Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-07-08
Tor tho Ecowcc Courier.
Railroad Meeting,

of ratifying the subscription of $780, ,OOO
mado by the County Commissioners, to the
Airline Railroad.
Gen IS. N GarYin was called to the Chair,
and W. Il. lIolcombe requested to act as
Secretary.
The Chairman introduced Il. Is. McBce,
Esq, who briefly eS planned the object of the
meeting, and glanced ut the many advantages
we would derive from the construction of this
road through our country &c lie then in
troduced Capt. W. II. Earle, of ureonvillo.
who, in his usual happy style, showed that
the A'r-l.no Ra'lrond would necessarily be
the great route Of travel, as we'll as the near
est, cheapest and best route for freight and
express between New York and New Orleans,
and therefore was obliged to be paying road.
Called attention to the contract which has
been entered into with responsible parties for
tho completion of the road in two years;
showed that it was the most remarkable con.
tract ever made for the construction of any
road in America They, the contractors,
taking in payment for construction, 30,
sooO, 1000 stock, showing thereby their entire
confidence in the road as n paying Institution,
thing that those wealthy New England con-
tractors never fail to see. In making this
subscription we become STOCKHOLDERS, and
will, therefore, havc paying investment, in.
stead Of giving to the road 100000 said
that lie had no interest in this road, save that
OF common interest with all the citizcus of
this county; that it was necessity with us
to have this road, in order to deyclope the
immense resources of this beautiful country,
NC. There will be, in the event the road
runs through this county, at least 25 miles
of road to build, which, at an estimate of
$50 900 per mile will require an expenditure
of $75O,OO0, which must be spout in thi,
county, the advantage of which to our people
would bc iucaculablo. The contract provides
that the road shall be built in two wears r,uu,
next Scptembcr, hcnce the subscription will
have to be paid i'll eight quarterly installmcnts
of $l2 so each, no bug bear in the bonds.
as they will be issued quarterly, which makes
the burden much lighter than if all were to
he issued immediately explained the lua,ter
of interest on bonds, and showed conclusivcly
that the taxes cnuld not be increased by this
subscription more than ten ccnts on the dol
lar. The people of Pickens will derive more
from the building of 25 miles of road through
their county than the people of Grccuvilc
can from the building of lG miles, and she
has by a vote Of 5 to made n substitution
OF 800 .00O, 50 that Grccnvile has assumed
much heavier burden than the people OF
Picknns are asked to do; said the people OF
pickcns had never had question of so much
Importance to them and postcrity to pass
upon, and it will bc for then, to say by their
vote Oh the 80tl, dny Of July next what
Pckcua shall No. Will you vote for tile sub
scription and thereby secure the great bene
tits that must accrue from the building of the
road through your county, or throw away this
golden oppor,unity--itis is for you 10 say The
taxes will not be as great the third ms the
first year, then you will have your bonds, OF,
which you will receive the interest, and the
property Of tho road will be taxed, and will
pay one half the county tax. He then alu
ded to the advantages to be gained in trans.
pol tntion of salt sugar, &c., showing the great
reduction in freight, &c, closed his remarks
when Il. q. Donaldson, Esq. was introduced,
who said this enterprise is one of sufficient
Importance to claim your mature considrru-
ton. 1t is proposed to build connecting
link from Charlotte, N. G. to Atlanta, Ga,
and it is proposed to run the road through
this county, if the people of the county, by
their votes on the 30th Of July, endorse the
subscription of 100000 proposed by the
County Commissioners. This is tho most
beautiful country in the world. Nature has
done more for it than any country have
ever seen, we only need the Airline Rail,
road to develop its resources and induce i'm
migration, and then We will be all right
We can raise anything here that can be raised
in kentucky, and even more cotton and can
equal or excel the valley of the Mississippi
in raising clover and other grasses Lime is
the only thing needed and That can be had in
any quantity at from Is to rs cents per
bushcl when this road is built. This is fast
age and If we expect to keep up With it wo
must be UP and doing, or we wiTl be run over.
By voting for this subscription we do more
for postcrity than we could do in any other
way. There is an objection that railroads
decrense the price of corn and increase the
price of labor, but that is owing to the fact
that the laborers of this country have gone to
other parts OF the country to build railroads,
where they can get better wages than we can
afford to pay, hence the necessity of going to
work on this road, and they will then have
inducements to return. 1t is to the interest
OF every poor man, every working man, every
farmer, and every professional, man to vote for
this enterprise. Grcenvillc would be rs great
market as Augusta or Charleston, which
will save to the planter transportation, com
missions, &c sufficient to more than than,