The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-05-10
THE BLUE RIDGE RAILROAD.

on inc Bup)ect OF Tue DUO NiuSe huiir0uu' IA
this is one of the most important enterprises in
which our people have engaged, We append Mr..
Trenholm's remarks as reported by the heChatleston
Courier:
MR. PRESIDENT AnD GENTLEMEN: L desire to
avail myself Of the present occasion to call your
attention to the Importance Of project which,
before the commencement Of the aate war, had, in
great degree, engaged the attention Of the PeO-
pie OF this State, and in which q large amount Of
capital has been invested that is noN lying idle
and unproductiye.
In January, 1854, the State Of North Carolina,
OF the instance Of few spirited, enlightened and
enterprsing citizens Of that State granted char
ter for company to construct railroad from the
point where the line Of the State Of Tennessee
crossed the Tennessee River to the point where
theGeorgia line crossed the same river, near the
village Of franklin, in North Carolina, distance
Of about seventy three miles. The importance OF
that grant was perhaps notthoroughly understood,
except By the few who had been actively engaged
in obtaining il. It mas departure from the
cherished policy OF North Carolina, which had
been consistently and firmly opposed to every
project for the construction Of o railroad aoross
the State In direction TO bring trade and traffic
beyond it's borders in the direction Of Che seaport
of South Carolina. It had beon opposed 10 carry
Ing the traffic and trade Of that State either to
South Carolina or Virginia. They had not only
been opposed to granting privileges to accomplish
these objects, but they threw every obstacle in the
way Of existing railroads being made to oonduco to
those ends By requiring that the North Carolina
railroads should have . gaago different from both
those Of Virginia and South Carolina, end By ae-
fusing, as the Sentlemee here all know, fer long
time 10 permit connection 90 be made between
Charlotte and Danvillo, which is part Of thss
policy. This road began at no place and tormiaa-
ted 81 no plaoo. Il brought nothing from any
whore. It carried nothing in The direction Of any
important place. But thosc who projected the en-
terpriso saw clearly that the people Of Cincinnad
and the great commercial and manufacturing in
terests Of the intervening country Of Tennessee
and kentucky, would, in tho progress Of time, in-
evitaby seek an outlet to our own Atlantic coast;
and looking at the outlet with an eye of intelli-
gence, forecast and judgment, for which they we're
entitled to great credit, they forosaw what had
been conceived and counted upon. II MAS that as
the Mississippi River made DETECTION towards
the sea at New Madrid bend and the borders Of
the State Of Tennessee, making largo indenture
towards tho Atlantic coast, and the Atlantic coast
ON the other hand, DETECTING from Cape Hatteras,
taking from thencca Sonth-wcstern direction, with
a straight line drawn from the Mississippi River,
made the shortest railroad route that could be
made from the Mississippi River to any point on
the Atlantic coast In other words, that rail-
road commencing at Cincinnati, and from thence
passing! through Nashville Knoxville, OF any in
terror points, seeking an outlet on the Atlantic
coast, would be shorter by several hundred miles
to Charleston than 10 Boston, Philadelphia or
Norfolk.
This railroad in North Carolina, which have
spoken of, was intended to form the link in that
direction, and the construction Of it is inevitable.
Itis question merely of time. It was interrupted,
before the war, by circumstances over which the
few who we're interested in the project could e1er-
oise no control II was postponed indefinitely by
tho rar But ne have now reached apcriod Of
progress when the great POLITICAL social and COM
mercial and industrial changes which are about to
take place absolutely demand and enforce tho con-
struction Of this road.
South Carolina granted charter for the road in
1851 Those who had been actively engaged in
obtaining the charter found that the session of the
Legislature had passed away, and that nothing
further could be obtained at that time. In the
succeeding year, they moved upon the Legislature
of Georgia-so wise, prudent, jealous in everything
that pertains to the interest of that Stateand OBJ
tanned the passage Of an Act authorizing the con-
struction Of road from the terminus of the North
Carolina Railroad to intersect tho South Carolina
Railroad, passing through Clayton, Georgia, in
Rabun County to Anderson, in South Carolina.
Thcrs werc then two charters granted for two
links in this road
In February, 1862 tho State of Tennessee,
through its Legislature, granted liberal charter
for company to construct road from Knoxville,
in that State, to unite with the North Carolina
Railroad, at the North Carolina line, cndowing it
with tho largest privileges; comforting upon it all
the privileges which it had conferred upon any
railroad in tho State of Tennessee, and giving
them the power and facilities Of connecting with
those other railroads.
Finally, followed the action Of our own Legsla-
turo, which, in December, 1862, passed the Act
incorporating the Blue Ridge Railroad in South
Carolina, and authorizing its connection and con-
solidation with the other roads. This was render
cd essential by tho charter granted by tho Stato OF
Georgia, one Of the requirements being that the
road would interseot with the railroad in South
Carolina as Anderson, q privilege end franchise
which the State Of Georgia vaa incompetent 70
confer.
By subsequent legislation, the State agreed to
subscribe $l,3lO,OOO to tho capital stock the
city of Charleston had previously subscribed ST.
05O, 600, which, together with private subsorip-