not only sustain themselves
but are profitable investments to the stock
holders. will venture to say that every
rail road which has ever been built has doubled
and trebled all calculations of its most san
guine friends as to its probable income. The
truth is, there is no calculation, and can be
none, as to the extent of travel and freight
on rail roads. New species of freight spring
up, and new inducements to travel arise,
which were never contemplated and could
not have been foreseen. The item of copper
as freight was unknown in Georgia when their
rail roads were constructed. Now copper
ore stands next to cotton as an article OF
freight over the Georgia Rail Road. When
we were making calculations to induce sub.
scriptions to the Greenville and Columbia
Rail Road, no one thought of freight on corn
to Greenville. All the calculations were
made fer its transportation the other way.
But it has so happened that this item OF
freight on corn brought from Columbia has
been, for several years, very considerable.
1t would be amusing, now, to look over
the calculations of the friends and advocates
of rail roads, when first projected as to their
calculations with the actual receipts of the
roads. At the time they were made, they
were supposed to be foolish exaggerations J
and yet time has shown that they have been
doubled and trebled Ten passengers day
was the estimate made for the Hamburg
Road, between Charleston and Augusta |!
This was regarded as too large; but instead
of ten, the daily average has beer hundreds
When the Greenville Rail Road was spoken
of, distinguished member Of the Bar, in an
adjoining district favorable to rail roads, de-
clared publicly, in speech, that inssmuch as
Greenville was not eotton-growing district,
we had no use for rail road, and could not
sustain one. An old Irishman went so far as
to predict that we would not be able to send
from Greenville more than one freight train
every year; but experience has shown hat a
daily freight train is necessary, and always
comes and departs heavily laden.
It is said this Blue Ridge Road is to ter
inmate at little town in Tennessee, sur
rounded by mountains where they have very
little to send to market. This is great mis-
take in every point of view. In the first place,
tue Blue Ridge Road will not stop OF. Knox
Vile or anywhere else this side of the Mis-
sisslppi River, perhaps this side of the Pacific
Ocean. 1t will have no western terminus at
all, by reason of its connection with other
rail roads. The whole valley of the West
will be opened to it, and will freight it and
all its rail road connections with the immense
and increasing trade of the great valley of
the Mississippi. No one can suppose it posi-
BILE that our road will stop at Knoxville,
when both Tennessee and Kentucky are
ready aud willing to extend it to roads al-
ready constructed from the Mississippi.
1t matters not whether Knoxville be a small
town or large one, situated in the mountains
or. far removed from them. It's not the pro-
duco of+Knoxyille or the trade of Knoxville
that we are contending for, but that of the
boundless West. As well mightit be urged
that Anderson, where the Blue Ridge Rail
Road has its commenccment, is q small village,
and will offer no market for the produce of
the West. Knoxville and Anderson, situated
at the two ends of the road, are only towns
through which the freight and travel of the
Blue Ridge Rail Road will pass in going and
returning from the Atlantic TO the Mississippi.
What trade and commerce have done for
the Northern cities have already mentioned.
I have spoken of it's effects on Georgia and
her rail roads. Alabama is likewise contend
ing for this same trade, and is extending her
rail roads tothe Mississippi. North Carolina,
the good old Rip Van Wrinkle Of the South,
is going on with her Central Rail Road, and
will ultimately form connection with the
Virginia and Tennessee Rail Road. When
this is done South Carolina will be literally
cut off from the Western trade, ana isolated
by the Georgia Rail Road on one side and
the North Carolina Road on the other. 1t
may be said to have been already done. The
Virginia and Tennessee Rail Road does inter-
cept ail that trade which used to pass through
South Carolina on its way to the North and
to Europe. The merchants at Asheville are
beginning to have their goods shipped on that
road from New York and Baltimore, instead Of
sending them around to Charleston and thence
to GreenVille.
Considering on these effects, made and max
ing SO successi lly by other States, can any
one be so blind as not to see that it behooves
South Carolina to enter the race and compete
with her sisters for that golden prize, or she
will be distanced in prosperity, and lose her
power and influence in the Federal Union ;
In all the other States more las been done
by their Legislatures for rail roads than has
been in South Carolina. The Legislature OF
Georgia appropriated FIVE or six millions,
North Carolina as much more, Virginia ten
or fifteen millions, and the Legislature OF
South Carolina little over one million. All
the rest has been done in South Carolina by
private subscriptions and the division OF the
ha
Government.
Are we so poor in South Carolina that we
cannot aid rail roads out Of the public treasu-
ry as they have done in other States2 Surely
not. South Carolina has the reputation OF
possessing great wealth, her taxes are moder-
ate, and her public debt not large. The Bank
Of the State, which belongs to the State, and
has a capital of five or six millions, came for
ward last winter and offered to meet the
bonds required by the Blue Ridge Rail Road
Company, if the Legislature would grant the
aid required. This the Bank showed its
ability to do if the bonds we're made payable
twenty years hence No taxes would ever
be levied to pay off these bonds in case they
fell on the State. The probability was that
the income of the road might itself be sutfi-
cient to meet and pay of these bonds as they
became due.
But if the State had to pay tax twenty
or forty years hence to pay this rail road
debt, it would be tax on our posterity, and
one which they might we'll afford to pay for
the blessings and benefits conferred on them
by the road. 1t is right and proper that pos
terity should be burdened with the taxes for
great and important public improvements
from which they are to derive the benefits.
Instead of begrudging the payment of these
taxes, they will bless us for them, when they
consider the result to the country and to
themselves.
Some of the members Of our Legislature,
c-a.a .l,n Eantas., r,nrtiar of tho Stnia were