Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-07-08
CUTTING THE MOUNTAINS.
The Grand Railroad Barbecue at
HendersOnYilla.

HENDERsoNvILLE, n. c., July
5.-For years the people of South
Carolina have been urging an air.
line railroad from Charleston to
Chicago. They wanted railroad
connections from Greenville or
Spartanburg to East Tennessee,
through the mountains of North
Carolina, to tap the great freight
line of the West. In 1887 they
held meetings, passed resolutions
and expended good deal of gem
uine talk, but very little money. 1t
was followed up from year to year
until the war, with discussions ad-
dresses and resolutions, but still
there was little money invested.
Since the war, until recently,
South Carolina has been under a
cloud, and DUNG the time Atlanta
has pushed through the Atlanta
and Charlotte Airline !; North
Carolina has moved her Western
railroad towards Ashevillc, and it
appeared for a while that South
Carolina would never be able to get
through the mountains.
During the past three years they
have been doing their level best to
build a railroad from Spartanburg
to Asheyille-seVenty- miles.
The road has been built from Spar
tanburg to this place, forty-eight
miles, and is in running order.
Eight miles of the twenty-three
from here to Asheville have been
graded. The road is now in the
hands of receiver, and seems to
lag somewhat The question in all
this part of the State now is, how
can he get our railroad built ? Yes
terday there was good rally at
this place. Ten thousand people
were present. Tennessee sent a
delegation composed of Judge H.
H. Ingersoll, Hunter Nicholson,
John L, Moses, R. L. Gaut, ]. P.
Beach, ex-Gov. Senter, John Muir
ply and Will. Dickson. Georgia
sent delegation composed of Col.
G. J. Foracre, Gen. Austell, r. H.
Richards, A. K. Childs, Mr..
Moss and L. P. Grant.
Governor Simpson, from South
Carolina, and Governor Jarvis, from
North Carolina, were present, and
very large delegations from North
Carolina and South Carolina, com
posed of some of the best men in
those States. The crowd was im>
mense and the enthusiasm all that
could be expected. They opened
the ceremony with booming cannon,
brass bands, and commenced speak
ing under full pr assure. The glori.
Gus Fourth and the Spartanburg
and Asheville railroad was SO close
ly mingled that for time we could
not tell one from the other. Gov
ernor Jarvis, Governor Simpson,
Governor Senter, and several other
distinguished visitors, made speeches.
And if the railroad from here to
Asheville is not finished at an early
day it will not be because there has
not been enough argument and en-
thusiasm to back it. Col. Oats, oil
| Charlotte, says that it would have
been built long ago, but the Ten
nessee people only promised their
moral support to the enterprise,
if other parties will bring it to the
Tennessee line.
General Alfred Austell and Mr..
W. II. Inman, of Atlanta, and
Colonel R. Y. McAden, of Char,
lotte, have aided very materially in
building this road thus far by
furnishing money. Had it not been
for these gentlemen the road WOULD
not now be out of limits of South
Carolina. Colonel Foreacre is ex
ceedingly anxious to make the con
nection with East Tennessee, as i
| will be another feeder to the At,
lanta and Charlotte Airline, one o.
the best roads now in the South
Some of the best railroad men il
the South were present yesterday
and they praise the work that ha'
been done on this road, and say i
is only question of time when i
it will be one of the best paying
roads in the United States. TIL,
reason this road does not pay nov
is because the local frelghts amour
to very little. Hendersonville i
on top of the Blue Ridge, and yes
terday there were thousands o
people here who never saw a trail
of cars before. When the roa(
reaches the French Broad vale,
and makes connection with tn
East Tennessee railroad, it will turf
a large quantity Of the freight ant
travel from the West to tn,
South Atlantic States over thi
road.
There's no mistake, that one>hal
the snasms and crauons in childra