Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-05-16
The Blue Ridge Railroad.


tant enterprises in which our people have en-
gagged, We append Mr.. Trenholm's remarks as
reported by the Charleston Courier:
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN desire
to avail mYselfof the present occasion to call
your attention to the Importance of G pro-
ject which, before the commencement of the
late war, had, in great degree, engaged the
which large amount of capital has been in
vested that is now lying idle and unproduc-
tive.
In January, 1851, the State of North Car
olina, at the Instance Of a few spirited, en-
lghtcned and enterprisiug. citizens OF that
State, granted g charter for company to
construct {. railroad from the point where the
line Of Tie State of Tennessee crossed the
Tennessee River to the point where the
Georgia line crossed tie same river near tie
village OF Franklin, in North Carolina, a dis
lance OF about seventy-three miles. The iin-
portaEce OF that grant was perhaps not thor
'oughly Understood, except by the few who
had been actively engaged in obtaining it.
II was departure from the cherished policy
Of North Carolina, which had been consis-
tenLly and firmly opposed to every project
for the construction of railroad across the
State in direction. to bring trade and traffic
beyond its borders in The direction Of the sea-
port Of South Carolina. 1t had been oppos-
ed to carrying the traffic and trade of that
Slate either to South Carolina Or Virginia.
They had not only been opposed to granting
privileges to accomplish these objects, but
tbcy Threw every obstacle in the way Of ex
istng railroads being made to conduce to
those ends by requiring that the North Car.
olina railroads should have guage different
from both those of Virginia and South Caro-
ina,apd BIZ refusing. as the gentlemen here
ali Enow, for q long time 10 permit connec
ton TO be made between Charlotte and Dan
Vile, Which isa part Ct that policy. This
road began at To place and Terminated At
no place. II brought nothing from snywkcre.
1t carried nothing in tho direction Of any
important place. But those WHO projected
Tie enterprise saw clearly that the people of
Cincinnati and the great commercial and
manufacturing interests of the intervening
country Of Tennessee and Kentucky, would,
III the progress OF time, inevitably seek an
uut!et u cur own Atlantic coas; and looking
al that outlet with au eve Of intelligence, fore
cast and Judgment, ftr whicn they were -nti
lied to src.i credit, they faresaw shat had
bc,n concs;ral ard counted upon. Il was
That ~ the Mississippi River ma,::o dctactien
towards the sex: at New Madrid bend ard lie
i,Jrlers Of the Stale Of Tennessee, making
al &c inienture towards the Atlantic coast
ana the Atlantic coast, Gu the other hand,
lehectipg from Cape lIaileras, taking from
thence q Southwestern direction, with q
straight line drawn from The Mississippi lsiv-
er, made The shortest railroad route chat could
DO lnado from the Mississippi River to any
paiaA1-4!r-57t 1tirpasattE paat y other words,
and from thence passing through RhsAbt4HI4Ae.,
Knoxville. OR any interior points, seeking ali
outlet on the Atlantic coast, would be shorter
by several hundred miles to Charleston than
TO Boston, Philadelphia or Norfolk.
This railroad in North Carolina, which
have spoken Of, was intended to form tle
link ig that direction, aMd lie construction
ii it is inevitable. ii is q question merely
II time. IL was interrupted, before The war, ,
by circumstances over Which the few who
were int crested in the project conri e1crc;se
10 cohtrcl. Il was postponed indefinitely BE-
he war. But we haze new reached ucrio;, |
# progress when the great political, social ,
md commercial and industrial changes which !
IRE about to take Pic. absolutely deiuapa |
tnt! enforce the construction IF fli:is road =
South Carolina granted charter f.r this i
'oad in 1851. Those who had been actively t
Engaged i'll obtaining Tie charter found that i
he session Of the Legislature la3 passed I
.way, ard that nothia;,; further could be OBJ: d
aimed OF that time. IN he succeeding year, b
hey :nsvcd upon the Legislature Of Georgi;. z
Sc ai:c prudent. jealous in everything thai b
:rT!ans 10 The interest Of that Slate-and y
.b:aired the passage of an Act authorizing !;
be construction Of road from the terminus a
'f the North Carolina Railroad to iniersec n
he South Carolina Railroad, passing through Il
jlayton, Ga, in Rabun County, 20 Anderson, t
II S,ulll Caro!iaa. There wsra then twc E
har;crs granted for two links III ills read. i.
In February, 1862, tic State cf Tennessee C
hroush its Legislature. grated liberal Il
hartcr for q company 10 construct I road 5
rom Knoxville, iii that State, to unite with 81
!o North Carolina Railroad. &. the North {.
,arolila lire, cndowing 1t With The largest d
risileaes; comforting upon il al the privil- 81
ges which it had conferred upon any rail- =
Dad in the State CT Tennessee, ana giving il
hem the power and facilities Of ting Il
'ith those other railroads. G
Finally, followed the action Of our own st
legislature, which, in December, 1862, pass Ia
a the Act Incorporating the Blue Ridge lr
.alroad Ia South Carolina, and authorizing "
s connection and constellation with tue b.
Lher roads. This was rendered essential by III
lie charter gQuied by the Stale of Georgia, o.
ne of the cequrements being that tie road .a
,ould lntersect with the railroad in South
arolna OF Anderson, privilege and fran Il,
li5e which the State of Georgia was inconl- ia
etcnt to confer. gi
By subsequent legislation, tie Stare agreed q
subscribe $l,3l0.G00 to The capital stock; ; ~
ie city of Charleston had previously sab to
ribcd 81 100000, which, together with pri or
tie subscriptions and the sale of 100000 dr
,nortage. bonds, produced an aggregate fr
IN of $4,000, 900 all OF which has been 20
id up and actually expended upon TIC SUBJ in
antial work OF the road, such as excavation, or
rnelirg, elnbankments, excavation Of rocks, d.
asonry ftr bridges, and ether expensive :
1rks that lave cote vast amount Of money.
R cent examinations show that the work te,
MS accomplished IS IN good state OF pre- ha
rvation, having suffered very little from the wo
pse of time. The whole cost Of construc- II,
IN and running stock is estimated ct 81 800: an
%. Tho sum already expended leaves nr
o. .i45OO,OO0 to be provided; $2OG0OO0 ad
So, 100000 should lie raised by subScrip- fri
N to the capital stock, and S2,3OO,OGO SCI
,m the uxexpendcd remainder of the first rs,
ortgage bonds. The mortgage provides RAJ
$1,000, 900, and only about 100000 has an,
en- sold. m
In order to carry out this noble work, we wa w
lst ascertain whether the people of Cincn- On,
ii and Kentucky, who are now actively pr
gagged in completing the connection be M
cen Cincinnati, Chattanooga and Knox tbe
le, will consent to come. into ard assist RI