The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-09-26
The Railroad Meeting.

The Railroad Meeting.
On last Thursday a Railroad Mass Meeting
WAS held in the Court House, at which Judge
J.. :. Murray was called ON to preside, snd Col.
Jas. l.. Orr to act Secretary. The chairman
convention in the interest of the Anderson
and Augusta Railroad had been proposed to
meet at this place on the 18th inst, it had
been decided TO hold q masS meeting at this
distinguished speakers upon the question OF
the proposed road. Col. ]. G. Z. Featlierssone
moved that
JUDGE T. II. DOR
be invited to address the meeting, n upon
invitation he responded In an earnest and
a brief synopsis. He said: This is such a
sudden turn to the administration Of Justice
hat i cannot do justice to the merits of the
enterprise presented for your consideration
know nothing of the merits Of the road from
Anderson to LowndeSville, ut am told that 1t
Is u very favorable route for q railroad, but
do know that you will derive very great ad'
vautages from connecting Anderson with
by another line Of railroad. You are now
burdened with discrimination in freights
which has been driving your trade to Green
VILE. II you had another route to the sen
to those which Greenville now enjoys. This
is enough Of itself to induce you to build an.
other road but there are also other induce
lnents. such as the Advancement Of the value
Of real estate n other property. Your lands
would be enhanced TO double their present
value, n moreover you would develop the
immense, water.poWer which now lies die
along this route, thereby bringing capital
from abroad and using up your raw material
ut home. These advantages are sufficient 10
warrant you In building this road. If you
wish to prove true to yourselves and to pos
terity, lay hold now and build it, for II you
70 a or InIov fNfhnrc living nanr xyniS xptll hnil1
a road. say within fifteen or twenty miles OF
O which will prevent the construction OF
this line and cut you of from competition,
You are able to do it and now is the time,
You can bear q tax OF 5000 w to secure It,
Greenville paid S250,00O for the Air Line, and
has lost all Of her stock, and yet her people
do not complain, for they have made more by
1t in freights and increased value Of property
than they lost. Anderson County Is the BAN
ner county and can do the same. II you lose
your stock, o will be more than repaid by
the advantages of the road. Do you want to
wee your county go down. and your most act.
i've men leave it7 You are o second, II
not first among the towns Of the u%p-country,
but II you do not secure better railroad facili-
ties. this place is destined to become aroos-
Will sink into insignidcance. Your live men
will 90 TO live places. Inm told that this Is Il
practicable route; II 80, why stand ye here
Put your shoulders to the wheel and show a
disposition to help yourselves, and capitalist
win com in and help you. Show a DISPOSE
ton to connect with live places and they will
come out to meet you.
JUDGE L. C. NoRTHRoP
was nextinvited to address the meeting, and
said. In substance: Like the Judge who pre-
coded me this invitatation takes me by sur
prise. I do not remember to have ever nude
q railroad speech, and am no public speaker.
l ON at home with my pen, but am III at ease
when upon my feet, and required TO deliver O
speech at such short notice. As n general
thing I do not care to address public gather
ings, but this Is a subject about which every
man ought to know something, and be will
ing to assist as far rs possible. The question
OF the policy OF railroads has gone, and they
are now established as necessities. There is
no use TO talk about the policy. for railroads
are the moving power OF the civilization OF
our day. II you wish TO advance equal to
what other places attain, you must have
railroads. Forty or fifty years ago the Brit
fish parliament appointed q commission to
IN Stevenson to ascertain II he were
not insane because he proposed to invent u
railroad. They asked him II he could run his
engine One two, and so on, miles per hour,
as tests Of his insanity. Now men arc con
roads are the great need Of our people. We
have q magnificent country. Our mountains
nod to our seas, and they rush up to wash our
fertile shores. Our. people are industrious
patriotic and chivalrous. but our prosperity
languishes while our fellow-citiZens across
the Potomac and the Ohio are revealing In
wealth. Nature has not done as much for them
as for US, and yet they are covered, with
wealth. while we are hewers OF wood and
drawers Of water for them. They take our
| p~hosphates and cotton over their roads, man.
u~facture them. bring them back TO us and
charge almost what they please for their
trouble. Manufacturing and Railroads give
them our money, from which they have
grown rich and fat. The trouble is we are ut
their mercy. You are feeling this here be.
cause you have only one road and cannot re.
duce its freights or prevent discrimination
S%partanburg Is a small but thriving place
which Is literally crazy about railroads. W.
gave ESQ, OOO to the Air Lin and lost our stock
but made back a million dollars in increased
value OF property and reduction Of freights
We are now building and will soon com
and yet our people want permission to sub
scribe as q county to n road from Spartanburl
TO Augusta. The secret and key to success
now, are Railroads and Manufactures. /
nature has done so much and man so little
put your shoulders to this enterprise ant
| strike our road from ~Spartanburg, thereby Sc
curing through connection with the West
and at the same time secure the advantage,
Of competition with the road you now have
GENERAL 8. MCGOWAN
! was next invited to address the meeting, ant
responded in an able and entertaining speech
Astounding In practical thoughts and advoca
possible line for the whole people Of our State
! He also advocated the road from Anderson by
\ Abbeville to Augusta, and II that could no
| be built he would 60 in for the road BY
Lowndesville. We regret that q lack Of spac
and defective notes prevent US from giving {
railroad situation Of our State which Genera
MCGOWAN presented In his speech. We hops
upon some future occasion to present them u
our readers.-Anderson InteAi0encer.