Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-01-22
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Blue hidge Railroad. Speaking of its
vote, then goes on to say: eve know much
lhmentation will be made over this failure !;
that the State will be charged with disgra-
cling herself, &C., but if the history of this
enterprise could be written out by some one
conyersant with the movements behind the
scenes, the State thus far, will be found to
have been the victim of an attempt at de-
plction OF the treasury, little creditable to
her public servants" and says, "wc hope
this will serve as n lesson to all future op-
crations of like character"
Cloiming to know something of this en-
tcrprisc from its embryo state, and as an
honest and faithful advocate of this all inn
portant and Statc-saving institution -
"cntcrprise," or by whatever cognomcn you
may choose to term it, and not having heard
its champions before charged with faith
lessncSs to their trust, [ must with all due
defcrcnce beg leave to differ with the Spar
tan" and call upon him to show us in what
way the State, thus far, has been the
victim of an attempt at depletion of the
treasury, little crcditablc to her public SER
wants" am no advocate for useless eX-
pcnditurcs of money, either in everyday
avocations, or State enterprises, but ]
think | have patriotism and State pride c.
nough to use my own funds and that of the
State, in such wayas will rebound to our
honor, to say nothing of the profit; when
by 50 doing the people are not ovcrburdcn-
ed by taxation-and whore is the State to
be found that has as low tax as South Car
olna? | ann of the opinion that it is the
duty of our State to give due protection to
property, but that her duty does not cease
there; tbs her duty (boundcu duty, or be
the laggard and loser of name, fame and
Spoils,) to assist, more or less, in all enter
prises of compatibility and universal use
iulncss Every Territory or State in the
civilized world has so contributed, and any
portion of the new world, that will not so
engage, deserves not the protection of our
laws.
1t has been truthfully said that, "of all
the means which have been invented by
man and presented to society and govern
ment, the encouragement of enterprises and
the development of the resources of the
earth, none has ever offered such safety.
security and efficiency, as the railroad and
locomotive" How stands South Carolina
to-day as compared with her sister State,
Georgia, in point of wealth and honor p
South Carolina can claim to be her older
sister, and by the law of primogcnture, is
entitled to the property but a "hiohcr
id,o" is now in force-the claw of enter
prise and while she carclessly, and with
folded arms and sluggard's gait, plodding
along in her conservative, Characteristic
and aristocratlc way, haslost the prize, and
been far outstripped, not only by her sister
Georgia, but by her far younger sisters
Even Texas, that was struggling for her in
dcpendcnceabout the time our first railroad
was put under way, is not behind us in I'M
portant State and government enterprises,
unrvallcd
South Carolina, if am not mistaken,
put in running order the first railroad in
the United States, perhaps in the year 1886
What other railroad notoriety has she p
Why has her roads not paid her in divi-
dends more remuneratingly? These are
some of the prime causes the niggardly
manner she has dealt to such entcrpri-
ses her funds, not allowing them such a
quota of her material aid" as would in
sure well made road Individuals and
companies have had to toll and struggle,
and pay ont of their own already almost cx-
hausted pockets, to keep their laudable i'm
portant enterprises above ground, not will
ling to be be tauuted with sneer, "you
failed in your undertaking" While South
Carolina has been foremost in buildinr n
railroad, she has not been behind in 'toM
ing " of building railroad to connec ! or
seaboard with the valleys of the great and
growing West. twenty-five years agJ, I
think, she met several of the States in all
sending. perhaps five hundred delegates,
assembling at Knoxville, Tenn, to take in
to consideration the building of this same
Blue Ridge Railroad" Since that time,
off and on, as her tickle fancy led her, she
'couba, and then 'ooa,1d not, build it, but
about 1855 and '54, she screwed her cou.
rage up to the sticking point, and with ex-
ccsslve libcrality, as she thought, gave one
million Of dotLdrs, and guaranteed with
certain imprudcrtand onerous restrictions
another million of dollars. The company
with indomitable perseverance, energy and
prudence, in pecuuiary point of view at
least, commenced the work, the money be,
ing so nearly exhausted, the State, as well
as individual subscriptions, (Which was ia,
more liberal than the former that the work
must stop or have the State restriction :.
moved so far that the one million more
might be used the current year; whom an,
| pllcation is made to the assembled wisdom
OF our State what do we hear; thus the