Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-07-28

| icl with the Louisville Road, and to pass along
side OF it, through the gap. This alone would
| DC sufficient to condemn it; but in addition
to this, the Louisville Road will, probably, be
at London, before they reach the point Of in,
tcrscction with it, near Danville.
At London, Louisville will be practically
within thirty-scvcn miles of the complete rail.
road connection with Knoxville, for London
is but thirty seven miles from The Tennessee
line BY adopting the Louisville road there
fore, as n common trunk Cincinnati will at
once bc brought as near to Knoxville as Lou
isvillc, and avoid besides the expense of con
struet'ng one hundred and twenty miles of
road through mountainous and difficult
country.
The earnest determination of the Louisville
people to accomplish the construction of the
road to Knoxville, is best exhibited in the res
olutious adopted by their Board of Trade since
the departure of your committee from their
city. copy is annexed to this report, and
is respectfully referred to.
In. Knoxville an equal spirit prevails. The
length of this road (from Knoxvilc to the
kentucky lnc) is sixty -four miles, the cost is
estimated at Sl,750,O0O, and $3.50 900 of
the capital is already provided. Their first
aim will be to reach the coal deposits on Coal
Creek, i'll Campbell County, a distance of
about thirty -four miles. This was, doubtless,
the chief incentive to the undertaking; but
the President of the Company, Mr.. McG chcc,
a most practicable and reliable man, pledged
himself at the meetings held in Cincinnati and
Louisville to accomplish his partpf the work,
and to meet the Louisville Road at the State
line.
w lat Will then remain to be done to effect
tho long sought connection between the North
west and the South tlantic, will be simply
the completion of the remaining one hundred
and sixtyfour miles of the Blue Ridge Rail
road. This will then become matter of alb
soIutc necessity. TO leave it in its present
unfinished condition, when the great and cx-
pcnsivc works, now in progress, shalt have
been completed, will be to bridge the stream,
and stop short of the shore; to win the race,
""iFl HE DeGGfieff object in coming to Knoxville
would be to reach the South Atlantic sea-
ports; the preference given to Knoxville, in
the effort to accomplish this purpose, must
have been determined by the superiority of the
advantages offered by the Blue Ridge Rail
road for surmounting the intervening noun
tain barrier he choice, your committee arc
more persuaded than ever, has been wisely
made
and ninety eight miles in length the grade
eastward is fortyfivc feet westward sixty
feet 'lhirty-four miles have been built sub
Grafton. One hundred and sixty, four miles
lest and most costly work has also been
donc-n tuhncling, bridge masonry, and
square drains or culverts Twenty miles Of
the grading south of Knoxville has been com
plctcd, aud also the most costly and difficult
portion of the stone abutments and piers for
bridging the IIolston. Three millions of dol
lars have been exncnded on these works, of
which only $250,000 was borrowed, under
the mortgage, authorized by the Legislature.
Of the sum invested by the stock holders
(about $3.50 ,000,) the company are willing
to sacrifice considerable portion, by rcduc
ton of their shares, or by the issue of q pre-
ferred stock, holding their own in abcyance.
In the estimation of your committee this
is great and substantial advantage to offer to
those who, having q common interest with
ourselves may be disposed to furnish the cap
ital for its completion. The sum required is
about 81 500 900, the original estimate for the
whole work having been 81 800, ,O00-of this
sum(4,600 ,Q00)S500 900 will be obtained from
! the State Of Tennessee, as the proportion of
State aid to Which the road in Tennessee is
entitled, under the general law Of that State
! to MD Che construction of railroads.
| There are unissucd 80, $50, 900 of the com
paDys bonds, secured by a first mortgage of
all It's property in the several States (saving SO
much of the Tennessee Road as may be re-
quircd to secure that State for its loan as
above stated)c These would, doubtless, be-
come available in the progress of the work,
leaving not moro than S2,000,0O0 to $4,000,
900 to be raised by subscriptions to the capital
stock.
This amount having preference of divi-
dends, would apparently, be safe invest,
ment; it can hardly be doubted that so great
n thoroughfare would have business enough
to pay the interest on 4-7tl,s of the cost, nanie
! L., nn I'll TSn O00 rl,n ,uhor Il is