Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-08-03
Railroad amounted to s2G4,oOo for the year

Railroad amounted to SS2G4, ,OUU ior the yeal
1855, and of this amount only $l34, 900 was
for freight, and it is to this olorc that we
must look, as the exponent of tile business
that is likely to come over the Blue Ridge
Railroad. The amount Of passenger fare
must depend upon the character of the road
as to whether it passes through rich and
densely populated country, or may be on the
line OF travel North and South, East and
West. The general poverty OF the country
along this line of railway and its position
answers the question in stronger language
than any that could utter. The East Ten
nessee and Georgia Railroad is like the top
of the letter L. 1t collects the products OF
the yalics of the little Tennessee, uolston
and Clinch Rivers, and, should all Of these
products pass down the Blue Ridge-which
isthe stem of the letter-thc freight would
only amount to $l34,000. But you must
bear in mind, that this road has two other
outlets to market, besides the one furnished
By the Blue Ridge. The one by Dalton to
Charleston and Savannah, and the other from
Knoxville to Richmond, "a distance of 456
miles, and you may rest assured that por-
tion of the business Of the road will take
these lines. But let us be charitablc-nay,
even Iberal-and give it the whole income
from frcights, S134,000, and let us suppose
that this mountain region along the line o!
the road shall be able to swell the whole in
come of Blue Ridge up to 100000, and
even this will not he sufficient to make it a
selfsustaning road. Let us analyze. the
proposition OF the S400, coo Of income, at
least $4,000; or Is per cent, must he ap-
propriatcd to the working Of the road, so
that but SSss22225 900 will remain to meet all
other expenses. Of the $S,G00,O 900 which
tho road is to cost, S5,00O:0Q0, will be in
bonded Indebtedness; and il the company
should be so fortunate rs to get It's bonds oil
at G per cent. interest, the interest account
alone will be 100000; and should not u
dollar be appropriated to any other purpose,
there will be a deficiency Of $50 900 to meet
its annual expenses. Who are to make good
this Deficiency The stockholders, unques.
tonably. Why, then, the first loss will be
the least for all parties. .lnd | can assure
YOU that there are more roads in the lnitcd
States in this condition, than you are aware
of, 50 that YOU need not suffer yoarsef to
be any longer deluded with tue idea that, be-
cause the South Carolina Railroad and the
Georgia roads are profitable, that the Blue
Ridge must necessarily be so. 1t is just ai
logical to tell the farmers Of Carolina, who
cultivate poor lands, that because they are
farmers, they must make tie same quantity
OF cotton n, those who plant the ricn lands
OF Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Com
mon sense tells us that there is ~ much dli-
ference in the productivenesS Of railroads rs
there is in that Ur farms. But it is said, adj
NIT what YOU state to be true, that we are
getting O. large and profitable business for
Charleston over the Georgia roads; we should
be dependant UPON them torit, but we must
hav;.a road uf our own which we Gun control.
A Iiad of our own! Pay, tell me how many
miles Of the Blue Ridge are upon our own
soil2 To the best of my knowledge, there
are 81 miles Of road within, and l4l beyond
the limits of the State, and through Georgia,
at last, we are dependant for q part of the
line. Now, if that State, actu tied by spirit
Of jealousy towards us, on account OF the bu-
siness which her railroads take to Charleston
in preference to Savannah, were disposed to
adopt discriminating tariff of treshts III
favor of the latter city against the former, in
/ 30 doing she would have to tax the railroad
stocks of her own citiZcns, which would Inc u
gross act OF injustice. Aud how much more
probable is it that, if she found the Riue
Ridge Railroad interfering with the business
Of her roads. she would tax the business To
the road, and the mnre especially, as She
would be taxing the property Of tie citizens
of another State? You have heard much Ot
this charter which the State Of Georgia has
granted this company, that it is so favorable,
that that of itself snould induce US 20 build
the road, as we may never have the chauce
again of doing it. For myself, think the
scheme one of unmtigated evil, and the
sooner it is arrested the better for the State
and the other Stockholders. Now, will YOU
believe me when tell you that have read
that charter carefully, and did not find re-
s,raning clause prohibiting the State ot Geor
gia from taxing tue property OF the company
any time, and to what extent sue may think
ft2 How very independent, then, have we
made ourselves Of others, by undertaking to
build the road No, Mr.. Editor wc nced not
suppose, for Il .noincut. that Georgia will DE
influenced by any such petty notions. Sle
has always been guided hy liberal policy III
her railroads, and they have been more S'ic-
cessful than the roads of any other State.
She looks with compIacency, if not with com
posurc, upon our llcrculean and lrltleSs ll1l-
dertakng, remembering the line OF llorace
"Ilon'ee partmiuni, Hducuins .Hns "t,cit"r.
In conclusion, permit me to says that this
Blue Ridge Railroad is wholly unnecessary,
because produce can be brnug lit to Charleston
from the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers 10y tue
present modes Of communication cheaper
than it ever can be brought by railway from
Cincinnati to Charleston, If one existed. |
have examined the subject, and find that
bacon and other articles taken ny weight can
be sent by steamer from St. Louis to- New
Orleans at.l8 to 90 cents per 100 pounds, and
from New Orleans to Charleston at sl:uGt i'U
ccuts per 100 pounds. Su, ALSO, knew thai
bacon can be sent FROM Cincinnati BY stcamcr,
and by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and
then again by steamer to Charleston for G'
cents per loo pounds. Now, will any officer
of the Blue Ridge Road undertake 10 say
that the same kind of produce could be sent
from Cincinnati to Charleston over railway,
at any thing like the same price, Or less than
double? Why, look to the freight OF bucoll
over our own railroads. The price is ~ cent:
per 100 from Charleston to Charlotte, and
it is 50 cents from Charleston to Greenville.
Mr.. Editor, let us no longer be deluded by
men who are honestly deluded themselves. l
know that you and others are alarmed at the
idea of losing the money that has already
been spent on this enterprise, and it is this
alone that detcrs men from arresting the
work. But reflect that a very large amount
OF this money has been expended ON the road
between Anderson AMI Walhalla. II the
company will not do it, let the Legislature
grant aid to purchase the iron and lay the
superstructurc over tue section, it can be
done at comparatively but little cost; and
probably will save about two-thirds of what