The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-04-22


necessary for covering them. J. have now
to repeat the recommendations contained
in that communication, and to add that
the bridges should be covered without de-
lay. These are excellent and expensive
structures, and should not be day longer
exposed to danger from fire and deterior-
alton from weather. The wooden roofs,
which admit the water and exclude the
sun and air, are worse than nothing. If
the terms Of the lease under which the
Greenvile and Columbia Railroad Com
pany operates the Blue Ridge Road are
such as to require the former company to
restore the road in good order at the ter
mination of the lease; it should not be
hastily terminated and the road received
in its present condition. On the other
hand, if repairs are not made at once the
said road will deteriorate in rapidly in
creasing ratio, and if that company can
not be required to repair it, we should
take possession at once and put it in order.
observed mud and water over the rails
in one place at least, and the whole line
needs thorough ditching and surfacing up.
Not less than thousand cross-ties per
mile should be put in Immediately. If
these repairs are neglected the iron on the
thirty.two miles now open will be ruined
long before the company is ready to t ox-
If the contract can be made without de-
lay with men of capital, experience and
energy, little is hazarded in the predic-
ton, that in June, 1871, there will be di-
rect railroad communication between the
Tennessee Valley and Charleston. Com
pleted so far, it is impossible that the en-
terprise should staEd STILL The Difficult
ties of the route would have been passed;
the mountain region, with the tunnels,
the heavy earth work, and the expensive
structures, which absorb capital, task the
patience and test the SKILL will be behind
us, and from thence to meet the line from
Knoxville we follow route opened by
the hand of nature, which has broken the
Alleghanies before US, and given the road
clear path to the rich valley of East
Tennessee.
The road would already begin to gather
traffic from tho hcnd of the valley of
Little Tennessee, which, venture to say,
will astonish the most sanguine. This is
no sterile and unnviting region. Every
valley among the hills responds now to
the hand of the husbandman and repays
richly his labors. The hills and noun
tain sides are not abrupt, rocky and in.
accessible, but present easy slopes and
rounded forms, and are covered with a
soil capable of supplying in many ways
the wants of man.
When production is stimulated by means
of access to a market and by the various
activities which will accompany the prose
cution of the work, there will spring up
local traffic that will 20 far toward sup
porting the road.
But by no means anticipate that it
will be necessary to wait for the compile
ton of the road to Franklin before any
thing can be done beyond that point. Too
many interests will unite in deman-
ing the completion of the work to
admit of such a delay. Charleston will
already feel the quickening touch of trade
from that region, and not only the cities
of South Carolina, but every town from
Franklin to Knoxville and Cincinnati will
be vitality interested IN urging 1ne COM
paritivcly easy work of completing the
connections.
Men will no longer be discouraged by
demands for immense sums which disap-
pear in the bowels of mountains, expen-
ded on works that seem interminable but
stimulated by growing prosperity, and
cheered by the near prospect of success,
will give to the enterprise more hearty
support.
Undoubtedly long before the road is
open TO Franklin means will be forthcom-
ing to continue it, and we may confident
ly predict that the work will not halt
again until tho merchants of Charleston
and Cincinnati meet at the great tunnel
to celebrate the opening of the road and
the union Of the cities.
JAMES P Low, Chief Engineer.
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