The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-03-21

House. were presented and, on motion,
ordered paidWithont the usual references.
: On motion, Council adjourned. .f... il I.
ND WIN. }. ETTER, City Clerk.
The Louisville, oinclnne eti and charles
nuf6 aad Buts I9untain the Shortest
and Cheapest.
After the .abundant,, and convincing
proof afforded by the surveys and re-
ports made in 1886 and 1887, fortified
by the testimony OF skillful engineers
after that time, was it not strange that
the State, in spite of such evidence,
should have committed itself to scheme
which had 80 little to recommend it, and
which has ended, as many feared it
wonid, in failure and vast peouniary loss? :?
II this convincing proof" had not
been before the Legislature which inau-
gurated and kept alive the project of
building the Blue Ridge Railroad, there
would have been some excuse for those
members who voted away in it's interest
millions OF public treasure. which has
not, and we hnve no reason to hope ever
will be, productive of the least result in
good to tho State. There was, how
ever, no lack of information on the sub
ject; but the truth of the matter is, that
the Blue Ridge Road had its origin in,
and was pushed through the Legislature,
under temporary excitement, growing
out of controversy between the South
Carolina Railroad Company and the
City Council of Augusta, concerning the
establishment of q depot of said road in
that oity. The contest was protracted
one. and created very strong feeling in
the city of Charleston, whose citizens
regarded such depot as necessary to
the commerce of their city. While our
people were smarting under sense of
the wrong which they felt had been
done them by the city of Augusta, there
appeared in the columns of the Charles
ton Mercury, call upon the then Presi-
dent of the Greenville and Columbia
Railroad, to bring before the public a
project, which had begun to be talked
about. of building railroad from An
derson to Knoxville. With character
istic promptness and energy, the Presi-
dent of the Greenville Road despatched
his Chief Engineer, Col. VIM. Spencer
Brown, to make reconnaissance of the
route. Col. Brown, after O hasty trip
over the line, reported that it was alto
gether practicable, "and that he had no
hesitation in saying that the whole road
OF 100 miles could be built in permu-
nent manner. with rail weighing fifty
five pounds to the yard, for 81, ,75O, OOOI"
This most remarkable report being pub
lished In the Charleston papers, it was
not surprising that the leading men of
that city, with the prospect of tapping
the Chattanooga trade and thus putting
the commercial interests of their own
city out Of the power of Georgia capital,
threw themselves with energy into the
advocacy of the project How unfortu-
nate for South Carolina that this contro-
versy ever arose How unfortunate that
Col. Brown should ever have made such
hasty and inconsiderate report; and
how much more unfortunate thet our
Legislature should have thrown away
nearly $4,000. 900 on an enterprise which
will require al additional expenditure of
$50. 900, 900 to make it of the least value
to the State. For much less than one
half the sum already expended on the
Blue Ridge Road, Charleston could hnvo
been put in communication by railroad
not only with Kr roxville, 10y q shorter
route, } but with Cincinnati and Louis
vile. Let us see if this is not true.
In December, 1869. the friends of the
Spartanburg, Butt Mountain Gap and
French Broad route having organized
under tho nama of the "GreenviIle and
French Broad Railroad Company, with
private subscription of 800, ,OO0, made
application to our State Legislature for
aid. They asked that tho State should
give them $4,000 mile, to be paid
paid whenever each section lin continu-
GUS line) Of ten miles was completed and
ready for the track; or, in short. the
distance from Spartanburg to Paint
Rock, on the Tennessee line, being 1870
miles, they only asked the State to give
them to complete their road 81, 300, 900.
With the memorial they presented to the
Legislature was the. report of Major
McCalln, the Chief Engineer of the
company, showing that the cost of build
ing tho road from Spartanburg to Pniut
Rock would be 50, ,272. AIS; and to show
the confidence felt in tho correctness of
this estimate and the great reliance
placed upon the accuracy and skill of
the engineer who made the report, q
proposal accompanied the memorial,
signed by fifteen gentlemen of large
wealth, (some Of them having had much
experience &c railroad contractors, J off.r-
ing to take the contract for the limo from
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