The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-05-21
Cheap Transportation - Connection o.
the Northwest and the South
Atlantic Seaboard.

In the present lull of politica
excitement, leading statesmen o
the South and West have beer
withdrawing their attention from
party schemes, and devotihg thei'
energies to the advancement of en-
terprises which promise much fo
the development Of the materia
greatness Of their respective sec
tions. Prominent among the eff
forts which are being made in this
direction, is the assembling of the
Congressional Convention at et
Louis, which, disavowing all peliti'
cal purposes, proposed as primary
object, the improvement OF water
communication to the ocean by re-
moving Instructions from the Miss
issippi River and deepening its
channel; all of which were neces-
sary to accomplish the great work
of direct and cheap transportation.
Of kindred purposes is the coming
Convention of Governors at Attain
ia, the especial object of which,
however, will be the consideration
of the subject of constructing a
ship canal from the Mississippi to
Atlantic seaboard. The idea was
suggested by the President in his
last message, and these movements
seem to be made in response to his
suggestions. But last, yet not
least, we have a great enterprise
which was discussed before Con-
vention of Southern and Western
delegates, which met in Augusta
during the past week, the design
Of which is to connect Chicago
and the Atlantic seaboard, by q
grand railway line which shall fur
nish cheap and direct transportation
between these sections between
the valleys of the West and the At
lantic ports.
The necessity of the proposed
line is we'll set forth in the address
of the Hon.. w. s. Raymond, o.
Indiana, President of the Chicago
Delphi, and Indianapolis Railroad
Company. Between the South and
the West, he said, there was nc
conflict of interest. Both were
agricultural sections - one produ
cling the great cereals, wheat, oats.
and barley, which are necessary fol-
the food Of man, and the other the
great staple which furnishes his
raiment, and is the prime agent IN
the work of modern civilization
Each needs the products of the
other, and the prosperity Of one is
identified with the prosperity of the
other. The great existing necessity
is the lack OF direct and cheap
transportation. The South and the
West are forced alike to seek the
productions of the other in the
markets of the East. The conse
queuce is that, with interest, com
missions, the manipulation o:
prices, and above all, the increased
cost of transportation, the farmers
of each section have to pay a tal
too grievous to be borne.
The remedy for the evil is the
proposed line. "Such a line," sale
the speaker, ''has been inauguratec
in the Indianapolis, Delphi ant
Chicago Railroad, which is an all
line, and will form the Northern
link in the great line from Chicago
to the South Atlantic. Continue
this line from Indianapolis and i
crosses the Ohio river at Vevary
very nearly midway between Gin
cinnati and Louisville, pronounced
the best point on the Ohio to throw
a bridge across. The continuation
of this line, without material de
Election, passes through Lexington
Ky., to Knoxville, Tenn. This
point we of the West are deter
mined to reach, as distributing
point. Prolong the line. 1t passes
through Rabun Gap to your OWL
beautiful city, where your energy
and sagacity and enterprise permits
you to reach the sea by an easy
route-to Savannah, to Port Royal.
to Charleston and Wilmington
and this makes your city the objec'
tive point not only for the line ]
advocate, but for other great GEN.
tres, if you give US Western people
the encouragement of your aid in
proportion to your means, and your
uonrtu .no-oneration. The adYan.