Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-07-24
miscellaneous &eadimg.
From the Richmond Correspondence of the CourlerJou
RICHMOND TO ATLANTA.

From the Richmond Correspondence Of the Courier Journal.
RICHMOND TO ATLANTA.
The near approach of the completion of the
Richmond and Atlanta Airline is in itself
an event of paramount Importance not only
to the city of Richmond, but to the whole
country. Connected with the history OF the
road there are some incidents, never before
made public, which cannot fail to interest the
readers of the Courier. Journal, and, indeed,
every cultivated person in the Republic.
Do you know that
JOHN C. CALHOUN IS THE FATHER
! Of this Richmond and Atlanta road? 1t is
even so! In the month of January, 1882,
Mr.. Thomas T. Giles, the son of Governor
VIM. B. Giles, and Mr.. Gustavus A. Myers,
both young men, entering the carriage Of the
latter drove to Hanover court house. There
they entered the stage for Aqua creek, having
engaged seats before leaving home Among
the passengers was gentleman who kept his
head bowed down upon the leathern strap
which served as back to the middle seat.
He was evidently plunged in deep thought,
and, though he spoke not word, the occasion.
al convulsive clenching Of his hands showed
internal agitation of no ordinary kind. Mr.
Giles having observed him attentively, said to
his friend, Mr.. Myers:
"That is John G. Calhoun"
II think not, was the reply.
Il know it, and will prove it."
Mr.. Giles then began to talk in rather a
loud tone about the resolutions in favor OF
notification which John Randolph had but a
short time since induced the citizens Of Char
lotte county to pass, expressing his dissent
from them.
Mr. Calhoun, for he it was, at once raised
his head.
"Do you know Mr.. Randolph, sir?"
"Yes sir, l know him quite we'll"
"Do you live in his district"
"No, sir but in the one adjoiningi it.. :"
81 am surprised, sir, that one who knows
that great man so we'll, and who lives so near
him. should disapprove his course"
Mr.. Giles, in order to draw the eminent
Carolinian out, defined his position as best he
could, and Mr.. Calhoun waxed eloquent in
defense of his own views. When the stage
stopped in Fredericksburg, great number of
citizens called on Mr.. Calhoun at the hotel,
and in the course of conversation, MIR. G..
asked who that young man was, pointing to
Giles. Hearing his name, he at once stepped
up to him, offered his hand, said that he knew
his father, Gov. Giles, we'll, and expressed his
regret at having spoken perhaps with too
much warmth.
"No," said Giles, "it is I who should apollo
gize which 1 now do most sincerely. To be
frank with you, the discussion was the result
of plot on the part of my friend Myers and
myself to draw you out"
"Well," said Mr.. Calhoun, laughing, 81
must confess that I was fairly caught"
On re-enteriug the stage, conversation was
resumed, and the subject of railroads was
brought up, Mr.. Giles saying that he expected
to 20 from Ellicott's mills to Baltimore on
perhaps the only railroad then existing in
America. Mr.. Giles did 60 that distance by
rail, but the motive power was mule. MIR.
Calhoun, addressing his young auditor, said
DID YOU EVER HEAR OF ATLANTA?"
"Never in my life," said Giles
"You will not find it on any map of the
United States 1t is hardly to be called a
village there is tavern there and little else,
but that place is destined to become one of
the great railroad centres of the United
States"
He then explained at length the peculiar
geographical situation Of Atlanta, just where
the Appalachian range, terminating abruptly,
afforded a natural gateway for the products
of the Southwest to the waters of the Atlantic,
and to the great markets on its coast.
"Now," he continued, eff you will take a
large map of Georgia, find Atlanta, make a
dot defining its position on the map of the
United States. and place one end of string
at Richmond and the other at Atlanta, you
will see the natural route Of an important
railroad, and you will see not only where it
ought to 90, but where it actually will 60.
You, Mr.. Giles, will live to see that road
built; 1 may not. 1t will pass your own
residence, Amelia court house; it will pass
Burke's Tavern (now called Burkeville juno
ton; it will go by Danville, by Greensboro,
by Charlotte, N. G., and thence to Atlanta,
Georgia" e"
This, in substance, and almost in words,
was Mr. Calhoun's
REMARKABLE PREDICTION,
Made one January night forty years ago.
Mr.. Giles was so impressed by it that as soon
as he returned home he began to agitate in
favor of it, andto solicit subscriptions tor a
road from Richmond to Danvlle, that being
sufficiently great undertaking to be attempt
ed at the outset. Nearly every one ascribes
to the late Whitewell P. Tunstall the paterni-
ty of the Danville road, but the truth is that,
while he fought it through with indomitable
courage and rare tact, to Mr.. Calhoun first,
and afterward to Mr.. Giles, Lewis E. Harvie,
Benjamin NJ. Jones, an engineer, and Mr..
Clifford, an Englishman, the people Of Rich.
mond are indebted for highway which has
proved more valuable to her than any other,
and without which her proud position as the
capital of the Southern Confederacy could
not have been maintained year. The gen.
tlemen Just named called a meeting at Farm
vile, but the friends Of other lines assembled
there in such numbers that the meeting was
adjourned to Charlotte court house. Thither
came Tunstall and Vincent Witcher to oppose
it. but they were converted into its warmest
champions. Tunstall and his road we're much
derided while in progress, but no sooner had
it touched the fertile valley Of Dan river than
such volume Of trade was poured into Rich
mond that satire was silenced forever. Dan
Vile was reached, but the
OBJECTIVE POINT WAS ATLANTA,
And from that the friends Of the road never
swerved North Carolina opposed the extern
sion to Greensboro, but the war came and
made it a military necessity. After the war
the struggle was to get possession or to obtain
lease Of the road to Charlotte, and to raise
the means to build the prolongation to Allan
ia. Colonel Buford, who succeeded Mr.. Lew
is E. Harvie as President, devoted himself to
this by no means easy task with such assidui-