The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-11-12
CHICAGO AND SOUTH ATLANTIC
e .'r.. RAILROAD.

CHICAGO AND SOUTH ATLANTIC
'..o.. RAILROAD.
Mr.. James B. Steedman, native o
the city Of Charleston, and a delegate
to tho late" Chicago Convention
though not FROM that city, publishes
fS'tbss' tAdIris:s;toa Nevs and Courier, al
Interesting letter on the subject o
this great enterprise. Though ar
advocate Of the Asheville and Char
lesion route, and urging views which
initiate against the interests of those
who support the Blue Ridge and An.
dersoh connection, yet his history OF
tho enterprise, and the strong plea
which he makes in behalf Of the i'm
iportance of the work whatever be
the route adopted, should arouse the
interest and enlist the sympathy OF
all.
The enterprise originated with the
completion of direct line from
Chicago to indianapolis, when it was
found that tho continuation of that
road in o direct line would give
Chicago communication with the
;sesboard, one hundred miles shorter
than that to New York, and thus free
her commerce from high freights, and
save her products from rotting on
the roadside, because the cost OF
transportation was greater than the
market value. This led to the for
nation of new company and to the
calling of the Augusta Convention
Ead subsequently, of the late Chicago
Convention. A contract was made
with the great banking house OF
Dretzel g. Co., of Philadelphia, BY
which the latter agreed to advance
he money to build the rQad by Sec
tions, provided, that upon the com,
pletion of each section one-half the
actual outlay be repaid them, and the
road pledged for the payment of the
balance Of the debt. -Four millions
of dollars, enough to complete the
road to the OHIO river has already
.tbeen subscribed, and the road has al
ready reached that point. Seven
States were represented at the
Chicago Convention: Illinois, Indi'
ANA. kentucky, Tennessee, North and
South Carolina, and Georgia. Ken
lucky and Tennessee were especially
jealous and enthusiastic, and their
pledges were well received by the
fascnts Of the Philadelphia bankers
According to the writer:
.sThcre seemed to be little differ.
once of opinion as to the proper loca'
zion of this road until it reaches Lon
don in Kentucky. Crossing tho Ohio
,at .. point between Louisville and
Cincinnati, probably at Vevay, it
: takes direct course to London.
From this point, however, two rival
routes contend for the preference.
One through Cumberland Gap. BY
tho valley of the French Broad to
tAsheville, and thence by Spartan
burg and Columbia TO Charleston; in
other words the route of the Louis.
willie, Cincinnati and Charleston Rail
ssoad, surveyed rs early as 1885 by
Brisbane. Holmes and Gadsden, and
later by CORPS Of United States En-
= gineers furnished by Mr.. Poinsett,
then secretary Of war, among whom
twere AcNeill and Williams and Feath-
ierstoue;' the routo advocated by
suayne, Memmiuger, Harper, Elmore,
HOLMES, Blanding, O'Neale, Wardlaw,
land. Yaadon; adopted by the great
Knoxville Convention in 1885. and
ratified by the convention at Flat
Rock, in 1886. The other competing
route is from London, via Wheeler's
gap, Knoxville, the Rabun Gap, and
sthence either to Savannah or Port
Royal, as'sRall hereafter seem most
bractiasblc. The friends of the Blue
Ridge Road in Charleston, who have
;been its projectors, supporters and
liberal benefactors, will DO surprised
to learn that that route does not now
mean connection between the West
Ind the Atlantic by way Of Charleston,
and that tho representatives of that
route now advocate its selection by
saAemptingto prove that Char lesion
lis wholly lnsuited to be tho terminus
of the projected road"
:. In behalf of the Charleston and
Asheville convention the writer urges
that the route is nearer, that tho
road through the mountains is al
ready in operation from Morristown
10 Wolf Creek, and in great part
graded to Asheville, from which point
to Spartanbarg q road Of easy grade
and small cost has been surveyed and
located that hundreds Of thousands
of dollars have been subscribed and
that tho. lines of railroad above Co.
aumbia have been offered to this com
ipahy at onc-third Of the original cost
6f compIetioa Arguments in behalf
= Of the other route 'wero strongly
urged on tho floor of the Convention,
and are embodied in the letter Of Gen.