Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-09-08
WAR0g1 1TW,
Co fcspondcncc of the Cincinnati Gazette.
Railroad Correspondence.
CuARI.EsTON. June 30. 106O

The principal road leading out of Charles
ton is the South Carolina Railroad, and this
is the prominent Railroad of the State. The
main track runs west to Augusta, 1877 miles,
where it connects with the Georgia roads,
a branch leads off at Branchville, 62 miles
from Charleston, and runs North 68 miles to
Columbia, connecting with the Charlotte
Railroad and with the Railroad to Greenvile
A branch also leads off from the Columbia
branch at Kingsville, and runs East 38 miles
to Camden.
This is well conducted road, as are most
of the Carolins Railroads the speed of
trains is about fourteen miles an hour which
IS about the average speed on the Railroads
Of this section of the South, excepting the
morning express train to the West that train
makes nineteen miles an lour. The road
bed is firm, hard and clean, and trains might
be run at high speed, but no one is in
hurry, and there is less danger and less ex-
pense In running slow. The trains run to
accommodate the passengers, but the passen-
gers never run to accommodate the trains
People get on and off anywhere between sta
tions. y man comes out of the woods, waves
his handkerchief, and the train stops, backs
up, and he lesurely gets. aboard There is
time enough, and what is the use of getting
IN sweat? Sure enough, what is the use
This is the oldest Railroad of any length
In this country; it was commenced in 1928,
and was built and cquipped-a portion of it
at least was-in 1880; it was completed to
Hamburg, 1876 miles, in 1882, and was then
the longest railroad in the world This is
the first railroad that introduced steam as
propelliug power, though there is dispute
between the South Carolina Railroad and the
Liverpool and Manchester Railroad which
is less than seventy miles long, about the
first use of steam
At the time when tho South Carolina Rail
road was projected, it was considered an ex
pertinent, and a charter could not be obtain
ed for railroad to be worked by steam but
a charter was finally passed though the Leg
lslature for A Railroad or Canal from
Charleston to Hamburg On the Savannah riv
err to be wo' ed by mules" which was
amended by in ting steam or mules" but
not without SOL , of the richest legislative
debating on record. One of the enthusiastic
advocates of the road said Z" the railroad could
be built and worked by steam, and that it
would carry, when completed, an average of
ten passengers per day" Whereupon a NJ o.
ton was nude and seconded to send him to
the Insane Asylum, then just completed. A
few leading men, some half dozen in number,
carried out their project and built the rail
road, and they are entitled to the eternal graf
itude of this universal Yankee nation, for ia
king the lead in an enterprise that has result
ed in such incalculable benefits,
The South Carolina Railroad and its branch
es are 242 miles long, and cost over 8,OOO,-
600, which has, however, been reduced by
earnings to $7,000,000. But it was built
when it was not known how to construct a
railroad cheapiy. 1t cost double what it
would &c build and equip It now and vet
this has been paying road for the last TWEEN
ty years 1t pays net income of over ten
per cent, and its stock cannot be bought for
fifteen per cent premium.
The South Carolina Railroad runs through
the poorest places in the State, but it has
some great advantage es-advantages that no
other road in this State ever can have. II
reaches the most important points, and con-
meets with the most important roads. Its
charter is liberal one. The Legislature
granted at length all that the Company asked
for in their charter. One of the provisions
of its charter is, that no other road shall ever
be built running parallel within thirty miles
of it,
The cost of constructing railroad in the
Southern half of this State is probably less
than any place in the Union, unless it be
Florida The grading, ties and timber are
items of comparatively small amount; and
yet, only two roads in the State, the South
Carolinsand the Charlotte and South Carol-
Nna Railroads, both of which are partially con-
tNolled by the same Company, have ever de.
elar4sd dividend; but the railroad business
is impipving, and most of the roads will even.
suaIly paay.
The Charleston and Savannah Railroad,
connecting charleston and Savannah, is 113
miles long, !, 1t was completed about 100
miles to the Savannah River last April. 1t
strikes the river 13 miles above SaYan sah, end
passengers over This road are, at the present
time, conveyed between this point and Sa-
vannah by steam boat. The road will be fin
ished on the other side of the river, down to
Savannah, in August and the bridge in Feb.
Tuary next. This road will, when completed,
cost about $2,G00,0Q0. This will be the first
railroad in this s Statc built exclusively by
slaxe labor.
Al few railroad items have been furnished
rue by Col. JohT Caldwell, President of the
South Carolina Railroad. Ho is as much the
Kailrcaa kiDg Of this State as Erastus Cor
ming IL Of New York. There are in the
State of South Carolina $40 miles of rail
road now in operation, which have been built
and equipped at cost of S18,665,000.
The Northeastern Railroad, running from
Charleston to Florence, was completodin 1857.
1t is 108 miles lone;s and cost $1,600,000,
The Greepyille Railroad, RAINING from Go.
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