The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-04
HARIEsToN TO CINCINNATI.
Great Through Line-Shortest Route
only seventy-four Miles to be Com :
rletcd The Broken Ltnk-spnrtan-
burg, $. c., to AshviIle, NJ G.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

ToTHE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
The interest you seem to feel in the improve
ments of the country, and especially in railroad
ENTERPRISES. induces me to request the publica-
ton pr few facts which may not be generally
kno-,u. allude to the extension OF the Spar
TAM irg Road to Ashvile, N. c., distance OF
seyenty-four miles, which is all that remains
to complete the great enterprise began in 1885,
called the Louisville, Cincinnati and Charles
ton Railroad" all the balance now being
completed or in course OF construction. This
line passes directly Though the centre of
Sonth Carolina and cannot be tapped at any
noint 30 as to divert the business IN any other
G,rectlon. On the contrary, this route has the
advantage over any other, both in qnectness,
easy GRADES, and light curvatures. Ii you Will
stretch thread from Columbia to Cumberland
Gap. YOU will bo surprised to see now near lt
strikes Spartanburg Courthouse, .. W, Duts
Mountain and Ashville, N. c., Paint Rock and
MorrisIov Te.nessea, ard Cumberland Gap,
on the line OF Kentucky and Tennessee. AT the
corner OF the State OF Virginia, the three States
come together on Cumberland Mountain. For
the trnt6 of nv assertions, refer you TO the
renorts of Major McNel, who had twelys brig
AIDES of engineers tor more than year, VINO
examined the whole mountain range IIom VIZ
elnia to Georgia In ms report Nt ~ .e ntOa toa
has clearly pointed odt the true route by which
yonr communication with the ocean may be
most easily efected-by the valley OF the
French Broad River. BY this route
which is believed to be without parallel in
the topography of tho world" In this conven-
tion nine States were represented, by three
hundred and eighty delegates, VINO. after
,his ronte. Tho City of Louisville, Kentucky,
sent a delegation to Norfolk, w., in October
last To secure communication by rail to that
,;tv-vhich delegation succeeded IN making
Arrangements with the various railroad com-
panies and with the City OF Norfolk, ny which
The connection is to be made. The Clty Coun.
cil Of Louisville unanimously adopted their
recommendations and pledged means 10 carry
out the work. This connection beng fixed
fact. and Cumberland Gap tho objective point,
LET us compare distances. From this gap TO
Norfolk 1s 6ve-hundred and two miles, and
io iharloston tour hundred and thlrty-fve
villas. siyty-seyen miles in favor OF Charleston.
From Cumberland Gap to Morristown, on the
East Tennossee and Virginia Railroad, is fifty
one miles; Charleston is thlrty-one miles near
or than Richmond, and ninety-one miles nearer
NV the French Broad than by Knoxville and
the Biue Ridge Road. From Morrlstown, by
tbe Paint Rock to Ashville, is eighty.seven
miles. Tho North Carolina Central Railroad,
from Beaufor VIA Salisbury and Morgaptown,
will he completed to Ashvillc within the next
eighteen months or two years.
The Wilmington and Rutherford hoad, from
Wilmington via Charlotte, Llncointon; Shelpy,
Rntherior,iton. Columbus and Henderson to
AsLyIllo. is now being constructed, and ample
means provided for its completion. Suppose
oll th SO roads be built and in operation, South
Carolina mud Charleston will be lett out in the
cold unless wo move forward and till up this
short GAP of only seventy-four miles. From
Ashyille to Beaufort, N. o., is tour hundreu
and sixteen miles, to Charleston two hundred
and plnety-scyen miles-bcing one hundred
and niuotecn miles in favor OF Charleston.
From Ashvll.e to Wilmington. by the Whining,
ton and Rutherfordton Road, is three hundred
and thlrty-three miles, giving Charles'on the
advantage OF thiry-slX miles over Wilmington.
