The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-09-14
From the Charleston Courier.
TO the Hon. Edward 6. Palmer

the Blue Ridge Railroad Company is sta
ted thus {: You bring to notice the South
Carolina Railroad, extending from Gourdin's
Station on the Northeastern Railroad to
Charlotte, which, you say, will pace Char
lesion in connection with the North Caro-
lima Westcrn extension at Statewide, a road
penetrating to that very region Of ountry
where the Blue Ridge is attempted to be
built. Let me ask why This connection will
not sutserve all the purposes Of the Blue
Ridge road 2 ,.
This is an assertion, though it is put in,
terrogatively, as you frequently ,oin your
letter, when you intend to be emphatic.
The very region Of country where the
Blue Ridge is attempted to be built is
down the valley Of the Tennessee River to
Knoxville. and approaches, ut Clayton, with
in one hundred and forty miles Of Cha,ta-
nooga, which is the focal point of the Yves.
tcrn roals, whose trade is diverted to Char.
lesion OF Savannah. Your assertion is, that
the Stateville connection will put Charles.
ton in connection will this region Of country
in manner, so advantageous as to sub
serve the purposes Of the Blue Eidge road.
The advantage Of one railroad over an
other, is es,im a'cd ly the comparative
icngt h Of the roads, for the cost Of trans.
portation is generally in proportion to The
length of the road, and you must, there
fore, be understood to assert that it will not
Ge further by the S,a,cviIle connection from
Charleston to Knoxville and Chattanooga, :,
than it will be by tue Blue Ridge Road.
From Charleston to Knoxville, by the
Blue Ridge Read (via Aikcn). is +lo miles
and to Chattanooga by the Hwassee Branch
(whcn buil), will be Ais miles.
will now state the distances from those
places 10 Charleston. by the Statewide con.
neclion.
The distance from Chat anooga, to KNOX
vile is ll5 miles Knoxville TO Morres-
towr, ON the Virginia. ant Tennessee Rail
road, AZ miles Morrstown to Paint Rock
80 miles Paint Rock to Slatesville, 1852
miles. This distance is taken from the re-
port of Col. GwYNN to the Governor Of
NoIth Carolina, in 1854, Of the survey oca.
tion :ud estimated cost Of the extension Of
the 4 orth Carolina Central Railroad fro
Salisbury to Paint Rock, which were Or
dercd to be made by the North Carolina
Legislature. From S,atesville to Char.
lolte. measured on Poor's Railroad Map,
not less than SO miles, abe sum of these dis.
tances shows Charlotte, by the StateviIle
connection, TO be 289 miles from Knoxville
and 404 miles from Chattanooga. The
distance from Charlotte to ~Gourdin's Sta
ton is l42 miles, and from that Station TO
Charleston is so miles, which would pl ace
Knoxville, hv the StateviIle connection, 4sl
miles from Charleston, and Chattanooga
500 miles. The excess Of these distances
would present serious objections to your
proposed substitute for The Blue Ridge Road
with the citizens of Charleston but I sup
pose you regard it as insignificant, when
it is opposed tc the Statewide connection.
But tie greater distances from Chat,a-
nooga and Knoxville by the Statewide con-
nection than by the Blue Ridge Road, do
not present the most serious objection to
your statement that the S,atevIle connec.
ton vii! subserve all tile purposes cf the
Blue Ridge Road.
Before your Statewide connection can be
available, North Carolina must finish its
road across the Blue Ridge mountains to
Asheyl'e, and from Astevilesstp. Pain,
Eock, which is on the western bouiidary of
North Carolina; and then the Tennessee
Company must finish the road from Paint
Rock to Morristown.
Col. GwyNN estimated the cost of the
r roadsfrom Paint Rock TO Flat Creek, near
. AsheviIle, TO be $l,l4O,ooO from Flat
Creek across the mountains to be $4,000.
600; the Piedmont section $s $4,000, and
thence to Salisbury Sl,4oo. 900 making a
total Of nearly s7,ooo,9oo. Col. GwYss's
location was through sbe swanusnos Gap.
do not know that the extension which ia
in progtsss Of constraction will cross that
; Gap. But the figures have shown, must
! be near approximation OF the cost of the
several natural divisions Of the road from
}, Salisbury to Asbey'lIe, which is'ip,progrsss.
With what assurance can you affirm. that
ths people ofNOtth Carolina will construct
? the road across the ,mopntainsi ,Doi yop
belseve1l.st they wilti The Undertaking pf
the B'udRidge Railroad Gompanysso build
!" aroad across the same Blas Rldgs ii1onn.i
tains - Knoxsitis, sss thtalsisctsfiss as one
/ Of the Ss'i.st 6umbugs that ever engaged
, ths attention. of .. sensible but deludsd
q people Yoy uustspfssums largely, and