The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-31

that your geographical position entities you to
the trade Of that portion OF our State lying di.
rectly south Of your city, and we are quite will
ling that you should build, own and control the
main trunk hne running nearly due south to
| Knoxville, We being content with our branch
road connecting us with your main trunk at Lou
don; but if you decide to diverge to the west and
compete with rs for the trade OF that portion oil
our own State. lying south Of Louisville, and
also to tap our own connection with Chatta-
nooga, we will extend our road from London to
| the Tennessee State line, distance of only
forty-five miles, where We will connect with
the Tennessee and Kentucky road, thus con-
trolling this great trunk hne and the trade
east, south and southwest OF Knoxville by the
railroads converging at that point"
Whether I am correct or not in attributing
these sentiments to the people Of Louisville,
| there can be no doubt that they will adopt this
policy if Cincinnati should adopt the Chatta-
nooga route. Self-interest governs and should
govern in all such matters, and this powerful
| motive leaves no other course open to Louis
| vile. have been told thst the Louisville and
ter for this rood, the estimated cost Of which
is $2 100, ,000 and further that some years since
the City of Louisville subscribed 81 600 600 to-
wards its completion, to be paid as the work
progresses. II this information is correct it
would only be necessary to raise 81 100, 600 to
Should this road be built Cincinnati would
be connected with Knoxville by the road now
running to Danvile, but as this adds somewhat
to the distance, they would be compelled in
self defence to extend their road from Paris
to London, q distance Of eighty-four miles,
giving us the same connections with Louisville
and Cincinnati as we are now striving for, and,
in fact, the road would be upon the exact line
of the proposed route from Cincinnati to Knox
vile.
re will thus be seen that We shall. in all hu-
man probability, be placed in direct railroad
communication with both Cincinnati and Lou
isville quite as soon as We can complete the
Blue Ridge Railroad, whatever may be the
choice Of Cincinnati in locating her road.
We have, however, direct interest in the
choice Of routes to be made by Cincinnati, as
our interests, as stated before, are to great
extent IDENTICAL and it is important that the
great trunk road through Kentucky should be
owned and controlled by Cincinnati and nos by
Louisville.
Very little has been said Of the Importance
OF our connection with Louisville. 1t has not
arisen from any desire toiunderrate it, as it
should rank as second in Importance only to
our connection with Cincinnati:
This report has already greatly exceeded the
limit had proposed when 1 commenced, but
the subject ia one Of vital Importance
to our city and State, and I make no apol-
ogy for extending it, etill further, 10
order to show 10 our people the absolute
necessity Of completing the Blue Ridge Rail-
road withou. further delay. This can be ac-
complished within two years, and before the
lapse Of that space OF time we should, ana l.
hope will be in direct communication with the
great West, and reapng the bounteous re-
ward Of years Of persevering efforts to accom-
plish that end.
Our efforts to form this connection have been
stimulated by o desire to reap the advantages
to be derived from the trade in their agricul-
tural products; and but few persons IN our
community have any conception OF the extent
of their manufacturing Industry. CINCINNATI
has population Of about 400, ,00O souls. and ls
essentially manufacturing city. There is
scarcely single article which we now purchaee
from the Northern and Eastern States, except
ing cotton fabrics, which We cannot also OBJ
tain from Cincinnati. Their interior location,
with the abundance OF all the raw materials
used, gives them very decided advantage
over the North ,rn and Eastern ci les IN most
OF the branches Of manufacture. Black walnut,
maple, cedar, hickory, ash, and all other WOODS
adapted to tho manufacture Of furniture, vehl-
cles, agricultural implements and wooden ware
are here found In the greatest abundance and
of the best quality. Cedar is 20 abundant that
il gssa sslas der il uss Ssa5 5ss
tured in Cincinnati last year, 1t Is claimed, e1-
ceeded the value Of that manufacture aln any
other CITY in the Union. There are many large
manufactures OF furniture, one OF which has
cash capital Of 100000. and their premises
cover more than six acres OF land. Stoves are
made in imense numbers, together with every
description of castings and hollow ware. L
satisfied myself by actual inspection that IN
these two last branches they have the advan-
tape over th, Northern cities, both as regards
ouaity and price. Iron and coal OF the best
Quality is near at hand and their moulding
sand is Of exceptional quality, which enables
them to pre- duce castings OF unusually tne
finish. Hardware and wooden ware Of every
description, vehicles Of all kinds, agricultural
implements OF the most improved patterns,
are among the leading articles OF man.
ufacture. This ist might be extended 80
as to include almost every article OF daily use.
Aoart from the advantage OF lower prices,
most Of the articles examined presented the
appearance OF being made more with o view
to durability than those we have been accus-
toned to purchase elsewhere, whilst the tine
ness OF fuish is at least quite equal.
In VOID, as they manufacture every srti-
Gle we need and as we are purchasers OF every
article they make, 1t would be difficult to over
estimate the amount of trade that must spring
up between US upon the completion OF our
connecting roads. :.
Nothing has been said of the value to US OF
the connection with East Tennessee. The ad-
vantage of this connection alone would be
worth to us the entire expenditure needed to
complete the Blue Ridge Road. shall notice
but one article of their product, to wit: coal,
and but one article that they must get from Us,
to wit: salt. It must not be supposed that
these are the only articles we shou!d exchange,
as that woul I be to ignore their rich agricul-
tural products, their iron, copper, marble,
and other minerals which they would send to
US, and also that they consume largely OF
sugar, ff.e, molasses, and other West Indian
AMI South American products. But the
traffic in these two articles alone would
furnish in O short time sufficient busi-
ness to support the road. Coal Of the
best quality for house purposes, including
genuine camel coal lbounds in East Tennes.
see, and they have bituminous Goa! 80 free
from sulphur that it is used for smelling iron
without being coked. This is on advantage
which believe is without parallel. bis coal,
taking The present rates OF transportation
charges by the East Tennessee and connecting
roads to Nashville, Augusta, and other ports
upon ordinary platform cars, could, upon the
completion OF the Blue Ridge Road be sold IN
this city at something less than 50 per ton
OF 224O pounds. The use OF regular coal cars
would, Of course, diminish the cost OF trans
portation and Of labor. :, o.-...
East Tennessee az we'll as CINCINNATI con-
sumo immense quantities OF SALT Ibis article
can be imported here at minimum OF cost.
The sacks are OF little or no value TO the con-
sumers of the salt, and yet add greatly to the
cost in Europe and to the duties here. Iho
cars which bring us coal could be returned
,y;, 4, oo II in hull and from q careful calcula