The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-15
THE AsHVILLE RAILROAD MEETING
AGAIE.


ceedings of O. convention held ut Ashville, North
Carolina, to promote the construction OF
the North Carolina Central marrow guage)
Railroad, which is intended to connect thst
nCourt House" on the Western border OF the
old North State with its seaports on the East
or Atlantic shore We, at the same time, IN
dulged ip some remarks, at the singular
phenomena OF some good citizens oil Spartan
burg and Greenville, participating in these
proceedings, which, from purely business
point of view, are certsinly not favorable to
any South Carolina interests, that we know o.
The Greenyille Enterprise returns to nus
subject in its issue of the 9Th, and INDUCES IN
column and half Of dissertation, which for
directness may be compared 10 the line OF the
Greenville and Columbia Rail Road, which Is
popularity supposed to go to every mans premi-
ses on both sides of the Saluda.
In order TO attract attention to the proposed
sixty miles of road, to be built Of course, and
to which nobody has put down cent, while
So, 900 o09 will be required to accomplish it
the Editor of the Enterprise" allows his
imagination to picture an immense rush of
traffic and passengers from Southwestern Geor-
pia 10 Greenville, over the Greenville and
Columbia Railroad, from Aiken to SO, which
unfortunately is another $S,000,O00 obstacle,
for the road is only chartered and not built
and if ever built, some wonderful change will
haye TO be wrought, before the aforesaid
rush takes place. But We cannot spare time
to do more to the Ashville scheme in general
way, and will not point out the glarlng geo.
oraphicsl errors into which our mountain CO.
temporary has fallen.
Briefly then, to suppose that the immense
tonnage of the Northwest seeking an outlet on
the South Atlantic coast, will do its business
over circuitous route, and break bulk in the
mountains from narrow TO- broad-guage
road, is to suppose condition OF things Just
The reverse of what obtains in all similar cases.
This is the great obiection-greater than cross
ing the Blue Ridge Mountains; for North
Carolina will never widen her railroad guage,
and South Carolina will hardly narrow her
railroad tracks 10 suit But there is another
controlling reason why this Paint Rock, Ash
Vile, Greenville, spartanburg, Middle and
Southern Georgia, Montgomery and New Or
leans scheme will never inspire enthusiasm or
achieve success Leaving out of consideration
the millions needed for these neighborhood
roads, from Greenville and Spartanburg to
Ashville, and for the so-caled Greenville and
Columbia Railroad, from Aiken to Nnety-Si1,
there is power actually at work which is fast
solving the great problem of railroad connec-
tion with the Ohio River Louisville and Gin
cinnati are both working hard towards Knox
Vile Tennessee, and we have it from authority
which we deem sufficient, that, from this lat
Ter point, the lines of the Blue Ridge Railroad
are considered go far superior to all others pro-
posed that influential capitalists are now con-
sidering, in connection with the parties in
interest, the best plan for an early resumption
of work on this road. We look for early re-
suits And is there business man who does
not know that if work is delayed on the Blue
Ridge Railroad even until Louisville and Gin
cinnati reach Knoxville, that it must then be
taken. up and pushed forward, and once the
cars run through the Rabun Gap to Walhalla,
just 30 certain, will their business momentum
push them on and on, in an almost air line,
through Anderson, Abbeville and Edgefeld to
Aiken The handwriting is on the wall,
for an almost air line from Aiken to the Ohio
river, via Edgefeld, Abbevlle, and Anderson
For South Carolina or Charleston with S3,OOO,-
600 already invested and available, to lend
themselves to side issues and neighborhood
roads is two ridiculous to be for one moment
considered.
1t is high time that all this local Court Mouse
prejudice should be done away with. 1t is not
possible for every Court House in South Caro-
lima to be on the line of the Broad Guage
Main Trunk Road through the Stste to the
ocean. If it comes to this that we are to
have for our great Northwestern Railroad
an ealarged copy of the Greenville and COlum'
bia Railroad with its curves and angles, we
would respectfully beg to be excused from
either engaging in, or countenapcing such an
enterprise.