The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-03-13
Railroad to Ridgeway.
"Carpe Dicm."

will advance the interest Of the town OF
Camden and its unity by placing
1t in direct communication with what is
now an ."outside world" Though
railroad town, it is the hardest to get to
and get away from Of any spot we know
Of; yet b. railroad twenty miles long,
or thereabouts, We will be put at once
en- rapport with every railroad from
Maine to Snn Francisco. A road to
Ridgeway, On the Charlotte road, would
do all this. Such road, crossing the
Wateree river between the old boat
yard and Chesnut's Ferry, would be
one of the cheapest, as the banks Of
the river are bold on both sides, and
but little trest!ework needed, and the
finest granite is almost where it would
be required,
Look OF the map. You wish to 60
to New York or Baltimore. Start for
Wilmington and wander away South,
Fast and North for nearl = half the dis
tance before you strike "bee line" for
your destination.
This twenty niies of road will shorten
the time to New York one half, and
open up direct market for all we wish
to sell, and direct transportation tor all
We wish to buy. How much cotton
will 90 to Charleston BY the Sonth Cars
elina railroad at the present rates aud
accommodations with the facilities at
command this road would give! Look
at the map. You will see it all at a
glance. The only hopa of advancing
our town, or, indeed, ofits holding its
own, is by placing it ir direct line OF
travel, where drumtuers and buumers,
the sick and the well, the prospector
and the capitalist, the man who has
money to lose aud the man who is on
the make will come. Now is the time
for them, to come. Capital at the North
is restless, but abundant, though kept
strictly under lock and key, but low
price d Gotten and mining and manutac-
turing, strikes, and the-being-slowly>
recognized necessity (tboseh necessity
nevertheless) Of bringing the mills t"
the cotton, is making the manufacturer
and capitalist mount his Piseah and
look abroad over the whole land.
The utter prostratiou in the value of
-! property in the South is an add
'----~-Esz1-- ---~-Esz1---"------..s-- ..s----1
pertinent can be made BY the cxpendi-
turc of but little ready money. Let the
experiment be once made in the right
way aud We d. not fear the result.
Aad SO, coming back to our railroad.
BY bavins a through line of travel.
which this woull give us, throng Of
keep.witted Yaakees would flow our
way; they would see our unrivaled ad-
vaptages in climate, cheap living and
water-powsr; they would stop, seize the
advantage with both hands, teach US
how to make money, and We in return
e. they are class o! men who like to
get something back for what they do
c,uld at least teach them how to spend
il in o manner becoming their adopted
country
The interest Of the CT arlotte road in
building this branch is very great, all
the freight that now goes to Charleston
by the South Carolina road would me-
esssarily, with the inducements this road
can offer, 60 10 Baltimore and New
York that way. Even now the steams
boat on the river carries freight from
Camden to the Wilmington and Colum-
bia road, running along side Of the
South Carolina road. Look at the ms p
and see how preposterous such courfs
would be with a road to Ridgeway.
The Charlotte road could afford to
blild this link itself. We are now at
the mercy Of monopoly as regards
trade and mail facilities; get New
York mail twice a week and New
Orleans mail any time, ranging from
four days to eight This branch too
gives direct road to Columbia not
more than ten or fifteen miles farther
thsu the old stage road. The producer
and consumer pay all freight, the mid
dle.man vino handles it cares nothing
tor this. and the difference arising from
this discrimination against US on our
groceries and cotton would pay a very
large dividend upon the cost of such a
road.
Wo at Camden, on heavy Western
prolnc-;ncat, corn, -four, sugar and
mo,,ssos--whcre the freigot bears SO
ia 'gr proportion 10 he value of the