The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-14
THE IRON BAND"
FROM LAKE TO SEA,
A DIRECT LINE.

A DIRECT LINE.
THE CHICAGO, INDIANAPOLIS & SOUTH ATTAIN
TIC RAILRoAD-wHAT ITS PRESIDENT DIR.
RAYMOND HAD TO SAY ABOUT 1T YEsTER-
DAY-'CHRAP TRANSPoRTATIoN"-A ROAD
BED LAID OUT BY NATURE-rHE PROJECT
PROPOSED.
The Hon. William S. Raymond, president
of the Chicago & South Atlantic Raj lroad
company, was on Change yesterday and
addressed a number of business men
there assembled upon the proposed
scheme of constructing a direct line
from Chicago to Charleston, South Carolina
The proposed route and the advantages
thereof were very deliberately set forth by
Mr.. Raymond, who spoke as follows: Mr..
President and gentlemen of the board, am
happy to have the opportunity to meet you
this evening, for the purpose of presenting
10 your consideration one of the grandest
railroad schemes that has recently been
agltated In this country. and one.
which upon due consideration conceive
you will admit is equal In importance with
any that has ever been built or ever will be
built. In fact, upon close examination of
the subject, you will say that it is one of
surprising merits. 1t was the glory of Egypt
superiority; but the pride of the American
people is her system of internal improve
ments, to which her material development
has been proportioned. The scheme we
have under consideration is no less than
the building OF great thoroughfare from
chicago to Charleston, South Carolina, or
some point on the Atlantic coast. Perhaps il
will be necessary in presenting this matter
before you to give a brief outline ofits history
and its present status. Several years ago
the people along the line of what is known
as the Indianapolis, Delphi & Chicago rail-
road-R proposed line of railroad that was to
have been built from the city of Indianapolis
to Chicag0-undertoOk to build that road.
They made two unsuccessful attempts A
little over three years ago new company
was organized for the purpose of building
said road upon an air line from indianapolis
TO Chicago, by way of Delphi upon the
Wabash river. This is a very impor.
tant line, and presents many advanta-
ges over any other line shat has
been constructed between these two
important cities. But under difficulties
and acknowledgements. which, always break
great enterprise they were forced to givcsft
up for the time being. They reorganized
and made me president of the company, au-
thorizing me to present the proposed under
taking before the capitalists of the country.
Having spent several years in engineering
ton, when it was first projected, and upon
due examination of the maps, and knowing
that the question of
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION
would become after a while of permanent
Importance, 1 saw that after adopting
our short line as basis, and
through to the south, we
had an open country in which we
could construct railroad that would be of
importance to the agricultural and
portions of the people of the
northwest. And in order to ascertain
this scheme of building such road
meet the appreciation of the people along the |
line determined to call a convention. That
was held in the rooms of the |
Supreme Court last February a year ago. |
Owing to the severity of the weather, we did |
not have very strong representation, but |
The state OF Indiana was we'll represented. |
There was also a representation from the |
south to some extent. That convention /
look into consideration the building |
Of this line through to the sea. 1t was |
in fact the EMANCIPATION of the scheme, which |
was made public, and the result was, it |
awakened dormant feelingin the southern |
states that had existed twenty years in favor |
Of similar road which had been agitated as |
long ago as 1885. We knew about this feel
ing of the southern people previous to hold
ing this convention. We found that as soon
published the scheme took like wildfire. 1t
was hailed in Kentucky, Tennessee, North |
Carolina and Georgia; that same old feeling
which has been slumbering for twenty years,
was awakened. That scheme originated |
here in the west and is advocated by |
such men as Edward T. Mansfield, the ed
itor of the Railroad Record. Governor Vance,
Governor T. Noble, General Taylor and
other distinguished men. A convention was
called in 1856 at Knoxville, having in view
the construction of this road, and was well /
attended. Indiana and Ohio were well re-
presented and that convention declared that
such a line was an absolute necessity. /
Though this agitation did not Immediately |
bring about the building of the road, yet 1t
lead to attempts in that direction. In 1888
an attempt was made to build asimilar road, |
that is from Anderson, s. c., to Knoxville, |
Tenn, now known as the Blue Ridge r. r. |
About three millions and half of dollars |
were subscribed; but the contractor, after |
spending this sum of money, failed. About |
miles of this
ROAD WAS coNTRUcTED,
and considerable grading and tunneling was
done. Following closely upon the conven-
ton held in indianapolis little over year
state of Georgia, and held in Augusta last
May. attended that convention and found
a strong feeling existing there I'm favor of
this great project that had been
partly completed, and an association known |
as the Knoxville e. South Atlantic
agitation continued throughout tho southern |
states and extended 10 Chicago, and party /
Oh men in Chicago, who were men OF wealth /
and influence, took the matter into consider
alton, and a company was organized in that
city about the first of last September, and to
ascertain the feeling of the people a conven-
ion was called for october 9th, to meet in
that city. That convention was well at.
tended, continued in operation two days and
obtained the pledges of substantial men from
svery state and almost every county along
he line of the proposed road-pledges that
amounted to some six millions of dollars in
money. A committee was appointed,