The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-03-05
Wednesday, March S. 1879,
The Savannah River.

In another column of this week
Press and Banner may be found an cX-
ceedingly interesting rcpor: OF the recent
survey of the Savannah river by Mr..
Carson, who has Been detailed for this
duty by the Engineer department of the
United States. In this report many facts
are given. as TO the work necessary to be
done to make the river navigablc, while
it furnishes some interesting figures as
to the slope of the river, the products of
the country, and the cost of doing this
greatly needed work on this natural
thoroughfare. which IS now blocked by
boulders and lodges of rock.
N From Mr.. Carson's report, Genera!
Gilmore estimates the aggregate cost at
..hree hundred thousand dollars to make
the rivn- navigable from AuGuSta |"
near Talula Falls, 4 distance of one hun
-afed and lifty-four miles.
The report, it seems to us is not favor-
able as to the government undertaking
the whole work, but we are gratliicd that
General Gilmore seems disposed TO
recommend that the riverb be opened as
far as Trotter's shoals, 4 distance of six
ty-four miles above Augusta; and to
accomplish this work h." estimates the
cost at one hundred and t~wcnty-tour
thousand dollars. From General Gill
more's report II will be seen that only
twelve thousand bales Of cotton annually
90 to Augusta by way of the river, while
the yearly product of the staple i'll the
tributary districts is estimated ut seven
ty thousand bales. 1t is fair to estimate
that many thousand bales Of this cotton
; at present find their way to Augusta by
wav of wagons and otherwise, but it is
equally true that q larger proportion OF
this crop is diverted from its natural mar
ket because of this difficulty OF transport
tation. OF the immenscfrcights that this
large area will necessarily consume and
use in various ways the mercst fraction
comes by the river, because of the great
danger and cost attending its passage up
the stream, which induces the buyer &c
I 90 10 other markets for his purchases
which are shipped to him by Il ci:cuitons
route to a distant station and thence
shipped by wagon and team to tho plan
tation.
With this line opened up, new life and
activity would be quickened into cNis-
tence Oh its banks for the entire distance,
The banks of the Savannah being almost
totally exempt from the effects OF that
malaria which most generally aflicts
those living on the low lands Of other
rivers, taken into consideration with the
fact of the presence Of an abundance o.
the purest aud best water, and the supe'
rior fertility Of the soil which skirts the
river, make it reasonable to suppose
that new settlements would be made on
both sides of its entire course. Towns
and markets would spring up at the vari'
Gus landings. Mills and shops would
dot every shoal. The hum Of prosper
Gus business would be heard every
, where, and all eyes would look to Au'
quota as the great basin ess centre Of the
whole.
1t has been the ~day-drcam Of our poo
pie for half a century that numerous cot
ton factories would some day be located
on the Savannah to utilize the immense
2 water power that runs down hat stream.
Eat present we have little ground to hope
Eor an early realization of so desirable
"a result. Augustus abundant capital
with her great water power going tc
waste, could offer such inducements to
those desiring to erect factories as to
make our shoals almost worthless in a
money point of view. 1t is not likely
that capital would disregard superior adj
yantages, and seek a refuge in the
woods, on the banks of the river, so far
from marIet in which its operatives
.RunnhscSgty their supplies, and in which
its own products would have to be sold,
and where its deposits and banking ac-
counts wonld have to be kept.
What the country wants now is the
general prosperity of its citizens. The
benefits of great factories dwindle into
insignifcance when compared to the ben
efts to be derived from the general pros
perity of the small farmers as a class,
and nothing will contribute more TO their
prosperity than the cheap transportation
which the river can furnish.
The General Government of late has
been more generous to the South than at
any previous time since the war, and
with proper efforts on the part Of our
Congressman we may hope to see an ap-
preparation made for the work on the
river.