The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-09-02
BLUE RIDGE RAILRoAD--aovEBNoE's HES
SAGE.

BLUE RIDGE RAILRoAD--aovEBNoH's NEs-
SAGE.
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Rspre'en-
tatives:
In my inaugural message, expressed the ntou-
ton of submitting to your honorable body plan
for the early completion Of the Blue Ridge Rail
road. In accordance Herewith, now invite your
earnest consideration of the subject, and invoke
such action by you as she'll speedily achieve this
great result.
For more than forty years, the Importance OF
uniting the West with the South Atlantic coast has
been urged BY the leading nteects of the country
and many of the railroads constructed during that
period, on both sides Of the mountains, have been
! built with view to their direct tributary coz
I neetion with this great national highway. Roads
| from Branchville to Columbia, from Columbia to
GreenYilfe, Abbevile and Anderson, from Columbia
to Spartapbsrg, from Columbia to Charlotte, and
from Charlotte to Statesville, Morganton and Ashe-
vile, and the several roads extending from Gin
einnati and Louisville towards Knoxville and from
Knoxville towards the Blue Ridge, are all but the
off -ghoots Of this great enterprise. Even eorly
| as 1885, when delegates from nine States assem-
bled in railroad convention at Knoxville, it Was
declared to be the most magnificent and important
public work projected in cur country.
After Ipaturs deliberatiou, end critical survey
BY the most distinguished engineers it was decided
to locate the route between Anderson, S, c.. and
Knoxville, Tenn, the distance being only 1875
miles. The total cost Of the undertaking, it was
estimated by Colonel Gwin, the Chief Engineer in
! 1seO, would not exceed 81, ,5f5,6 ST.. The work
was commenced under the most favorable auspices,
and energeticaly pressed forward until 1860, when
operations were suspended by the war. At this
time, thirty-four miles Of tho road had been COM
pleted and were in running order. Much of the
grading and masonry in the remaining territory
of South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina
also finished, so that the work may now be said to
bo moro than half completed. In this connection,
/ it is proper to etate that the grading in South
Carolina alone is nearly equal to the whole grading
| in North Carolina and Tennessee; the bridge and
arch masonry in South Carolina is nearly equal TO
all the bridge and arch masonry of the remainder
of the road while the tunnels in South Carolina
exceed nearly all the tunneling on the rest Of the
| line.
The sum expended upon this gigantic work is
So, ,2S7 25S-about half the estimated cost of the
whole road, and there has been incurred debt Of
only S230,OO0 besides interest, which is secured
| by an issue Of first mortgage bonds. The State
has subscribed and paid in State bonds 81 000
The city OF Charleston has subscribed and paid in
city script S1049, 900; that the State and city
are interested in the fortunes Of the road to the
amount of about S3,00O,000 This estimate in
| bonds. The railroad company likewise own TO-,
600 of land, and have the promise, ON citi-
zens living along the route, of 100000 acres more
as soon as the work is resumed. This land will,
on its completion, become very valuable. Is it
wise financial policy for the State, by Withholding
the further aid required, to hazard sale of the
assets of the road by the trustees under the frs:
mortgage bonds, and permit some rival enterprise
to enjoy the benefit so nearly within our reach (?
The advantages of the Blue Ridge Road over
any other that has been projected are manifest.
| lst II is the shortest liue through the noun
tains from tho seabonrd to the Ohio River. 1t
| must therefore, always command both trade end
travel The great West exports corn, wheat,
-four, bacon, lard, tobacco. Whskey, lime, salt,
mules and cattle. These find an outlet through
New York and Baltimore on the one side, and Mo-
bile and New Orleans ON the other. At the pres
ent time, bacon may be found Anderson which was
shipped from Cincinnati to Wheeling, thence to
Baltimore, thence to Charleston, and thence to the
INTERIOR distance of more than ! 800 miles
Were the Blue Ridge Railroad completed, the dis
tance from Anderson to Knoxville would be only
| 1876 miles, and from Knoxville to Cincinnati less
! than 800 miles, making total of 49o miles, and
saving in travel and expense 1000 miles. TO il
| lustrate this item Of expense, corn which in
Columbia before the war cost one dollar bushel,
| could be bought Just across The mountains m Ten
nessee for twenty cents.
ID During the winter months, Northern roads
are frequently obstructed by snow, and business
is seriously interrupted. AT no time is such
casualty likely to occur in the softer climate Of
these Southern States Our ports will always be
| an outlet through which the West con supply the
markets of the world, and receive in return not
only the wealth of distant peoples but the rice
and cotton of our own fertile fields Terminating
as the road will, upon coast ut Charleston and
| Port Royal, it has further material advantage
over those lines which terminate upon the Guf Of
Mexico. Hero the freighted ship may proceed di-
rect to the sea. There she must round the capes
of Florida, and encounter the increased difficult
ties and dangers Of navigation, consuming timc
and swelling the cost Of transportation and insu-
rnnce.
| 3d. The Blue Ridge Railrosd passes through n
country rich in resources of every kind. The soil
is of unequalled fertility and adapted to nearly
all profitable species of agriculture Gold, silver,
| ir.., coal and copper mines abound, and only wait
to be tapped by tho hand of industry to add their
vast stores to the wealth of the nation. Brnploy-
ment may thus be furnished to thousands Of stur-
dy laborers from every portioa of Christendom !;
emigration will be encouraged; hitherto unsettled
country will be opened TO enterprise; our water
courses will be peopled; manufactures will rear
their pleasant shapes villages will expand into
towns and towns into cities business will thrive
| nnd its pursuits become more diversified; and, in
short, the whole State will feel the pulses of o
new life throbbing through this great artery of
trade.
Ah The Blue Ridge Railroad will Be the feeder
Of every other railroad in South Carolina, and o
largo and remunerative local business must super
sede the present stagnation. Charleston and Co.
lumbia, as commercial centres of the State, are
not only to be benefited, but Port Royal, with its
best harbor on the Atlantic coast between Pensa-
cola and tho Chesapeake, must become railroad
centre, from which imports will be distributed to
the North, West and South, harbor wherein ships
will likewise be gathered from every quarter OF
the world to receive at that terminus Of this great
highway the freight which the West and South
would exchange for the products of the old world
and the East and West Indies. 1t is well known