The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-05-20
@ulitits and Melrs.
From, the Cincinnati Railroad Record
The Great Southern Road and its Route

nOSG, WIN llh0 OutoOlfSo1 hU'S AN'S ~
deep and tireless interest in the possible
future of GREAT SOUTHERN RoAD-for
the benefit of, and created by the imperi-
GUS need of Cincinnati, rejoices greatly
that one step, and great one, has been
taken towards. that object. The 4" Fcrgu-
SON Bill (as it is called,) has been passed
by the Legislature of Ohio, and is sup
posed by the highest legal talent to be
entirely Constitutional. This act gives
power to the City of Cincinnati to borro,o
ten millions of dollars. and make the road.
The Constitution forbids cities to hold
stock in q railroad and to aid Railroad
Commands. But in this case, the city
will make the road, and it is believed,
there is inherent power in the city to DO
this. The steps to be taken, as we read
the law, are /. To fix the ternaan'- OF the
road, one of which must be Cincinnati; z.
To have vote of the people, authorizing
the construction of the road 3. The ap-
pointment, by the Superior Court OF five
Trustees, who are to have charge OF the
funds and the work; 4. The actual con-
struction of the road.
In our opinion, each of these steps
should be taken as speedily as possible. For
in spite of anything, there will be great
delaying in completing the work. Some
discussion must be had on the route, and
three weeks notice OF vote must be CIV.
en-. 1t will be six weeks before the full
authority of the city will be given. After
that several weeks must elapse in survey
ing tho route, which ought to be done in
the most careful manner; and then the
funds must be raised, probably in Europe.
Thus. much time will be consumed. Be-
sides all this, the public mind is now rea-
dy for action; and Byron says, there is
tide which taken at the flood leads on TO
fortune; but, if not taken at the flood
may lead to very different place. In
every aspect of the case, we had best
urge the matter on.
The first step taken is to select the ter
mini. Cincinnati is one. The selection
of the other is in fact the selection Of the
uhole route, and on this we make few
remarks. What is the object of the South
ern Road? 1t is not to make q South
western road, nor South eastern road.
The former VIC have by the direct road
to Louisville, connecting with Nashville
and Memphis; the latter we shall have
by the Chesapeake and Ohio Road, now
making The object in view, therefore, is
not to attain what we can attain by
other roads; but it is to mako u
direct SOUTHERN TRUNK LINE, which
will give us not only the trade OF
East Tennessee, but of North and South
Carolina, and Georgia; and with the ex-
ception of the western portion OF Georgia,
we can have the whole trade of that region
Nth the West. Now, where should this
Trunk line 90 to secure this great prize !!
That is the great question; and it seems
to us not very difficult to settle; and let
us examine it step by step:
/. When the Southern Road was first
planned in 1884, and was proceeded with
in the following two years, till the great
convention of 1886, it was intended to go
to Knoxville, thus to be connected with
the main line in South Carolina, to 20
through the Rabun Gap in Georgia, the
route now called the Z" Blue Ridge Rail-
road" route, and which South Carolina
is now engaged upon with great earnest
ness, Knoxville was then the only o6lec-
tive point with Cincinnati. Now, let us
examine where the Blue Ridge Railroad
will go? The Blue Ridge goes to the
north. western corner Of South Carolina,
and there enters the northeast corner of
Georgia (Rabun county, and then passes
the Raoun Gap into the Valley OF the
Little Tennessee, towards Kingston,
about 40 miles below Knoxville. Now,
let us mark this point. But, in the mean
time observe, that if the Trunk Line
Road were to strike, say Kingston, on
some point making connection with the
Blue Ridge Road, that would be direct
line to the South, and would strike two
great seaports, Charleston and Savannah;
for, let it be remembered, that Savannah
is making what is called the Savannah
Valley Route, which goes up on the East
side of the Savannah River, till it joins
the Blue Ridge Railroad in tho extreme
north -eastern corner of South Carolina.
Thus, a main Trunk Line, which would
strike the Blue Ridge Road near King
ston, would secure direct Southern road
to both Charleston and Savannah. We
should kill two birds with one stone,
which is certainly desirable.
2. Now, let us look at the system Of
North Carolina roads. North Carolina
has been many years building up sys.
tenn of railroads, whose western central
point is Ashcvillc. Thence, the plan has
been for more than thirty years to go
down the Valley of the French Broad TO
Knoxville, and that would be easily done.
Knoxville is forty miles above Kingston.
An interval then of only forty miles from
the junction of the Blue Ridge Road, its
main trunk would have connection with
the whole system of North Carolina
Roads; and that system spreads out
through the whole of North Carolina,
and reaches Wilmington at ono point,
Fayetteville at another, and Beaufort at
e.