The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-01-27

IuGL1Ou VI ny thS
farmers surplus products will find market
without being eaten up by fTeights and
commissions, and the consumers supplies
may reach him without the ruinous cost of
transportation which now attends their de-
livery.
A glance at the line of the projected rail-
road will show that when once opened, this
is destined to be q trunk line of the first
importance, and for hundreds of miles on
each side without rival or competing line.
When once the connection between Knox
vile and the South Carolina and the South
Carolina and Georgia systems of railroads
at or near Rabun Gap is effected, there will
be no question of connection northward
with the vast system of roads centering at
Chicago and Cincinnati. This accomplished,
and the Northwest will have an easy and
direct means of access to the Atlantic Gea-
board, q home and foreign market for all
they have to sell, and the most desirable
point for supplying themselves with oil the
necessariss and lu1uries of life produced in
tropical or semi-tropical countries, without
the hazard, delay and expense incident to
water transportation through Northern sea
ports, and thence overland to the North
west.
The saving alike to the producer and the
consumer by this more direct means of COM
munication between the Northwest and
the Carolinas and Georgia, as compared with
the circuitous, expensive route by way OF
Baltimore or Norfolk on the East, or Mem
phis or New Orleans on the West would, in
very few years, repay the entire cost OF
constructing the road. But, when once
built to its proper connections, the tide OF
freight and travel that would follow this
line would insure rich return for the money
invested.
The transportation of coal from East Ten
nessee alone will furnish constant and
large business. The coal beds of Anderson
County, at Coal Creek, which are ine1haus-
tible, lie thirty miles north of Knoxville, on
the Knoxville and Ohio Railroad. From
these beds coal can be supplied for Port
Royal and for the coaling stations in the
West Indies cheaper, quality considered,
than from any other point, to say nothing
of the supply for local consumption for
Charleston. Savannah, Augusta, Macon,
Athens, Columbia, and all the smaller
towns of the region penetrated by this road.
The superior quality Of this coal has already
secured its introduction and consumption
to large extent in Atlanta and Macon, and
to some extent in Augusta and Columbia,
notwithstanding the circuitous route il has
to be transported, and the high and adverse
discriminating freights with which it is
taxed.
Bubthese are not all the advantages to be
derived from the construction of this road.
Between Knoxville, Tennessee, and Ander-
son, South Carolina, there is a section of
country nearly one hundred miles in width
almost unknown ard undeyeloped, which
would be penetrated and cross-cut by the
Blue Ridge Railroad. This section is rich
in minerals, embracing as it does the mineral
belt running northeast and southwest from
Alabama to Virginia, abounding in iron,
copper, lead, silver and gold; country
mountainous, it is true, but interspersed
with beautiful and fertile valleys and coves
unsurpassed in productiyeness, in scenery
and in Climate. Thi, mountain country is
peculiarly adapted to the growth of vegeta-
bles, fruits and grapes, and for grazing and
wool growing would compare fayorably
with any section of the country.
All the vast resources of this rich but un-
developed section of country will be tribu-
tary to this road, and while the road will be
the active agent in giving life and prosperity
to the country, the increased products will
furnish valuable and permanent local busl-
ness for the line.
And to the methods by which, in the Ian
guage of the conventions resolution. the
necessary amount of money to be raised"
your committee have no very specific aug-
gestions % make. Nevertheless, the condi-
ton of affairs is by no means so discourag-
ing, as q mere casual observer OF passing
events may have supposed. 1t has been
we'll understood by the public that for years
the affairs of the Company south Of the
Blue Ridge have been in state of hopeless
complication, while on the Tennessee side
the work has been long suspended and the
road passed under the auctioneer's hammer
az DELINQUENT to the State: But now, even
out of the wrecks of bankruptcy, springs
the hope of early resuscitation. The pro-
ceedine in bankruptcy in South Carolina
has resulted, as we are reliably informed, in
the purchase of the road from Anderson,
s. c., to the Georgia and North Carolina
line, by the first mortgage bond-holelers,
and o final decree confirming the sale hos
been pronounced. These purchasers were
creditors of the old company to the amount
of $4OO 900, and their purchase e1tingun'hed
all other liens or demands against the road.
That portion of the road within North Car
lima, whose charter had lapsed, has been
re.incorporated under new charter OF most
liberal provisions, and the new organization
expresses its willingness to unite IN move.
ment looking to on active resumption OF
the general enterprise.
In Tennessee the entire line, by sweep
| ing proceeding in Chancery, IN pursuar &c OF
an Act of the Legislature, has been sold to
| private purchasers, who are citizens OF the
State. and to whom the sale has been con-
| 6rmed at the price of SIS, 900 in Tennessee
| bonds. Thus, at both ends of the line the
road itself is relieved of massive debts, and
! underlying liens have become the subject OF
easy negotiation. The three parties now
owning the entire line may treat with each
other regarding their several properties with
out embarrassment. In this view OF the
case, it occurs to the committee that the hrst
and best practical step to be taken IN the
work of resuscitation is the erganlzanon OF
q new company, which shalllbecome proprl-
etor of the entire road from Knoxville to
| Anderson. and into which all the different
interests shall be merged, and such we un-
derstand to be the feeling of all the parties
interested, With clearly defined and sat
isfactory estimate of the actual values Of the
several sections Of road as basis OF re-
organization, the new company mlgnt very
well hope to have its stock list swelled by
subscriptions of counties, towns and lndi-
viduals along the route and elsewhere
With such an organization, wholly dlsen-
numbered of all liabilities, owning and con-
trolling the franchises and the body OF SO
important trunk line, men of capital would
again be induced to listen favorably to pro-
posals for investment in our section. With
the various interests thus unified and the
entire road subjected to o common manage.
ment, there is every reason to believe that
this long-struggling enterprise wouN soon
move forward to OIL early completion. With
a view to accomplishing that result, the
adoption of the following resolution is re-
commended:
Resolved, That ]. P. Reed and R. A.
Thompson, of South Carolina G. D. Smith
and james L. Robinson, of North Carolina;
R. 1. Wilson and B. B. Lenoir, of Tennessee
be, and they are hereby, constituted com, i1,
the companies or individuals owning the
sections Of the Blue Ridge road, within their
respective States, on the subject, Of consoh soil
q new company for the ownership and man.
agement of the entire line from Knoxville,
Tennessee, to Anderson, s. G., and to ascer-
tain upon what basis and terms said new
Company may be organized. Said commit
| tne sboli renort the result of their confer