Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-03-05
Speech of Gen. Harrison,
On the Bill before the Legislature gra


the Committee is one of grave import. and
should be approached by those who are to
decide it with a due regard to the public
ana private Interests involved, and a prop
er appreciation of the obligations of the
State arising from her previous connection
with the enterprise. In December 1852,
the Legislature granted charter to the
Blue Ridge Railroad Company in South
carolina, for the purpose of constructing IA
R'ilroad connection between the Greenvile
aud Columbia Railroad and the Georgia line,
commencing with tic following preamble ::
Whereas the State of Georgia has gran
ted to the Blue Ridge Railroad Company
charter for the construction of Railroad
from point on the boundary line between
North Carolina and Georgia, called the Lo-
Gust Stake, by the most practical route to
tlayton, In Rabun county, to connect with
the South Carolina Railroads ut Anderson
Court House.
And, whereas, it is highly expcdient, as
well for the interest of large portion of
the people of North Carolina, Tennessee
and of GeorSia, as Of South Carolina, that
such Railroad communication should be
established, but such communication can
not be effected without the cooperation of
this State, in opening way for the same
along that part of the proposed route which
Is in South Carolina.
i he State also, by the same act pledged
the faith and credit of tue State for 81
100000 ON certain conditions to aid the
enterprise thus Indicating the Importance
of such a connection, and tho necessity for
the corporation of the State. By the en-
crgy and lbcrality of few of the citizens
OF tho city of Charleston, the Georgia char
ter had already been secured, and very ear
lynn 1893 the Company in South Carolina
WAS organized, and obtained the control of
the several charters, through to Knoxville
Tennessee, the proposed western terminus.
\ contract WAS entered into with Anson
Bangs Il Co., who come highly rccomnlcn.
dcd as experienced railroad contractors, and
as possessing abundant means for the com
plction of the entire Road from Anderson
to Knoxville. The estimated cost of the
road to the Tennessee line was Sc ,000, 900
to Knoxville S7,700000, or $500, 900
fully equipped for cunning; and these con
tractors stipulated to perform the work at
the estimates, and rcccivcin payment there
for one-half in cash, onc-fourth in stock of
the Company and one-fourth in mortgage
bonds of the Company.
At this time the means Of the Company
were as follows in this State, Geor eia and
North Carolina:
City of Charleston subscription. $I0I0, 900
Individual and other subscrip-
tions.. l5l 900
State conditional guarantee, 1850, 600
Contractors to he paid in stock
and bonds, 1900. 900
$j,450, 900
Lcayingbut $500, 900 deficiency for the
completion of the Road to the Tennessee
line-the State aid and county subscrip-
tion in Tennessee, with the amount of stock
and bonds to be taken by the contractors,
being deemed ample for that part of the
line
With this plain statement of its affairs,
the Company'in South Carolina applied to
the Legislature in December, 1854, TO
change the form of aid prescribed bv the
Act of 1852, and in lieu thereof, to sub
scribe to the stock of the Company 81 ,000,-
900 and to guarantee the bonds of the
Company for $1,000, 900: which the State
after due ,delibcration, and upon such con-
ditions as we regarded prudent, agreed to
do. So that the means of the COMPANY
which were provided pending the con-
tract with Anson Bangs & Co., were as fol-
lows:
Subscription of the City of Char
lesion, $lo40. 900
OF the State Of South Carolina, 10000
In Tennessee, ' 250 0o0
pcndleton Railroad, 10 ono
state a'd, AZ 900
Subscription IN North Carolina, 90 400
Tennessee State aid for Iron, $40 00O
taFt Tor Bridges, l00. 1000
Charleston private subscription, $4,000
State Guarantee of Bonds, (con-
ditlonal) 100000
$4,lIG,5 500
Additional private subscription in
:, 1856, 232, 100.
Estimated cost of entire road and
equipments from Anderson to
. KnoxyiIlo, SS,Gol, CIT
LII OF the estimated
costs iu stock,
be, 2,l72915
Ia Of the estimated
costs in bonds of the
Company, III 2,172,9lf $8,7o5, ,l2S
Demonstrating, conclusiycIy, that if Anson
lSangs& Go. had neither the pecuniary
ability nor the disposition to carry out
their contract in good faith, and in the dis
charge ofan imperative duty, the Board Of
Directors dismissed them. from the work
IN "A FAe.I L..