The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-11-13

his return freight ola Portsmouth, Va, four
hundred and seventy railroad miles away. But
SO it is proposed to be done, and the considera-
tion Of the subject of the carrying trade is thus
forced upon US, and we must decide whetherw we
will meet these innovations, and by concert of
action defeat them, or confne our efforts to
local business. We are very we'll aware that
there are some who deplore the new order of
things which obtrudc upon us in the shape of
telegraph wires, railroads and steamships
main ain that Charleston was better off when
upper King street was q succession Of wagon
yards, and when the then infant crop Of cup
lantls,' was brought to town in wagons, drawn
by the most patient Of mules
But all that is now changed;,sand while it
might be vew well to run wagons and trade up
the King street road, we must either persuade
our neighbors at Portsmouth to adopt o similar
plan, or avail ourselves of the wires rolls and
steamships, and bid for our share such business
as is now Offering.
But there arc also great many more who
object strongly to any "through rate echemes,o
upon the ground that it gives the go-by to.
Charleston. Now, the only way to test the wis
dom of this objection is to ask this question: ::
HOW much back country does Charleston con-
troll in trade-that is, what sections of our
State depend absolutely on Charleston asaport
of entry? Is this field wide enough to make
Charleston a great city? Beginning OF the
western side of the State, The Savannah River
draws to its hundred landings, The produce for
twenty to twenty-five miles inland up to Ander
son and Pickens; at Augusta the Central Road
compctes in th interest of Savannah; on the line
of the South Carolina Railroad to Hamburg we
branch to Columbia; bat the Wilmington and
Manchester Road offers inducements 10 Will
mington at Kingville, through Sumter, Marion,
and other rich districts; and the Northeastern
Road is cut off one hundred miles from this
city by the same line. Above Columbia we get
some little benefit from the line Of the Green
vile Road and the Spattanburg and Union Road;
but the Charlotte Road hos been for six months
in the interest of the Portsmouth route, and
has made the effort, if it has not succeeded, to
carry every bele of cotton on its line to New
York uia Portsmouth. In fact, this corporation
has actually bid for the Columbia business but
not successfully. If our readers, therefore, will
take q map, they will see thatbut little ground is
left us on which to build up and sustain port,
offering large shipping facilities; and if NE de-
termine to give our attention only to our local
trade, we shall not want one-fourth as many
steamers and sailing packets as we now employ.
The fact is, no seaport can extend itself on its
own limited local trade. With the network Of
railways and the fleets Of steamers 10 other
points, Charleston must retrograae under such
a policy.
Of course this is not to be thought of The
$50, 100000 of real estate in this city alone
the millions more invested in railroads, to the
dividends from which hundreds are now look
ing with eager eyes as a means of support-the
unemployed thousands who would stand idle on
our wharves and streets-all these tell US we
must go forward and compete for business.
We shall take occasion, at on curly day, to
renew the consideration Of these matters.