The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-06-08
THE BLUE RIDGE RAILROAD.


Whig and Chronicle, writing from Char
lesion, makes the following comment
upon the recent meeting in that city:
Iregret to say that the holding of the
convention was attended by such unmis-
taxable Charlestonian apathy as to dis
courage the friends of that connection,
which shall place Charleston, Knoxville
and Cincinnati in a shortline railway
connection through the Rabun Cap
This apathy has been, however, greatly
diminished by the meeting. The Char.
lestonians had come to regard the rival
route by Spartanburgh, Asheyille and
Morristown to Cincinnati with peculiar
favor, as the more practicable; ignoring
the formidable difficulties to be encoun-
tered in the actual working OF that line,
to say nothing of the construction of the
road to the North of Morristown.
The apathy alluded to, and the express
ion of it in the leading Charleston news
paper of yesterday morning, brought
about a ventilation of the whole subject
in the discussions Of last evening and to-
day. The result must be that this city
sees now and shall see yet more plainly
that her true interest lies in completing
the Blue Ridge connection. We may ex-
pect in the future the faithful co-opera-
ton of Charleston. In the mountainous
counties, and in fact, all along the line
beyond this neighborhood, the intensest
zeal prevails in favor of completing the
line.
The list of the delegates herewith in
closed embraces able and representative
men from every section of theproposed ex-
tension. That it will be final success,
and at no distant day, can not be doubt
ed. A success, mean, as regards Knox
vile. Should Charleston blindly ignore
her best interest and yield to her
present apathy, measures are in progress,
which shall give to Augusta and Port
Royal all the advantages of this magnifi-
cent Northwestern connection; and with
this outlet to the sea Knoxville would
be as we'll satisfied as with Charleston.
Charleston showed her old hospitality
in providing at the Charleston Hotel re-
duced rates of boarding for delegates,
and in most delightful excursion across
the harbor and beyond the bar on the at
ternoon of yesterday. Trade here is evl-
dently very dull, just now, but the burnt
district has been mainly rebuilt, and old
"City by the Sea-" displays o recupera-
tive power gratifying to behold.
ga Delegate" writes as follows to the
Augusta Constitutionalist, which journal
designates the writer as a prominent
Tennessean
The late Blue Ridge Railroad Conven-
ton at Charleston, was meeting of more
importance than is generally known
There were about $50 delegates, largely
from Tennessee and South Carolina,
but many from both Georgia and North
Carolina. The fact came out in the
Convention that little place called Au-
gusta, had not been entirely lost, and 1T
was possible that the Blue Ridge Rail
road could find the city by the sea, by
building what is known as the Augusta
and Hartwell Railroad, and then to the
city by the sea or to another city, to-wlt
Port Royal. 1t was we'll for the Columbia
route that there was no fire from Augusta
to set the fax burning. 1t is not gener-
ally known that the Cincinnati Southern
Railroad lacks but 26 miles to connect
with roads built in Tennessee, and with
the Knoxville & Ohio Railroad and the
Knoxville & Charleston. The Tennessee
side can all be built at once, the owners
having proposed to build the 38 miles to
the North Carolina line, and then trans
fer the road at nominal cost to any line
that would make the connection. This
would give Augusta the control of the
great Western trade. The Convention
will be called again at some point, say
Charleston or Augusta.
The Knoxville Daily Tribune expressed
its opinion in this style:
Judging from what we read in the
| Me,us and Courier of the temper and tone
of the Convention, we are not prepared
to say that any material advantage to the
contemplated route will result from the
meeting at Charleston. On the contrary!
we should not be surprised if it retarded
the progress of the road. Tennessee Ger.
tainiy expects South Carolina to con
struct the road to the State line: The
mountain counties of South Carolina dc
not feel able or willing to assume all the
burden of that work, when Charleston
states in unmistakable terms that she il
not prepared to 90 dollar on the invest