The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-09-04
For the anderson MteHigencer.
Proceedings of the Railroad Meeting.

ANDERSON, S. c., Sept. l, 1873
A railroad meeting was called to hear the re-
port of the delegates sent from this County to
the Abbeville Convention, pursuant to the
resolution passed at former meeting, author
izing the Chairman, Judge J, S. Murray, so to
do when it was thought necessary.
A large number of persons having assembled
in the Court House for that purpose, the meet
ing was called to order by Judge Murray, who,
after stating the reasons for this action, de-
clared the meeting open for business.
Hon. J. P. Reed, Chairman of the Commit
tee sent to Abbeville, made the following re-
port:
Report of tie Delegation to the A66eviUe Rail-
road Convention.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: ask leave, in behalf of
the delegation from this County to the recent
Railroad Convention at Abbeville, to exhibit
the following resolutions, which were adopted,
and constitute its entire action-as sort of
compromise, after much irrelevant discussion,
growing out of a misunderstanding amongst
the delegates from different parts of the State,
as to the real objects Of the convocaton, to wit
Resolved, That this Convention is deeply i'm
pressed with the magnitude and Importance OF
the contemplated railway connection between
the city of Chicago, in. the State of Illinois
and the South Atlantic seabord at Augusta,
and Savannah, Ga, and Port Royal and
Charleston, S. c., by route that will include
by direct and parallel lines the cities of Indian
apolis, Indiana, Cincinnati Ohio, Louisville
and Lexington, KY, and Knoxville, Tenn,
and thence through Rabun Gap, in the Blue
Ridge mountains, traversing the territory OF
this State to the points before named, thereby
opening up the most direct, practicable and
economical route that can be suggested for the
exchange of the productions of the great
Northwest for the productions and commodi-
ties of the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States
and the West India Islands.
Resolved, That from the Blue Ridge noun
tains South, the most natural and practicable
route to the seaboard at the points indicated
in the first resolution is by way Of the towns OF
Walhalla, Pendleton, Anderson, Abbeville,
EdgefelG, Aiken, S. c., and connecting with
Augusta, Ga, by the most practicable route.
Resolued, That the construction of railway
from Anderson by Abbeville to Aiken or Au-
SuStd, VI UOIu, WACGuCl @NOA SSoSAA No~A
nections be made or not, is of the greatest
Importance to the people of Western and
South western Carolina, from the mountains to
the seaboard, and to the cities of Augusta,
Savannah, Port Royal, and Charleston, and, in
the opinion of this Convention, measures
should be at once taken to have the route sur
veyed and the work of building the road COM
menced.
Resolued, That. nine delegates be appointed
to represent this Convention in any meeting
held during the ensuing fall, west of the noun
tains, in the interest of the Chicago and South
Atlantic Railroad, and they be authorized to
call an adjourned meeting of this body at their
pleasure, and that the same committee superln-
tend the survey herein recommended.
These resolutions, except the second, explain
themselves, and as they appear, met with very
unanimous concurrence. The second resolu-
ton, as reported by the Committee on Busi-
ness, read thus:
Resolved, That from the Blue Ridge noun
tains south, the most natural and practicable
route to the seabeard at the points above lndl-
Gated is by the way Of the towns of Walhalla,
Pendleton, Anderson, Abbeville, and from
thence either by Dorn's Gold Mine and Angus,
ia, Ga, or by Edge6eld, Aiken; Barnwell and
Allendale to Port Royal, or both, depending on
the same means raised to construct the same.
And was amended, as will be seen, by striking
out all after the word "Abbeville," and in
serting in lieu thereof the words which appear
in the foregoing resolutions as adopted. This
change was agreed to as matter of compromise,
and was supposed by those who pressed it, tc
have resolved that the Road, after passing Ra-
bun Gap and following the Blue Ridge to An
derson, should run by Abbeville and Edgeheld
to Aiken and thence "by the most practicable
route to Augusta" This view was, however, re-
garded as altogether absurd, by those who op-
posed the change, as the new road would, on
reaching Aiken, have already connected with
Augusta by two existing roads; and hence
they construed the words, "aHa connecting
with Augusta, Ga, by the most practicable
route" as contemplating connection from any
point below Abbeville, and looking especially
to union with the Greenwood and Augusta
Road. Taking this view of the matter, the re-
suit of the action of the Convention was a
strong expression of opinion in favor of con-
structing an outlet for the Chicago and South
Atlantic Railway, from Anderson to Abbeville,
and thence by the most direct route to Angus
to, Ga, and by way of Edgefeld to Aiken, S.
O., thus connecting with deep water, by the
most direct route, at each of the ports of sa-
vannah, Port Royal and Charleston. The ac-
ton of the Convention, thus understood, is in
precise accord with the action taken by this
County on saleday last, and will, as we have
abundant assurance, meet the entire concur
renee of those who are active in their efforts to
scale the mountains, and bring the productions
of the great Northwest to our Southern Allan
tic seaboard, thence to be distributed through
out the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States, the
Isles of the ocean, and largely even to South
ern America So much for the results Of the