The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-09-07
nessee, to construct the Blue Ridge Rail
Road from Anderson to Knoxville.

'e''eo' ~ co"S'ruct the Due Rldge Ia
: Road from Anderson to Knoxville.
L did not suppose there was any INTEL
gent person in South Carolina who did nc
understand that this was the purpose an
design Of that Company. The first an
most active motive of the projectors Of th
Blue Ridge Rail Road was to have an in
dependent connection, by rail road, Of Soutl
Carolina and Charleston, with the navigabl
waters and system Of rail roads West @
the Mountains, which should be under tn,
government and control Of citizens of Sou,l
Carolina, and be so managed as to promot,
the prosperity Of South Carolina, and tn,
commercial interests Of Charleston. Thei
experience Of the embarrassments and oh
structions 10 which the Western trade
designed for Charleston, was subjected or
the Georgia Rail Roads, convinced them O,
the folly Of attempting competition be-
tween Charleston and Savannah, for com,
merce to be maintained over tho Georgia
roads. In the selection Of route for q
Western rail road from South Carolina they
were led to the adoption of that of lhs
Blue Ridge Road by consideration of its
superior advantages over every other route.
In conformity with the designs of the
first projectors Of the Blue Bridge Road,
the charter for the road in North Carolina
authorizes the Company in that State to
unite with any other road that may be
constructed, and any contract that may be
entered into by the President and Directors
with the consent Of the Stockholders, shall
be binding on the Company
The Tennessee charter more explicitly
empowers the Tennessee Company to neco-
tiate with any other Rail Road Company
in North Carolina or South Carolina, who
may desire to extend their road over any
portion of the route hereby designated and
TO transfer to the last-mentioned Company
all the right, powers and privileges herein
granted to them; and thereupon the said
Company shall have tue same powers, rights
privileges and immunilies as are herein
conferred on the Company hereby incor-
porated.'
The charters in the other States were
grahted before December, 1852, and the
Legislature of South Carolina must have
been Informed of the clauses which have
been cited, and it plain that attention was
directed TO them, for in the 18th section of
the charter, granted in December, 1852, to
the Blue Ridge Rail Road in South Caro-
lima, it is provided that it shall be lawful
for that Company to combjaa,. with any
other rail road having tbs privilege to do
So and to consolidate the ma nagement of
the Companies so coming, and to make any
regulations for such combination of interests
or Management, as to them may seem meet.
In the report of the President and Dircc-
tors to the Stockholders, in 1855, they are
informed that the Companies in N orth
Carolina and Tennessee had, by deeds,
covenanted to transfer to the South Caro-
lima Company, when the rail road is CON-
pIeted in those States, all the corporate
rights, powers and franchises which were
conferred by their respective charter that
the principal part of the Stock inabaG cor
gia Company being held in South Carolina
secures the control Of the road in that State
and thus when the connection between An
derson and Knoxville is completed by the
construction of the road in those States, the
South Carolina Company will possess the
management and control of the entire line
These statements are in needless detail
for the purposes of a reply 70 your letter;
but take the occasion, which your attack
on the Company affords land so far thank
you for having made it) to notify the peo-
pie Of the State, so far as can be done by
this reply, of the origin, purpose and de-
signs Of the Company, while the elections
are pending for the next legislature, which
must decide the fate of this great enter
prise.
EDWARD FROST.