The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-06-01
PREs1DENrnuNcAH,s SPEECH IN CHARLES

fHEsipESrnoNcAHrrss rss SPEECH IN CHARLES
| We copy the remarks of Hon. d. r.
Duncan, President of the Spartanburg and
Asheville Railroad, made in Charleston on
last Thursday, on the occasion of rccep.
tion given by the Chamber of Commerce to
the company of Western merchants who
are on tour through the South Major
Duncan was called out at the meeting by
the Vicc-Prcsident of the Chamber of
Commerce as the representative Of one of
the great routes from Cincinnati to Charles
ton" an6 spoke as follows:
.Ur. President and Gentlemen
Having just arrived in Charleston on bus.
mess connected with the work which have
the honor to represent, an invitation was cx-
tended to me to be present at the welcome
given to the solid men of the West and
Northwest who honor us with their presence
70 day. 1t isse plcaure as unexpected as it
is gratifying. TO look into the faces of 50
many OF those who largely represent the
commercial and manufacturing interests of
those great sections, the States Of Ohio,
Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, is an op-
portunity VIC heartily enjoy and the value
Of which we all, am sure, fully appreciate
While looking over the register at the
Charleston Hotel this morning one of your
party cnqurcd of the clerk if anybody was
in the city from Spartanburg, Stain that he
and his brother left there in 1919, nearly
twenty years before your humble speaker
was born. Both of these gentlemen desire to
visit the old land. What changes. sir, have
been wrought since 1919! Not foot of
railway iron was then laid in the United
States, nor for years after that period
Among the earliest started was in that day
known as the old Charleston, Cincinnati and
Louisville Railroad, link in which line we
are-now struggling to build. This was over
forty years ago. Since then, sir, thousands
of miles of railway have been constructed,
and your great West and Northwest has
become net work of iron roads. Your
cities have been rising up like giants, and
many Of them quadruplc in population and
wealth any of those on our Atlahtic coast
For these forty years we have been travel
| ing over the two sides Of n triangle to our
smoke houses and corn cribs in the West
and Northwest. Other lines from other
sections have been built and iu operation for
years at enormous outlays Of money ana eff
fort. Words are good enough and, vel
spoken, are cheering; but you business men
well know the greater value of pocketbook<
in accomplishing great works. There is nc
substitution for them. We thank you fol
your congratulations that we are free once
more, even though our freedom has come
through an ordeal that has made us too poor
Ito enjoy it. Vet we have life YES. q life
Ia Hat 3Sst good 81 sslyk kin ygsars Z
come. Poor as we are, we are nearly 6vtr the
mountains which have separated us like an
insupcrable barrier, and although We
have climbed slowly and fccbly, yet what
We have done has been well done, and tho
most gratifying thought is that thus far oul
work is about paid for. We have not rdi
ted for help from your great States In oul
weakness we have shown strength enough
to scale the Blue Ridge and offer you a line
that passes that mountain range without
single tunnel and at cost per mile no
equalled, the topography Of the country co !
sidered, on this Continent Nothing, gen
tlemen, would give me greater pleasure thar
to have the qualification of returning yol
home through the centre of our State, vi;
Asheville, direct to the City of Cincinnati
We cannot do so today, but We confdcntl,
pledge you, if you devote sixteenth of tn
cost of your great and credtable "Cincin
natt, Southern line to our project through
the Cumberland Gap. or via Knoxville, W
will invite you to repeat this VISIT befor
the close of 1878, to the City of Charles
ton, not by the way of the Chesapeake AM
Ohio, but by the cheapest, most direct AM
practicable route from your great and grow
ing section to the South Atlantic Coast, tina
can or ever will be constructed. [Grca
applause.
YOUTHFUL FoLLIEs.-Times like thcs
not only present to the people the necessit
, of economy in dress, table fare and othe
| oycr taxed luxures but thew also nresen