The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-09-05

| AMY 49, -
At-the annual meeting of the stock
holders Of the spsr.anburg and Union
Railroad, sayaEhe Chaileston NeWs. the
Hon: Gabriel cannopsSShs invited tSde-
liverYsn addisss onFtIe subieet ofsthe
Asbyille connsotion! General Cannon
ACCORDINGLY described. with his usual
clearness and force, the important ad-
vantages that the State and this city
must derive from the building of rail
road from Spartanburg to Ashville, by
which we should reach to the very head
of the trade of the West. He said:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION: An
other year has rolled around, aud brought
you again to hear the report of the
officers as to the operations and pros
poets of the road. The report of the
President, under all circumstances, is
quite satisfactory. Notwithstanding the
heavy repairs that have been made
during the year, the report shows an in
come over all expenses of near $40, 900;
and, no doubt, with good crop and fair
business next year, it will far exceed that
sum. But there is subject which
presses heavily upon the friends of this
road. I mean the extension OF the same
to Ashville. N. G. I know that the
whole country has been impoverished,
and we are poor, and probably some of
you may soy, too poor of building rail
roads; but the great Importance, yea, I
may say necessity, for extending this en-
terprise, makes it necessary that we be-
stir ourselves: If we cannot do much,
let each do what he is able, and I have
onnfiIanoa fhot c1,ol1
We made application to the Legisla-
ture, at its last session, for aid, and,
after mature consideration by that'bo
the House passed it by moro than q two
thirds vote, and it remains in the Senate
as part of the unfinished business, and
it is hoped that that body will pass it
through ut all early day. am also much
gratified to think that the people of
Charleston and the South Carolina Rail-
road Company have ut last begun to mp
preciate the Importance of this connec-
ton. They see that large portion of
the most valuable trade that Charleston
formerly had has been transferred to
other markets. Twenty-Five or thirty
years ago, all Western North Carolina
and q large portion of East Tennessee
came regularly to Charleston for their
goods. Now, ask any Charleston mer-
chant when has he sold bill of goods to
merchant from either of these sections?
They are gone. We must give them fa-
cilities, and Charleston must hold out
the inducements, and they will return.
1t is their natural market. This trade
will build up your road, running directly
through the centre of the State by the
capital, thence on the South Carolina
Railroad to Charleston.
This route has the advantage over any
other, both as to distance, grades and
curvature. Starting from Cincinnati,
the distance is 200 miles to Cumberland
Gap, from Cumberland Gap to Paint
Rock, North Carolina ine) 90 miles,
from Paint Rock to Spartanburg III
miles, ,Spartanburg to Columbia 90 miles,
Columbia to Charleston 100 miles Total
distance from Cincinnati to Charleston
635 miles, and from Louisville to
Charleston by the French Broad, it is
only 629 miles. Charleston. has the ad-
vantage in distance OF g. miles over
Wheeling, 119 miles over Beaufort,
North Carolina, and 33 miles over vii
mington, North Carolina. You will then
sec That Charleston has SO decided an
advantage over all the markets East of
the route, that she will draw the trade
on all opposing lines. and make them
feeders instead of drawing business
away. 9
Let us now see how it stands on the
West side. Taking Louisville, Ken
tucky, as the objective point. Charleston
has the advantage in distance over Su-
vannah, via Chattanooga, of 143 miles,
and uia Knoxville and the Blue Ridge of
IA miles The French Broad is 81 miles
shorter than the Blue Ridge ria Knox
vile and the Greenville Railroad. You
will perceive that this route has no com
petitor, and cannot have, in point of
distance. Let us now see the advan-
tages in cost of construction, grade and
curvature. Coming South from Paint
Rock ola Ashville, there is no grade
over forty feet per mile, and going from
this place to Paint Rock, two and a half
miles around Tryon Mountain, have q
grade of sixty-three feet per mile. No
other grade over forty feet. The curva-
ture is said by the engineers to be very
light indeed. The cost of the road as
estimated by Major Mcneil in 1886, and
again by Major McCalla in 1860, will be
lao kL,, 90 n