The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-05-22
The Great Northwestern and South At
lantic RAILWAY.

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proceedings ,f a meeting held in Augusta last
week, which will be found upon our first page
to-day. This meeting was the preliminary
step towards a great organization, having for
its object the construction Of railroad from
Chicagoto Augusta, upon a plain and practical
basis, and intended to supply necessity now
apparent to the most superficial observer. In
deed, this enterprise is essentially the result of
necessity. The grain producing region of the
Northwest, with its constantly increasing ca
pacity for supplying the prime wants of the
whole country, is hampered and hindered in its
growth by railroad monopolies and close cor
porations, and obliged to find an outlet for its
abundant store of provisions over circuitous
and unreliable routes. There is not village
or hamlet in the South, where merchandise is
brought from distance, that has not been
made to feel most sensibly the Inconvenience
of delayed freights during the past winter.
This is primarily caused by the immense ship
ments of grain and produce in all directions,
mainly coming from the inexhaustible store
house of the great Northwest. Behind these
unusual streams of supplies, there has been
wasted far more than would meet the demand
of our own section, and we do not wonder
that the Western people are growing anxious
and restive under this condition of things,
when the fruits of their honest toll are made
unavailable, because of inadequate means of
transportation. tits true enough that railroads
are being constantly multiplied in the direction
of Eastern cities-the result of the sagacity
and far-reaching policy of merchants and busi-
ness men in New York and other influential
centres of trade, backed by enormous capital
and prosperous, thriving population. But
the Western people are beginning to realize
the fact, so long recognized among our own
people, that the great efforts to draw their
supplies in an easterly direction are based upon
purely selfish grounds, which is neither profit
able to the West or the South, nor likely to re-
fleet credit upon their sagacity, in business
point of view After all the years of toll and
laborious effort on the part of Southern capi-
talists to stretch out their lines of railway,
here and there, in the direction of Northwestern
cities, it really seems that there is correspond
ing disposition in the West to awake from its
lethargy on Il is point, and most heartily unite
in forming closer and more intimate relations
of trade with the South. The benefcent re-
suits of this closer alliance are too we'll known
and recognized here to need argument at this
time.
The system of railroads in the South has
been constructed upon short-sighted ideas,
looking to temporary advantages, notwithstard.
ing the prevalent notion of the last twenty
years that we needed direct and through COM
munication wiSh the great depots of supply in
the West Want of capital and lack of en-
ergy has doubtless clogged the pathway to
greater, progress, while there are many in
stances to prove that selfish motives have erec-
ted barriers to more perfect uniformity in
our railroad system. But the time has arrived
for thorough inspection of the permanent
needs of this section. The producer and con-
sumner are most materially damaged by delayed.
freights at Siifinent points, caused by this lack
of through transportation, and resulting from
the broken lines of railway, controlled as they
are by local and temporary interests. So many
middle-men, and intermediate modes of trans
portation have been used by present railroads,
as to increase the cost of actual necessaries of
life to the consumer and decrease the profits of
the producer. Express companies, blue lines,
green lines and yellow lines, are generally
patronized by through freights, on the ground
that the railway proper had not the means of
prompt transportation. This necessitates great
er cost to the producer and shipper, while per-
haps there is 40 diminution of profits to the
railroad, which is often silent partner in the
increased profits.
Now, if we understand the project, the con-
templated railroad from Chicago to Augusta
means to ignore all such intermediate methods
of transacting business, and bring the producer
and consumer into direct, positive connection
Neither will local considerations be allowed to
govern the location of this railroad. Fully
appreciating the necessity for through route,
and basing its construction upon the wants Of
the two sections, the most direct and practica-
BILE location will be sought. We may expect
the project to be assailed from certain quarters,
whose interest is to keep up the present dis
jointed system Of transportation, but the pro-
jecsors assure us that the people of the North
west are in earnest, and will never cease their
efforts until this idea Of liberal, progressive
railroad, uniting that section with the South
Atlantic coast, is fully developed and success
fully established. If built at all, it will be
built by the people and for the people, and will
represent the idea, which is gaining strength
and accumulatiag power throughout the coun-
try, that direct trade between producers and
consumers is the great demand of the times
Indeed, the opinion has been expressed that