The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-12-09
For tho Anderson Inteuignser.
Railroad Meetinu,


Railroad Meeting.
The meeting called for the County by
the town Of Anderson was convened In
the Court House on Monday last to con-
slider the interests Of the Blue Ridge
Railroad, and was called to order by Jas.
A. Hoyt, Esq, upon whose motion Col.
F. E. Harrison was called to the Chair,
and Messrs. J. L. Tribble and John E.
Breazeale requested to act as Secretaries.
Mr.. Hoyt then read the resolutions from
the town meeting, and in brief and
pointed manner stated the objects Of the
meeting, after which he made the report
OF the committee to invite speakers, stat
ing that Messrs. w. L. Love, E. NJ.
Rucker and Prof. Smith were present,
and concluding his remarks by reading
the following letters:
%. SANS SoUoy FARM,
GREENv1LLR, 8. G., NoY. Is, 1875.
James a. Hoyt, Esq, and Others, Commit.
tee:
GENyLEMEN-I am in receipt Of your
kind invitation to attend mass meeting
of the citizens Of Anderson County, on
the subject of the Blue Ridge Railroad,
and regret that it will not be in my power
to accept the same.
But, although it will not be ln.my pow
er to attend your meeting, Tmost heartily
concur with you and the public-spirited
citizens of Oconee, Georgia, North Caro-
lima and Tennessee in the united effort
you are making to revive this great en-
terprise of connecting, by railway, the
city of Charleston with the magnificent
valley Of the Mississippi. For more than
thirty years the vast Importance Of this
connection has deeply impressed the
public mind in the Southwest. It has
been favored project with our great
statesmen and business men. They have
made several patriotic efforts to accom-
plish the Same. Millions of dollars have
already been spent by the State of South
Carolina, the city of Charleston and pub
lic-spirited citizens along the route of
the projected railroad in order tc, carry
out and accomplish this great project.
Two hundred and fifty miles of this con-
nection, from Charleston to Walhalla,
has long since been completed in South
Carolina, and sixteen miles CT the road
in Tennessee are now in running order.
One-half OF the cost of the remainder of
the road in South Carolina, Georgia
and Tennessee has already besn expen-
ded on the work. When SO much has
been done, it will not do to let this great
enterprise fail.
1t has been said that no railroad has
ever been projected and commenced that
has not been or will be completed! There
is great truth in this saying, and we
should be encouraged by it in reference
to the Blue Ridge Railroad. Railroads
may be commenced and fail, or be sus-
as did the Louisville, Cincinnati and
Charleston Railroad. But we now hear
of vigorous and successful efforts being
made to complete that great enterprise
! after the lapse Of thirty or forty years.
Or tho work may be suspended By some
great civil comrnotion, as was the Blue
Ridge Railroad at the commencement OF
our civil war. The work was sgain COM
menced after the war was over, and again
suspended by the most infamous frauds
on the part of our Legislature and the
officers Of the company. I hope this
third effort which you are now making
to complete the road will not he stopped
by civil nor financial crises, Of; bonanza
| frauds.
most heartily approve Of the sugges-
ton which was made at the Walhalla
mass meeting Of applying to the Legisla-
ture for the convicts in our Penitentiary
| to be set to work on the road. There are
always from three to Ave hundred con-
victs in the Penitentiary, and are suppor-
ted by the State at an expense of fifty OF
a hundred thousand dollars annually,
| little value to tho State. This force would
soon complete the Blue Ridge Rail- Dad
in South Carolina The State of Georgia
| and the State of Tennessee may do the
same.
You may also apply to the Legislature
! to assess county taxes for the purpose OF
constructing the road. This may not be
at first q very popular movement, but
when the people reflect ON tho flood OF
prosperity which this great connection
will pour on them, they will see that it
will return them ten fold for all the taxes
they have to pay. No ono can ever esti-
mate the importance of direct railway
from Charleston to the Mississippi Val
ley. All the lands along the road will be
increased In value. Towns and villages
will spring up like magic. Labor and
all the mechanic arts will be encouraged.
Travel promoted. The flour, bacon, lard
and livestock of the West will bs greatly
cheapened.
It is impossible for any one ID foretell
or foresee the advantages of O railroad
passing through country. remember
when the GreenviIle Railroad was started
making report on its probabls advan-
tages to the upper country. I Thought at
the time was making very high esti-
refer to this report, and was ashamed
of my stupidity. For instance, I stated
that Greenville would send over the road
annually five hundred bales Of cotton.
She sent last year more than ten thou
sand bales over this road ] stated that
the road would carry each way, in the
course Of the year, four thousand passen-
gers have no data by me to Gell how
many thousand I fell short of the mark.
I made no estimate at all Of any income
to the road from flour, bacon, corn, &C.,
brought up the roadI This income has
been worth tens of thousands of dollars
to the Greenville q Columbia Railroad
every year!
When the Air Line Railway was con-
structed through Greenville, it was sup
posed; by many that the advantages to
our town would beinconsiderable! But
our population has doubled since that
road was completed! Several hundred
houses have been erected in the town.
Cotton factories have been built bring
ing here capital of several hundred
thousand dollars, and giving employ
ment to four or five hundred parsons
New stores have been opened by the
dozen, and eight or ten store-houses late
ly erected would grace and be an orna-
ment to any street in New York Real
estate has doubled and tripled in value
In olden times our Grsenville mer-
chants used to get on their hor,es and
ride to New York to purchase their goods.
They were gone two or three months
And they sold their goods at profit Of
one to two hundred per centl Now,
they go by the Air Line Railroad 10 New
York In thirty-fve hoursi They are
never gone more than ten or fifteen days,
and sell their goods at profit from twelve
to twenty-five per centl Captain Cook
was two or three years sailing round this
globe! Now, by means Of railroads and
steamboats, we can go round it in eighty