The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-08

the highest rail road elevation on She line
FROM New York to Now Orleans. Hero i
Maj. Houaton stopped the train long
enough 6orthose who desired, TO go upon
the hotel observatory and view the mag
niicent Landscape presented from this
eleyetion. II was at the hour OF early
twilight, when the last red rays .fioll "a
sun, which had set, were streaming over
tho lofty peaks Of the distant mountains
TO the west, investing them with q love-
Illness and grandeur which they possess
at no other hour of the day. The view is
far reaching and magnificent. so that IL is
not strange That many seekers after rest
and pleasure delight to visit Mt. Airy,
where there "a 80 much OF natural beauty.
both Of landscape end mountain, to at
tract and please. The accent from Toccoa
to BIT. Airy is rapid. and for eome miles
after leaving Mt Airy the descent is
almost as marked. From this point to
Atlanta the country Is unattractive, and
but for the view of Stone Mountain.
some s,tenty miles to tie left just before
reaching Atlanta, there would be nothing
OF special iruorest TO the traveller. This
mountain is noted as considerable
elevation of granite, rising in regular
shape in !. plain many miles distant from
any range Of mountains or any, other
peak. We arrived in Atlanta at half-past
ten o'clock, and wore comfortably quar-
tered at the Kimball House, ono of the
best hotels in the South. On Sunday
morning the members OF the party at
tended Church according to their prefer
ence, and after dinner, at half-past three
O'Clock, the party started on the Western
& Atlantic Railrcsd for Chattanooga.
This is the celebrated, State Road of
Georgia, which, when completed. an
nually involved q heavy, expense to the
state to run 1t, until Hon. Joseph Ic.
Brown was elected Governor and ap-
pointed DR.. J. w. Lewis Superintendent,
after which the Road annually paid large
sums into the, State treasury. thereby
materially reducing the taxes of the
State. Since the war this Road has been
leased to company, OF which Gov.
Brown is President, for the sum of three
hundred thousand dollars; per annum,
which is paid into the State treasury reg
ularly at the rate OF twenty five thousand
dollars per month. After paying the
State this large sum, the company keep
the Road and its rolling stock in
thorough repair, and make handsome
dividends for themselves, showing how
profitable the lines of railroad crossing
the mountains for the purpose of bring
Ing Western commerce to. the Atlantic
Ocean may be made, and afording az
Irresistible argument upon g financial
basis In favor OF the construction of the
Blue Ridge Railroad fn-. South Carolina,
which would shorten ihe istance to the
West from the Atlantic coast by from
one hundred and fifty to two hundred
miles, giving to us the immense advan-
tages always to he found along the great
trunk lines of commerce between two
great and rapidly developing sections of
our country. Upon this Road we found
one of the Air Line cars, provided es-
pecially for the accommodation of the
Press Association, and the handsome
private coach Of Gov. Brown was ten
dered to Gov. Simpson and accepted by
him as IN additional amount Of room and
convenience for the party. Col. B. w.
Wrenn, of the Western-G & Atlantic Road,
Col. e. P. Wilson, General Ticket Agent,
Mr.. j. W. Marstella, Assistant Secretary
OF the Cincinnati Southern Road, and
Mr.. j. F. Blackburne, Secretary Of tho
Board of Trade OF Cincinnati, met the
Association in Atlanta, and accompanied
us on the excursion. The speed of travel
upon this Road Is very rapid, and the
running is smooth and accompanied
with very little noise. All along the
lire of this Road may be seen the re-
mains Of entrenchments and fortifica-
tions used by Johnston's army during
the late war, and there is scarcely q town
upon the route which did not witness one
or more sanguinary conflicts between the
contending armies. The Kcnnesaw |
range of mountains, which rise to the
loft of tho Road, about thirty miles above
Atlanta, presents some prosty views, and
= the feature along this route, which has
given its name to the line which Is
known as the "Kennesaw Route,n In I
which the Western q Atlantic Road is a;
prominent link. Further on we
strike fertile and well cultivated
section of the State, through which the
Etawa River wends its course This is
muddy stream, with broad stretches of
bottom lands, which are green with
promising crops of corn. Some distance
above this stream we come to Tunnel
Hill, che highest point between Atlanta
and Chattanooga, and which takes its !
name from the celebrated tunnel there,
which is one Of the first -ailroad tunnels
ever constructed IN the United States. 1t
is something over a half milo in iongth,
and, for the most part, Is located through
solid rock. AT the time it was completed
this tunnel ranked. as ono OF the railroad
wonders of the ago, but: ..t has Of late
years been so far exceeded in length, DIFF
ficl.s- OF construction ana Importance,
that 1t is by no means remarkable.
From this point to Chattanooga it = IS o
gradual decline In altitude, the height of
Atlanta which is lower than Tunnel
Hill, being itself several hundred feet
higher from the level of the sea, q fact
which would not be expected, since
Chattanooga is right inl the mountains.
The stroams through this section are
sluggish and in como cases atagnant.
The limestone crops out as /. prominent
feature Of the soil and the production is
confined 10 cel Gals, corn and grasses,
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