Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-02-26
Passage Of tho Blue Ridge Bill
The Premiums for a
Prompt Compile
tion Of the
Road.

SV"FteFtno Ioll0wlnB reVloW OF the general
featureso of the Bluo Ridge Railroad. Aot as
II recently passed the General Assembly:
The Act to facilitate the completion of the
Bluo Ridge Railroad has now passed both
houses of tho General Assembly, and needs
only the approval of tho Governor, which it
will certainly receive.
z The first section Of tho bill provides that
the Counties of Anderson and Oconee and tho
towns therein. are empowered to subscribe
such sums, payable in county or town bonds,
at par value to the owners of said railroad,
not 10 exceed Eve per cent. of the assessed
value Of the taxable property of suoh county,
city or town. The County Commissioners
are required when petitioned by Eve hundred
real estate ownerd to submit tho question to
tho qualified voters. Ifthe result favors sub,
scription, tho Commissioners are to contract
with tho owners to issue them bonds, payable
to bearer in thirty years, bearing interest at
six per cent, to be delivered on tho complies
tion of tho road to Knoxville, provided the
road be completed in three years. The
Commissioners shall lovy an annual tax to
pay the interest. In return for tho bonds
the owners Of the road shall give on equal
amount of its stock at par value, to be repre-
sonted by the Commissioners. In towns tho
Council shall tako the same action on the
petition of fifty roal estate owners. Section
2 proviL 80 that the two counties may instead
of subscribing bonds subscribe an annual
tax, not exceeding ten mills and for not
longer than six ycnrs.
Tn Soot;on tbo Ckoto a.,noo 4. .o.,:t III
taxes except the school tax and penalties now
duo on the road, and oil taxes except the
school tax for the next three years, provided
the work be begun by the 1st of january,
1881, and be completed in three years.
Section 4 provides that on similar condi
tions tho road be authorized to pay tho county
taxes duo to Anderson and Oconee and all to
become duo before the completion of the work,
excepting the scool tax, in stock at par
In Section tho State pledges its faith to
remit all State, county and municipal taxes.
except the school tax, for twenty years consec-
utivcly, to any parties beginning tho construc~
ton Of the road from tho present terminus by
the lst Of January, 1881, and completing it
to Knoxville within three years from that
date.
Section 6 defines, as ono Of the conditions
Of the Act, that the parties accepting it's
benefits shall build the road from Walhalla
in the direction of Clayton, Ga, and thence
to Knoxville, Tennessee, and that when
completed they shall never discriminate
against the interest of any of tho ports of this
State or offer better terms of freight or pas
sage to any other ports, or enter into any
combination with other roads within or
without tho State by which they shall dis
crminate in favor of any othor port over
Charleston, and any persons hereafter coming
into possession of the roud shall take it
subject to the terms Of this Section, Tho
persons owning or operating said road shall
not have right to make any discrimination
against Charleston either by rebates or
special rates nor in any other way, nor
combine or pool with any other companies to
do so.
Section says that the State and counties
receiving stock shall not be liablo to any
assessment upon the samo, nor be in any way
responsible otherwise than in loss of stock.
Section authorizes putting as largo &
mortgage bonded debt ns necessary on the
road, tho State to be in no way liable except
as provided in this Act.
The terms Of the Act therefore, nro liberal,
indeed. There is now nm opportunity for a
combination of corporations or capitalists
within or without the State, to lift tho Blue
Ridge Road out of the legal slough and push
it forward to completion. Tho State gives
evidence of its earnest desire to secure the
completion of tho road, and Of it's willingness
to pay literally for accomplished results
This is tho most that could bc expected Mt
this time.
Education.