Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-11-02
From the Charleston Courier.
The Blue Ridge Rail Road--Its Advo-
Gates and Advisers.

The Blue Ridge KAN Roau--ltS AuVo-
Gates and Advisers.
yer7 powerful appeals have been made to
the Legislature of South Carolina in order to
induce that body to take an imprudent step;
one that we think would not meet the appro-
baton of the taxpayers of the State. Many
eloquent speeches have been made before that
body by highly respectable and distinguished
gentlemen, who We believe to be honest, but
who have permitted their zeal to run them
into extremities, and, unlike wise statesmen,
to speak at random about what other States
have done to place them ahead Ct South Car
olina in the advancing enterprises in this age
of progression. We have searched in vain,
and cannot find single State that has erected
public works outside Of her own borders, and
we can find but one State which has carried
ont successful rail road enterprise, namely
Georgia.
The city Of Boston has made network OF
rail roads, which traverse nearly all New Eng.
land, with little or no aid from the State OF
Massachusetts. The citizens of New York
had long struggle with the politicians OF
that State before they could obtain charter
to build rail roads that would compete with
the Erie Canal. The struggle ended in sue.
cess, and that city has expended over q hun
dred millions in order to draw trade from the
lake country and the valley Of the Mississippi,
Pennsylvania comes neXt-she had incur.
red debt of about forty millions in the cree.
ton Of public works, and so involved herself,
that she, at one time, could not pay the in
terest on her debt. One of the works was
line of canals and rail roads from Philadel-
phia to Pittsburg. These public works, in
the hands of politicians, did not furnish the
commercial facilities that were expected OF
them, aud stood for long time in the way OF
privat enterprise. Alter New York began to
rellize the great advantage derived from her
Western rail roads, it was found that Phila-
delphia was doomed tc 60 far behind New
York in commercial supremacy, unless she
was allowed similar privileges. The State OF
PENNSYLVANIA was in this way compelled to
allow the people of Philadelphia to follow the
example of New Y York. A charter was gran.
ted and road built over the mountains to
Pittsburc. when that road was completed at q
cost Of thirty millions $50, 0,000,) without
State aid 1t gave q great impulse 10 Phila-
delphia, and such backSet to the State Rail
Road over the mountains, that it has been en-
tirclv abandoned-and a road which first cos.
two millions ($2,OO0,O00) then three millions
($3,000,000) more to make tunnel through
the mountain, and so change the location OF
the road Us to avoid inclined plains, now
lies an abandoned propcrty-the iron taken
away from it, and tunnel half 4 mile long
left to be the abode of wild beasts-and q
Standing monument of the folly of Pennsyl.
yania, now in debt, aud paving interest on
the enormous sum Of FIVE millions, wasted by
her politicians for this work alone. Next
comes the State Of Maryland, and the city Of
Baltimore. The Baltimore and Ohio Rail
Road was commenced simultaneously with
our road from Charleston to Hambarg--and
gives Baltimore an outlet to the West. not BY
any means as good as that which Charleston
enjoys.
The Baltimore road was built by private
cnterprise-the means furnished mainly by
the city and citizens of Baltimore. That road
cost t,Fenty-four millions eight hundred thou
sand dollars (S24,SO0,0O0) including three
millions five hundred and thirty.eight thousand
dollars (S3,53S, ,O00) for rolling stock. IL
this great work. the State of Maryland sub
scribcd six hundred and eighty-Gve thousand
six hundred dollars 1858 $780, and loaned
the Company five per cent. bonds for threi
millions $4,000, O,O0O.) Can we with any sor'
of propriety take Maryland for an example te
prove that our State is behind the age? After
our Legislature refused, positively ref"S,rt, tt
release the private subscribers from condition:
required of them, before the Company coulc
avail themselves Of tue million OF dollar:
which had been conditionally subscribed b!
the State, there was most earnest ctfor
made to increase the individual subscription
which resulted in raising the amount to twc
hundred and serenty.eight thousand sever
hundred dollars (27S, ,7G0 mot quite enough
to cover four items of expenditure that hac
,-"ed ~ 10 the 9th November. 1853: By
Jud se Frost's report Of that date, it appesr
rha, there had been paid for
Engineering SlJZoO5u'
Salaries. printing, law 59,SS4Ol
Interes, on mortgage bonds. 33,347 OF
Loss on the sale Of Bonds and Stock. %j,6S6Ot
soSl ,OSOO(
With subscription of two hundred ant
seventy eight thousand dollars (S27s,OOO) from
the citizens of Charleston, not enough to cover
the above caf.,es the people of that r;cl
emporium, the centre of banking capital iol
the whole Southwest, sends her statesman anc
influential merchants to Columbia, TO show
the State how she eau grow rich by building
a great highway Tor commerce to the West.
These gentlemen had traversed the noun
aius and laid out rail roads for the taxpayers
of the State to build, aud assume to be the
guardians of the sovereign State OF South
Carolina, and point O. t, in most eloquent
terms, how she is to escape from the control
of the slothful, who cannot see that the bald
ing of rail road to Tennessee is to check
our downward course.
The State fsc far as this grand project is
conccrued) is divided off into patriots and
fogies, us was the case in 1921. We admire
the zeal with which these patriotic gentlemen
are driven forward by their over-zcal in bad
cause.
They contend that the State is 10 be en-
riched by purchasing cheap bread and meat
forgetful OF the wise maxim that the farmer,
or auy agricultural community that has to
purchase meat and bread, will of necessity
grow poor. The moderate thinking men
(termed by some people fogies) cannot see
that the State can be greatly benefited by
building great rail roads through other States.
for the purpose of bringing us agricultural
products that every mau ought to raise for
himself; neither can they see that the State
at large is to be benefited by bringing corn,
wheat and bacon from Tennessee farms to
our towns and villages at cheaper prices and
cheaper freights than our own farmers can
afford to carry twenty miles and sell at. The
so.called foges think that the tendenc;: will
be 10 enhance the value Of Tennessee lands;
aud deprcciate the value of our land.
Now, if proposition wee 10 be made to
call on the State for half the sum that is to be
expended on that worst Of follies, the State
Capitol. together with the millions that the
Blue Ridge Rail Road would absorb, we say
ifa proposition were to be made to raise by
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