The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-11-05
TIE CHICAGO AND SOUTH AT
1 IANTIC RAILROAD.


Gen. J. W. Harrison, a dele
gate to the late Chicago Railroad
Convention, publishes in the HS-
buae, of that city, letter in which
he gives a history of the efforts
which have been made in this
,Stete in behalf of connection be-
tween the Atlantic seaboard and
the North West, and ot; the present
condition and prospects of the en-
terprise. He states that this pro-
:ject was entertained here as early
as 1885, but owing to financial
,embarrassments was suspended but
never abandoned; that twas again
revived in 1852, proper charters
obtained and means secured to
complete the entire line between
Anderson and Knoxville; that the
war between the States came on to
suspend the work, of which some
80 miles between Anderson and
,Walhalla, and 16 between Knox
vile and Maysville, Tenn, have
Peen. completed, and are now in
successful2operation; that of the
original estimate of the cost of the
whole; line $s,000,OOO, some ST.
100000 have been expended, and a
like sum, tits thought, will be sufi-
cient for the completion of the re-
mainder Of the road; that at the
instance of a number Of the repre-
sentatives of the West convcn-
ton was held in Augusta in May
yast;a which a voluntary associa,
ton was formed to carry out the
objects of the enterprise. 70 use
the language of the writer:
"Chicago and Augusta we Sc.
lected as Objective points-Augus-
ia at the Southern end, for reasons
thep deemed good, and which l
have NOT yet heard successfully
!controverted. 1t (Augusta) is
about 100, miles from Fort Royal,
on the South Atlantic Coast; and,
at this point, you can strike deep
water nearer than over any other
route. The shipper to Augusta
has, from that point, four great
lines of railway, leading off TO Co.
lumbia, S: c., and Wilmington, to
Charleston, to Port Royal, and
Savannah, and, from the latter city,
10 Southwestern Georgia and
Florida-the difference in distance
over this line to Charleston, being
80 immaterial as to be unworthy OF
notice. The Association in Au-
gusta suggested, as the proper To-
cation of this grand trunk road,
the following, viz: From Chicago
TO Lexington, KY, thence to Knox
Vile Tenn; thence over the Blue
Ridge line, to Clayton, Ga. thence
Knoxville, Tenn; thence over the
Blue Ridge line, to Clayton, Ga. !;
thence to- Augusta, Ga, over the
shortest, cheapest and best line !;
with q connection from some eligi-
blejpoint south Of Lexington, Ky,
through Cumberl and Gap, in the
direction of Ashevillc, n. c."
In pursuance of this action, sur
zeys were made, public meetings
held, subscriptions of stock and
pledges of aid taken, and finally
the late Convention of Delegates
representing seven States assem-
bled in Chicago. According to
the writer:
The Convention held at this place
was most harmonious, and agreed
generally upon location from this
city (Chicago) to Lexington and to
London, iu Southern Kentucky.
AT this point, two lines are recon-
mended, in strict accordance with
the views of the Augusta Confer
ence-the one, and we may call it
the Eastern line, from London
through Cumberland Gap, Morris
town, Asheville, N. c., Spartan
durg, Columbia and Charleston;
the other, or Western line, from
London, through Knoxville, over.
the line of the Blue Ridge Road,
to Clayton, Ga; thence via Wal
halla and Anderson, to Augusta
and Charleston, and from Clayton
to Augusta direct, or, via Athens
to Augusta and Macon
Both routes are demanded by the
increaaing wants of the country,
and it is to be hoped that means