The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-11-20


vocates of the Blue Ridge route, was that,
whilst it was true that the French Broad route
was the shortest and most direct line by few
miles to Charleston and to the Atlantic coast
at Charleston, it was not the nearest route to
all the seacoast cities; and if Chicago would
reach them all, from Wilmington, N. c., to
Brunswick, Ga by lines radiating from the
southern slope of the Blue Ridge, then we be-
lieved the Blue Ridge was the proper route.
We admitted it was nearer to Charleston by
the one route, but insisted it was nearer to
Charleston, Augusta, Port Royal and Savannah
by the other. In espousing the latter, we had
no purpose to exclude Charleston, neither had
we any idea of renouncing the Blue Ridge be-
cause it did not terminate in Charleston, and
Charleston alone, by al air line. If we are to
because we did not adopt for our motto, "Aut
Charleston, aut nihit," because we did not op-
pose every route not necessarily ending or be-
ginning there, then are we guilty. But if to
advocate route that we believed would equally
subserve her interests, if not exclusively, still
in common with her sister cities, and secure
our own, was showing proper respect for her
claims, then are we not guilty. This was the
extent of our offending, save the single dis
paraging remark of a single delegate already
averted to.
Mr. Steedman is therefore mistaken when he
says: "The friends of the Blue Ridge Road
in Charleston, who have been its projectors,
supporters and liberal benefactors, will be sur
prsed to learn that that route does not now
mean connection between the West and the
Atlantic by way of Charleston, and that the
representatives of that route now advocate it's
selection by attempting to prove that Charles
ton is wholly unsuited to be the terminus of the
proposed road. Such, however, is the literal
fact, as the printed report of their speeches in
your possession cleary shows. The reason
why the friends of that route now go back Oh
Charleston is simple enough. If their route is
adopted Charleston is not in the direct line to
ed, then the Blue Ridge route is not the direct
route to Charleston, and the French Broad
route is clearly entitled to the preference; and
| route they are forced to prove that Charleston
is not the port which Chicago must seek. This
is simple statement of the facts of the case,
and the citizens of your city must make the
application for themselves"
| I have already stated the position OF the
Anderson delegation in the Chicago Conven-
| ton in reference to the claims of Charleston,
land just here may add the speeches of mem
bers of the Convention were not reported either
fully or accurately; and if it is proposed now
to construe or convert the remarks OF a single
delegate into evidence Of general hostility of
the entire delegation, then is all remonstrance
or explanation unavailing.
| do not propose to join issue with Mr.. Steed-
man about the respective merits of these two
rival routes Such discussion would lead far
beyond what have proposed as the limits of
this communication, and would, conceive, re-
suit in no good, in no nearer an ascertalnment
of the truth. Personally, neither Mr. Steed-
man nor l know much about it, and we might
quarrel from now till doomsday over the state
ments Of others, without enlig ghtening or con-
vincing the public We might make the argu-
| ments, but could not decide the issue. [ did
not propose to dc more than to vindicate the
! Anderson delegation from wrong impression
of their attitude towards Charleston; and [
desire to state briefly the general line of argu-
ment adopted by them and other advocates of
the Blue Ridge route at Chicago, on the floor
of the Convention and in private conversation
1t was insisted generally that this yexed
question of the relative merits of the two
routes for crossing the mountains had been re-
earded as settled in South Carolina for over
twenty years, aud certainly since the adoption
,, of the dBlue Ridge" or 'Rabun Gap" by the
city of Charleston and the State in 1858; that
the selection was not made without the most
determined opposition on the part of the adhe-
rents of the other route, an opposition that
was generally renewed on all subsequent occa-
sions when an opportunity was afforded; that
in making the choice, the city and State had
been influenced chiefly, if not solely, by the
desire to obtain the most practicable crossing
of the mountains, and wholly without refer
ence to the partiality of Anderson or the oppo-
sition of Spartanburg and Union. And it was
to be presumed that the friends of the enter
prise having it in charge, being above all pure
" local influences, and looking solely to railway
communication with the West by the most
feasible route, did not finally make up their
Judgment without full and satisfactory informa-
ton as to the advantages and disadvantages
of the two routes open to them; that having
adopted the Blue Ridge, over S3,000,000 had
been expended on the work, completing 80
miles of road and far advancing towards COM
pletion large portion of the heaviest unfin-
ished work; that the object was to build
"frst-class" road and the work. as far as it had
gone, was in all its parts of this description
and inasmuch as an effort was now being
made by its creditors to bring it to sale, an op-
portunity would doubtless SOON be offered to
parties of purchasing and completing it; that
among some of the advantages presented by
CQlS TOuIe, WAS d COuHIl NOu1u w AOuno
as practicable, in our judgment, for the con-
struction of road as the other mountain cross
ing suggested, country abounding in undeyel-
oped mineral wealth and teeming with rich,
productive valley lands that it opened, too,
the most desirable connections south of the
mountains with the Atlantic seaboard and in
termedate sections of country by the compile
ton of short, connecting lines of road, now
either proposed or actually projected. For ex-
ample: from Clayton, via Athens and Macon,
| to Brunswick, Ga, road now under contract
from Athens north as far as the crossing of the
Air Line Railroad, and plainly indicated by
the map south towards Macon, and contempla-
ted, as 1 understand; also, from Walhalla to
Augusta, down the Savannah River, via An.
dersonvile, S. c., and Lncolnton, Ga, road
recently surveyed and organized; from Ander-
son, uia Abbeville, to Aiken and Augusta, as
contemplated by the action of the Abbeville