The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-07-22

as the great wine making districts Of Spain
and Portugal. The Swede and the Dane
will find ample scope and verge for their
talents for mining in our gold and lead
regions, while eveu the Uolland.r NAV
exercise his cunning in draining the marsh
lands of our low country, which he may
get almost for the asking. Our rivers,
Astounding with noble falls, are running to
waste, when they should resound with the
hum of thousands of busy spindles. These
invite the manufacturer of the North, who
will find labor among us abundant and
cheap, and may look from his own door
upon the fields white with the cotton that
supplies his mill.
RAILROADS.
According to the eighth census of the
United States, there were nine hundred
and eighty seven (9s7) miles of railroad
in South Carolina at the close of the year
! 1860 built at a cost of twenty two mil
lions three hundred and eighty FIVE thou
sand (22, 1886, ,Ooo) dollars.
1t may be interesting to observe that
the Charleston and Hamburg Road was
the first passenger railway constructed in
the United States 1t was commenced in
the spring of 1929, and six (6) miles were
completed in that year. 1t is a notewor-
thy fact that before the use of locomotives
was established in Great Britain, or they
were known in the United States, the di
rcctors of this road determined, under the
advice OF their engineer, Mir Horatio
Allen, to make them exclusively the mo-
tive power The same gentleman, i'll the
winter Of 1929, made the drawings Of the
first American steam locomotive, called
the BEST Friend which was planned by
Mr. E. L. Miller, of Charleston. Upon
the Charleston and Hamburg Road was
introduced in 1891, for the first time OH any
railroad in the world, the important ar
angement Ct two four (4) wheeled trucks
for locomotives and long passenger cars.
The facts here stated are designed to
show that the State has never been want
ing in men Of mechanical genius, with the
capacity to achieve the greatest enter
,.rises, if properly encouraged. South
Carolina, although the first TO initiate
railway system, has prosecuted it to a very
limited extent, compared with the demands
Of her commerce and the resources Of her
soil. The facility with which railroads can
be bail, in this State is evidenced by the
fAca that the railroads of South Carolina
have cost in their construction less per
mile than any of equal length III the Uni
ted States / would recommnnd the fos-
teriny Of these great and benefcent pub
lie enterprises by the State, SO far as may
be consistent with the proper maintenance
of other important public interests. AT
Int
should be generously, but judiciously, fos
tered, yet suitable laws should be enacted
to regulate their tariff OF charges for
freight and passengers, or otherwise they
NAV Cypress all classes by their excessive
rates, and check the trade and enterprise
OF the people.
Railroads are the main arteries of COM
merce. They stimulate production by
bringing the market within easy reach Of
the producer. They give an impetus to
every branch of trade, while they promote
unity aud good will among great popula-
tlons, by enablil s them tc circulate freely
among each other. would especially re-
commend that The State should furnish all
the aid that it can expediently for the
speedy completion of the Blue Ridge
Railroad. The Importance Of that road
to the people Of the State at large cannot
well be over estimated. Starting at An
derson Courthouse as prolongation of
the westerly branch Of the Greenville and
Columbia Railroad, it will traverse por-
tions of the Counties of Anderson and
Pickens, and Of the States vf Georgia,
North Carolina and Tennessee, having its
western terminus at Knoxville, whence it
will have connections with Chattanooga.
the great local point of southwestern rail
roads. 1t will also connect at Knoxville
with roads running direct to Louisville,
Kentucky, and CINCINNATI. Ohio. The
entire length of the road will be one hun
dred and ninety six miles, of which fifty
two miles lie within the limits Of South
Carolina. Thirty four (34) miles Of this
distance have been finished, and are now
in running order from Anderson to Wal
hala.
''The Blue Ridge Railroad Company in
South Carolina was chartered by the
Legislature of this State in 1852; but nm
toward events, among them the alleged
bad faith of the first contractors, have
prevented the prosecution of the work
upon it.
The total amount thus far expended on
the road is three millions two hundred and
fifty thousand (*3,25o,ooo) dollars. The
additional amount required to complete it
is stated by the President of the road at
three millions five hundred thousand (3,-
500, ,ooo) dollars. This increased estimate
of cost per mile over that portion already
constructed is due to the heavy amount of
tunncling that will be required in getting
through the Blue Ridge. The State now
owns stock in this read to the amount of
one million three hundred and ten thou
sand q 100000 dollars.
The present bonded debt OF the COM