The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-10-09

mR. EDITOR: In order to attend the
railroad mass meeting at Breyard, N. c.,
held on the 10th inst, in behalf of the
Easiey, Belton, Williamson and French
Broad Road. it was necessary that the
Blue Ridge mountains should be crossed.
Hence, we chose the route along the sur
vey of Capt. Kirk for the aforesaid Road.
This survey was made thirteen months
before to tho North Carolina line, but
the Directions had ordered q completion
OF tha survey to the valley of the French
Brood, and had employed Maj. T. B.
Lee, an old and well-known Civil Engi-
neer, to accompany Capt. Kirk and
verify said survey. This was done to the
entire satisfaction of the Directors, and
confirmatory of the general fidelity and
correctness of Capt. KRIS previous sur
vey. Ihis was very gratifying to all the
parties concerned, and to none more so
than the officers of the Road. The meet.
ing at Breyard was largely attended by
the citizens of Transylyania aud adioin-
ing counties, and On enthusiastic interest
manifested in the enterprise. On that
side of the mountains there seemed to be
no croaker, and the people there are re-
solved to do their utmost to meet the
South Carolinians on the top of the Blue
Ridge. Capt. Ephraim Clayton, of
Asheville, an old and experienced con-
tractor, presided over the meeting, and
Gen. Vance, Capt. Atkinson and Others
added greatly to the interest of the meet
ing. The President Of the Road, Col
Il. e. Bowen, introduced the subject of
the meeting by giving g brief history Of
the Road from its inception to the present
time. Then followed Maj. Lees report,
certifying TO the general correctness Of
Capt. Kirk's survey, and verifying the
astounding fact that the Blue Ridge can
be crossed at the Eastatoe Gap, with an
average grade on this side of 65 feet to
the mile, and down on the other side to
the valley of the French of 70 feet to the
mile; that the work on this mountain
section is remarkably free from rock,
snd, except in one or two intancos, of no
great magnitude, and can be accom-
plished at an average cost of three thou
sand dollars per mile; that the country
through which the Road will pass is rich
in mineral ores, gold, iron, coal, corun-
dunn, mica and lime inexhaustibIe that
with convict labor the Road can be built
at cash advance of 25 per cent. on the
original cost, and that the whole Road
from Bolton TO Asheville, n. c., q dis
tance of SO miles, can be graded at q
fraction over three hundred thousand
dollars.
Asheville, like Atlanta, is q sort of con-
verging point for all the Western roads,
reaching out from North and South Car.
olina and Georgia for the trade Of the
great West. From Asheville to Wolf
Creek, distance of some 40 miles, will
be the only remaining link to bring us in
connection with the great network Of
railroads, running East and West, and
North and South, and connecting the
lakes of the Northwest with the cities OF
the South Atlantic. Wilmington, Port
Royal, Charleston Fld Savannah will Fl!
reap rich reward from the proposed
rail connection with Ashevijle. Atlanta
and Charlotte, t~o rival inland towns of
great commercial Importance, will elsn
have opened &c .!is enterprise enterprise III si ss,5.s p.
merchants new and important field of
trade.
After the reading of the report, Col.
w. s, Pickens, of Anderson County, s.
O., made one of his best speeches in be-
half Of the enterprise. He told the peo-
pie Of North Carolina that we came to
them in behalf of the enterprise, NOT as
spectators, not as foreign adventures,
but as farmers, and an important compo-
nent part of the body polite, having no
interest diverse from theirs in this enter
prise. The Colonels speech was pointed
throughout, and produced marked
effect upon the audience.
Gen. Vance followed in one of his
happiest efforts, pledging the great State
of Buncombe to the performances of her
whole duty in the prosecution OF this
great enterprise that at Ave cents ner
head, every acre of cabbages would ing
5000 that he was born and raised III an
apple orchard, and that with railroad
facilities, the production of apples would
become an important, pleasant AID re,