Reviewing the whole line from actual survey,
Charleston has si1ty-seven miles advantage
over Norfolk, thirty-one over klchroond, one
hundred aud nineteen over Beauiore, anu
thirty.slx over Wilmington. If we fail to ouikl
this link. wc lose all the trade OF the West,
and largo part of the trade we now get Will
be drawn of when these other lines are COM
pleted. But build this link to AshVllle and
charleston. and the State will draw large
share of both through and way business. The
agricultural and mineral resources OF thls VAST
country cannot be over-estlmated. Inc proVl-
SION States of the West have and must con-
tinue to furnish the cotton, sugar and rice
fields with horses and mules and provisions for
the laborers. These can be brought direct
where they are wanting without going the clr-
cnitous route by New York or Baltimore, which
will give business to laborers oil along the line,
bring in capital enterprise, aud deVelope tne
resources OF tho country, keeping money mere
instead Of sending it oh to enrlcn oIner COLL
md
importapce cannot be attached to the mineral
resources of those vast mountain regions tnat
heretofore have been land-locked and mountain
bound. Cumberland Mountain and much OF
the country this side abOundJ III coal whlcn ls
said to be of excellent quality and easily oo-
tained as it is seen cropping out IN large veins
in many places over large section OF country,
enough to supply any demand nKciy 10 ge
made for centuries TO come. Iron also apounds
in nexhaustible quantities iD immediate pro1-
unity to the coal and limestone region. salt ID
produced irow.the salt springs or wells ID any
Quantity thai may be desired, ut low rales-the
coal under ylng the mountain on both sizes OF
the valley where tho salt Is made;
There is another article OF lncalculaole vaue
as fertilizer, which IS now Delh! extensively
used for agricultural purposes aliude 10 wnat
10 known there as pIister OF mari, Which ls
found in uoxhaustlblo banks, or, might
s.y. folds. This eau bo quarrlei and soid
on ihs SPOT for So so TO So per ton III its
crudo stLte. Marble of great variety ana inc
finest quality, sad by some 10 be equai 10 the
Italian marble, is fund there. tSeo specimens
at the new state clpital.) II is MT douo' Cd
TINT coppor. lead and other minerals also
abound. II is known that tho LOAD mines oI
West Virginia havo been c1 enslve!y WORKED
for more Lnan quarter of century. SnouIu
any ono doubt the ADVANTAGES OF raliroao COM
mrnicolion between different sections OF the
country, woulI refer llln 10 The Ulty oi Da.si1
more IS an example OF tho power Oh ra1li1au p'3.e
cnmmunlcation, That city, before the Balti-
moro und Ohio Rlilroad was built, contained
iess than ono hundred thousand inhabitants,
4l.h comparatively Little commerce. Baltimore
ia to-day q proud tity of fur hundred thou
sand inhabitants, aud her commercial rcla-
tions extending to almost overy part oI ths
globe. Norfolk, seeing the ncces SHY OF lnlanu
cu,n mn n1ca ion is leading out Iur her share vi
the trado of the great West North Carollun
has expended and Is now eXpchdlnG, IL Is saiG
near forty millions for the same purpose. Looh
at ronuessec aud Georgia. Both tnes9 oIaV D.
long before the war; made giant strlues III lali-
road improvements, ald are no" reaPil'S .n1
bcnei,t South 'aro!ina Occupying a central
nosit on o. The t,ntic, must move forward or
BIZ left. never to gain tho lost prize. ASK the
Charleston merchant whore large portion OF
his Gus. ON csmo from twenty-five years ago.
He will tell YOU, Western North Caroina
mud East Tennessee Ask him II he ever secs
one vi those Gus o;ncrs nov Dnylng Soods III
Clurlcs or. He Will tell you no.. open ,iiIs
communication and g,ve them facilities. oH,r
t1e in juccmout and they WILL come Oack'
I am informed that all rcsirc ction as 10
eutse Ill North Carolina Is romoVcu--conse, =,