The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-09
CHI A R L e. TON
TUESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 9, 1869.
The Spartanburg and AsheviIie Con
ncctlOn.

A bill is now before the State Legisla-
ture 10 give The assistance OF the State, by
guarantee of bonds, to the Spartanburg
and Union Railroad, to enable that COM
pany to connect Spartanburg, its present
terminus, with Asheville, North Carolina.
It has long been the aim of the mcst saga
cious men in the State to give the capital
of the State and our principal seaport q
direct connection with the West. They saw
the vast Importance of the trade that might
be tapped at Cincinnati, and their public
and private efforts led to the commence
ment of that graId work, the Blue Ridge
Railroad, which is now in the way of being
pushed forward to completion, which few
months since seemed hopeless. But there
were other suggested routes, besides the
Blue Ridge route, for reaching the heart
of the West, and the chief of these was to
connect Greenville or Spartanburg, South
Carolina, with Asheville, North Caroline,
where projected connecting ads would
open the line uia Knoxville to Cincinnati.
The Greenville route was still agitated q
short time ag,. but tho Spartanburg route
has, according to our information, taken
the initiative in asking the Legislature for
aid.
In general terms it may be said that the
advantages of The routes uia Grccnville and
Spartanburg are about equal; ct for the
moment the question will be consider cd as
it relates to the last named route alone.
The distance from Spartanburg to Ashe-
Vile, North Carolina, is about sixty miles,
and from that point to the Tennessee line,
at Paint Rock, about thirty-seyen miles.
The last named section of thirty seven miles
will be put under contract this spring Ivy
the State of North Caroline From Knox
vile, in the direction of P:.int Rock, the
line of railroad is built 10 . point in Ten
nessee within seven ni:ue of the North
Carolina line. The State % North Caro-
lin. is determined to complete its road as
rapidly as possible to meet the Tennessee
rotds, as at Ashevellc they will connect
with the western extension of the North
Carolina Railroad now completed to Nor
Canton, and being extended in westerly
direction With considerable rapidty. If at
Asheville no South Carolina railroad meets
the roads connecting with Knoxville and
Cincinnati, the whole of the Western trade
will be carried to Wilmington; if au exten-
sion Of the Spartanburg and Union Ruil-
road can be completed 10 Ashevillc, then
the whole trade should be brought down to
Columbia and Charleston.
1t appears to US that the proposed Spar
tanburg extension hos, therefore, many
great and obvious advantages, and while
we condemn any party legislation which
tends 10 increase the State liabilities, we
are not of opinion that the State should
withhold such assistance as may be given
without risk to undertakings which are
plainly for tho good of the whole State and
for the general benefit of its people.
A letter which we print this morning will
be found TO contain some further informa
tion as to the character of the proposed
extension and the assistance which is re-
ouested frem the State.