The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-02-05

Chamber at the City Hall on Saturday
night. Among others, the following gen.
tlemen were present: State Senator
Siegling and Representatives Simonton,
BUST, Miles, Rutledge, Ficken, Perry,
Gonzalez, Walker, Cassidy, Britton and
Eckhardt, Capt. +. w. Dawson of the
Me,u. and C6urter; s. H. Fisher, Re
ceiyer of the South Carolina Railroad,
Mr.. w. ]. Magrath, President of the
South Carolina Railroad Capt. Post,
United States Engineers, and Others.
The delegation from Anderson, j. u.
Murray, 9eh. Humphreys and Mr.. Tolly,
were also present.
At the suggestion of Mayor Courtenay
Col. c. II. Simonton was called to the
chair.
Mayor Courtenas in explaining the
object of the meeting said that delega-
ton sent by the the citizens of Anderson
had found him as Mayor of the city Civ
ing some attention to the Blue Ridge
Railroad question. As soon as the
Western combinations had been an
uounced it had occurred To- him that the
Blue Ridge was, the rnost direct ahd de.
fehsibie route between Charleston and
the West. The Anderson delegation
would make some suggestions as to legis-
lation looking to revival of the fortunes
of the road, aid the meeting had been
called to hear these suggestions. If
capital could be induced to come in and
build the road it was proposed to release
the road from its past due taxes and to
offer other inducements. He had, he
said, never given up the idea that the
Blue Ridge Railroad was the real
road to the West. There could be no
doubt that 1t vas an absolutely safe one
for the. city and State. 1t was 80 con-
sttucted that there was no danger of its
being tapped BY cross roads. Once the
freight was put upon the cars at Knox
Vile it could not be touched by compet-
ing roads Until it reached South Caroli-
ma. 1t was strange that after an aban-
donment for so many years the attention
of the people should be turned back to
the old line: Itwas BECAUSE of the belief
that the Blue Ridge Road was the one
which could bring us out of our troubles.
He believed that the capital would be
found to complete it if the proper in
ducements were offered.
At the invitation of the chairman,
Gen. Humphreys presented the views OF
the Anderson delegation. He said that
the recent excitement in railroad mat
tiers had inspired the people of Anderson
with the bel ief that this Tas All atispicious
time to revive the interest in the Blue
Ridge Railroad, and they had appointed
committee to come down to Charleston
and see if they could effect cooperation
on the part of the people of this section
as would accomplish the desired end.
The idea that had been suggested in
volved, os q preliminary, the release
by the State Of the claim on the road
for past due taxes amounting to from
$50, 900 to 100000. There was no proba-
bility of these ever being paid if the
road remained unfinished, and if it was
completed the State could well afford to
give up its claim. The release, however,
was to be granted only conditionally
upon the completion of the road, for it
was we'll known that the Airline Rail-
road was anxious now to get possession
of the Blue Ridge, not to complete it,
but to run it as feeder to their road.
1t was also proposed to exempt the com
pleted road from taxation for period OF
years, say for twenty years. The
State would lose nothing by this, because
the road in its present condition paid
comparatively nothing, and the benefit
to be derived by the completion Of the
road in the increased value of property
all over the State would more than coun-
terbalance the exemption from taxation.
In addition to this it was suggested that
certain amount of convict labor mi ght
be furnished to those who would under
take to complete the road. About rs
per cent. of the large tunnel had been
completed, and the work on it was well
adapted to the use of convict labor. The
convvicts could be easily guarded, and the
temperature of the atmosphere was so
uniform that there would be little danger
to their health. twas asked farther that
the State should pay to any company
completing the road the sum of $780,
900 in FIVE annual instalments, the first
instalment to be paid only upon the COM
pletion of the road. This would effectu-
ally shut the door against speculation,
and the only question which remained to
be considered was whether the compile
ton of the road was worth the amount
of money to the State. He believed that
if this legislation was had there could be
no shadow of a doubt about the compile
ton of this enterprise, which has been
the dream of century. 1t was also pro-
posed to ask legislation authorizing
corporate subscriptions to the work on
the part of the municipalities interested.
It was believed that Anderson would
readily vote subscription of 5000, 900,
Oconee would probably give $3.50, 900 and
Abbeville 100000. This amount, togeth-
er with the subsidy to be granted by the
State, would in his opinion secure the
early completion of the road. He
believed that Northern and Southern
capital would readily be invested, and
that the dream of century would be
speedily realized. The delegation were
here, however, to take counsel with the
people of Charleston and were not we'd
ded to this plan. They believed that
the same interest united the people of
the whole State. They did not believe
that the Asheville route was the true route
for the city and State. Its disadvantages
were chiefly in the numerous independent
links which composed the line and in the
differences in the gauges of some of the
roads. Three million of dollars had
already been expended by the State and
Charleston on the Blue Ridge Road and
it was hoped that this might be an ans
picious moment to complete the great en-
terprise.
Mr.. E. B. Murray, of the Anderson
delegation, said that the estimates of the
completion of the road had already been
published in the News and Courier. These
required s15O,OOO for grading and about
s85O,OOO for cross.tIes and rails
All that was to be done was to COM
plete two tunnels, seventy-fiye per cent.
of which had been built, and to