The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-04
The Blue Ridge Railroad.

The Blue Ridge Railroad.
This great enterprise, the line of whicE
was indicated in his day by MIR. Colhoun,
aud the work on which was begun near
ly twenty years ago, has been suffered to
lie dormant for several years. The little
work done on it by the Radical party af-
ter the war was more of speculation
than an honest desire to complete the
road and benefit the State. The great
Importance of the road has been lost
sight of in the bad management of the
party in power and the line of connec-
ton with the West marked out by nature
seems about to be abandoned. Shall our
people permit this without any effort 10
complete the road? Shall this line be
superseded by other and more distant
routes, and our State be insulted by roads
bording her Western frontier and carry
ing trade aud travel into Georgia and
North Carolina. We hope not. This
road should be completed as conven-
ience and as necessary stimulant to the
development of our State. We have al
ways contended that its completion was
certainty, marked out by nature and
demanded by our interests, but all must
admit that the longer it is delayed the
more injury we sustain. We can con-
ceive of no more important matter de-
manding the attention of our present
Legislature than the completion of this
road. 1t may be we are unable to appro-
pirate money at this time to this end,
but cannot some scheme be devised
whereby private corporation would take
the work and carry it on? We think if
the Legislature would pass an act donat-
ing the interest of the State, if any, in
the road to any company who would un-
dertake its completion, and further, would
donate to such company three hundred
or more convicts without wages for q
proper length of time, the company to
feed, clothen and guard them, that some
one in year would, with the work done,
undertake the completion of the road.
This would cost the State nothing, for We
believe there are now about seven hun
dred convicts on the penitentiary rolls,
and many of them are farmed out at
nominal wages. If crime continues, in
five years we will have fifteen hundred
idling away their time, while this great
enterprise is neglected. If no company
will undertake the job then the State
could carry it on at little expense with
convict labor and thus reap the great
benefits likely to flow from it.
Would the road in a pecuniary point
of view, be paying investment? We
think it would, as it would be the short
est line from the grain and meat produc-
ing sections of the West to the sea coast
and to the cotton belt of the South. We
reason farther from the trade and travel
over the Air Line Road, which now is
remunerative, and which with the derel-
opment of the country, will increase an-
nually. We understand that fourteen
freight and four passenger trains were
engaged on this road one day last week,
and that with its immense rolling stock
and splendid road bed, it is barely able
to do the business demanded of it. Would
not q direct connection with the West
pay even better than this great thorough
fare, and as the country became more
populous and the mineral and manufac-
turing resources along this line were de-
veloped, VIC might safely conclude the
business of the road would increase. In
fact, if completed, this road would be-
come at once q feeder to the Air Line
Road, to a projected road from Walhalla,
Seneca City, or Anderson to Savannah,
and also afford direct connection with
the sea at Charleston. Who can estimate
the business of such road and who
can tell its immense influence on the
local development of the country through
which it would pass? 1t is an enterprise
worthy the consideration of our State.
The political influence of the compile
ton of this road is matter of no small
Importance. The South and West, as an
agricultural people, are and should be
closely allied in politics, but they are by
railroad connections and trade so remote
from each other as to feel no interest in
common. While we buy from the West
and the West from US, all our trade pas
ses through the Eastern States, and the
West feels no interest in us, as their real
friends and the consumers of their pro-
ducts. Our cotton, rice and sugar go
North where it is manufactured and pre-
pared for market and from thence to the
Western customer, while their cron, meat
and -four reach US in the same remote
way. Neither looks to the other as con-
nected in interest, and hence their influ-
ence in the government is thrown With the
Eastern States. Give us once direct
route to the West and our trade as well as
travel would 60 directly to that section,
aud common interest would cement the
sections politically. We would find in a
few years that the Blue Ridge Road
would become an important factor in our
national elections. AS it now is, the
North, by trade and railroad connections.
is bound to the West and stand between
US and that section.-ReoDee Courier.