The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-03
Projected Railroads.

To the E&aor of lhe Daily Ne,cs
: We IRE a very peculiar people in Charleston; at
regular intervals We hive spasmodic hopes about
the future greatness of the city, to be brought
about by building few miles OF railroad, and
these hopes are never realized We remember,
when tho sMemphis" and the Nashville" Roads
wore under construction how we warmed up and
snasmodically paid down cool million in gold to
hurry them through and how very chilly we felt
when we found the sWestern and Atlantic Rail
,oadn inst in between us and our million dollars
and o,lr expected trade-we stood in Charleston
and looked over what we thought was an rnbroken
Railroad connection to thu Mississippi River at
Memphis. and TO the OHIO River at Louisville, hy.
but We conld get nothing from this great coun-
try because controlling interests were against US,
and are so now, and learned, too late that We n ad
paid our money too hastily.
To correct our million n-of-dollars-blunder we are
now told that the best route to Memphis, and
through Nashville to Louisville is to run ral'-
road from Atlanta Ga, to Decatur, AlaDama. When
you look at the map now, you exclaim what FOLLY
to have helped build road through Chattanooga.
.s II trns ont in the interest OF Norfolk, and to
find after million is nisspent, and ton years or
time is lost. that we must build the Atlanta and
Decatrr road. to put ourselves right his road,
when built. will be but the prolonsaton, on nearly
an air line of the great Georgia Railroad" with
which the South Carolina Railroad is IN necessary
aliiance-and when built, Charleston an6 Memphis
will be really united-and We may then count on
the Cottons of North Alabama and Tennessee.
we are favored, nowadays, with another inviting
scheme Some enthusiastic writer, standing NJ
Macon. and looking towards Charleston, has dis
covered that it would be grand thing to nave
sixty miles OF railroad between Miilen and
Saikahatchie Depot, on the Charleston and Sa-
yannah Railroad, and everybody says amen!
1t is selfeyidont propcsition that it Is shorter
line to Charleston from Macon than any other
that it is in the prolongation Of almost an air line
from Vicksburg, ON the Mississippi River, to
Charleston, and that great results would follow,
not the building of the road but the practical
working Of it, in the interest OF Charleston. How
is that to be accomplished? Suppose, by mira
Gle this track from Salkahatche to NIillen should
be discovered to be laid to-lay and ready for the
trsins, and suppose train of cars with goods Or
Macon, Columbus Montgomery, and other points,
should leave Charleston, wha! would be the prac
tical res,t? When it reached M;nen, President
WADLEY, Of the Central Road, would likely be
there, with similar train from Savannah, which
would go Through" while your Charleston train
would be switched into Depot and the cars un-
loaded. Now il this is, what may De very reason
ably expected, what good will Charleston get out
of the sixty miles 70 new road? We see nothing
but disappointment, for the cotton from Macon Tor
Charleston will be thrown out at Aillen, whie that
for Savannah will go on without breaking bulk.
We write not in opposition to the "Millen
branch )" ne think it great work for Charleston !;
but before Charleston invests one cent in it, we
want to know if we are to s'break bulk" at Mlllen
and Charleston should pause for reply to that
question. AIR LINES.