Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-08-28
THE SOUTHERN ROAD AND ITS
SOUTHERN CONNECTIONS.
T From the Cincinnati Gazette. ]

any ground for this doubt or not, GER
tain 1t is. those who are most interest
ed in it have become very impatient,
and begin to doubt the earnestness OF
those engaged in it. In the mean
while, every day and every fact is
demonstrating what Cincinnati, has
lost, and is losing, by this delay. The
S Southern people who have any power
in controlling trade arc turning their
efforts in the direction of st. Louis.
The Georgia & South Carolina roads
are making continuous connections
with the Nashville and Northwestern
lines. Already st. Louis competes
successfully with Cincinnati in the
South Atlantic markets which is one
reason why st. Louis has outrun Chi
cago. st. Louis has, and is getting,
more of market in the south which
does not naturally belong to her. To
see this, and know what delay is work
ing, makes friend of Cincinnati i'm
patient; and, If the merchants and
manufacturers knew it as well, they
would be more impatient.
To the Southern Atlantic markets
the road from Cincinnati to Chatta-
nooga direct cuts off one hundred and
fifty miles of distance! To save that,
what would not Boston and New York
give? They would pay more than a
hundred million of dollars to save that
distance going to the Central South,
for it would give them command OF the
whole market. The Pennsylvania
company have made a new road from
Charlotte to Atlanta to save one third
that distance in their southern route to
Texas. Another point of fgreat impor-
tance to the Southern, road, If it be
is its southern connections when 1t
shall arrive at Chattanooga. Railroad
men now know, by long experience,
that road of any magnitude must
command its termini in some form, not
necessarily by owning the whole line,
or even by leases, but by some friendly
relations by which continuous line
NAV be operated as a whole with, one
set of interests. This is the way by
which the Pennsylvania Company has
managed to control the grandest lines
of railroad in this country. The
"Southern road,n made by the city
of Cincinanti, cannot directly buy or
lease other roads, but it can and must
establish friendly relations with those
whose interests are, in the main, the
same with their Own.
On this subject we find some infor-
nation in the Beaufort Republican,
which may be of much interest to the
Southern Road.
Arriving at Chattano 6 the "South.
ern road" /" finds its connections
through Southern Alabama and Miss,
bv means of the Alabama road to
Meriden and New Orleans This road
has been in all manner of difficulties,
but will probably be eventually valu-
able. But looking south from Chatta:
nooga, there are three harbors on the
coast which command all the ocean
trade of the South Atlantic, These
are Charleston, Port Royal, and Sa:
vannah being old places, and having
all the shipping interests, have hereto, g,
fore enjoyed all the ocen trade. But
circumstances which will be of momen
tous interest in the future are indica ;
ting a great change il this particular.
The Port Royal Railroad, from Angus
ia to Port Royal has been made, and is
a very complete, we'll made road. This
is direct straight continuation of the
Georgia Railroad, from Atlanta. 1t
then, we suppose ourselves starting
from Cincinnati, on the "Southern
road "(which we will imagine ia made)
we shall move on in almost a straight
line through Chattanooga, Atlanta,
Augusta, to Port Royal. if we choose
to 90 so far. In that case the manufac
lures and the produce Of Cincinnati
will be sold at way stations on the
road to the ocean, where they can be
shipped to the West Indies and with
that trade St. Louis cannot interfere.
But to the right of this line and to
the left oft lie The old ports Of Charles:
ton and Savannah, and they must be
outlets of Cincinnati also; and now We
come to the facts stated in the Beaufort t
Republican. Between Cl arleston and Sa-
vannah there is direct line of railroad
of great Importance, connecting those
cities, and having large business. The
Republican says that the Georgia road,
which already has an interest in the
Savannah & Charleston road, in order to
avoid any dependence on the roads from
Augusta to Charleston and Savannah.
In one word. this is another important
railroad combinat tion by which the Geor-
gia, the Port Royal, and the Charleston
& Savannah roads will be operated
together in the same interest. The re-;
suit is, then, that the cars on the
Southern road can go to either
Charleston, Port Royal, or Savannah
without any new road, without any in
reference of interests, and be the first
in the field to meet the growing COM
mercc of Port Royal and the West India
trade. As the matter now stands. the
-four, cheese, and manufactures Of Ohio
and Indiana are carried to New York,
and from New York shipped to the
West Indies; whereas, by the South,in
roa they will be shipped from Mobile,
or Port Royal, or New Orleans, as the
shipper .fers. Some of our readers
may think this is a far lookout. But it
is no further look out than it was TO talk
of the settlement Of Cincinnati, Chicago,
and St. Louis. the railroad and the
telegraph are bringing the whoe world
together, and it is important we should
have far lookout. IF the Southern
road" be ale, its Southern connections
are of vast Importance. When the
Southern road reaches Chattanooga, and
that and its connections are run as the
Northern roads are, Port Royal will be
400 miles nearer Cincinnati than it is to-