The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-08

sending produce tU greater distance to
the Gulf to make longer voyage by sea.
Charleston has the shorter line both
ways.
For European trade Charleston is upon
as good footing as the ports to the
northward, and as the use Of steamships
becomes more general any minor advan-
tages the Northern ports now possess
will be done away with. Inward
freights are low, inasmuch as the bulk of
the present movement il outward
Emigrants can be brought into Charles
ton in safety and comfort at all seasons,
and have pleasanter as vel as less dan
gerous voyage than by the Northern
routes. 80 s u ga
For European trade of any kind, in
comparison with the Gulf ports, vessels
trading with Charleston escape tie dangers
and delays of the Florida reefs and for
the West Indian trade, as compared with
Northern ports, vssels trading with
Charleston, are free from the hazards or
discomforts of storm abound Hatteras.
Charleston, moreover, is on the sea.
The deep water beyond the bar is only
six miles from the city. Within the
laud-locked harbor with deep water to
the wharves, is ample room for the whole
shipping of New York. The Ashley and
Cooper Rivers, broad and deep, extend
for miles along the peninsula on
which Charleston is built. The wharves
at the eastern side of the city, have, at
present, accommodation for fully 200
vessels of average size. There is storage
room for 100000 bales of cotton, as we'll
as rice, naval stores, &c. Five cotton
presses are in operation with capacity
of 5000 to 1000 bales day. Last year
they, compressed 100000 bales Of cotton.
Charleston has three. rice mills, with q
capacity of 230 tierces of 900 pounds
each per day. Last year they pounded51,-
600 tierces. Excellent sites, however, are
available for the erection of elevators
and other structures required for the
economical handling of bulky freight.
These can be found, with deep water, on
both sides of the city. The Legislature
has authorized the construction of a canal
to connect the Cooper and Ashley Rivers
above the city, and along this canal,
whenever it shall become necessary, ac-
commodation can ber given to, through
freights equal to what Baltimore has and
New York needs. ~
The population of the city is over
Sc 900. A more equable climate is not
to be. found outside of the most favored
regions of Italy. The health of tie city
is remarkably good and there are none
of the malarious fevers with which ripa.
rian ports are apt to be afflicted. The
markets are we'll supplied at every sea-
son of the year. The public schools are
old established and we'll managed. The
credit of the city is high, and the admin
istration of the city government is in the
hands of Mayor and City Council who
enjoy the entire confidence of the COM
munity, and conduct the municipal gov
ernment as they manage their own af-
fairs.
The banking facilities are sufficientfo for
the present business of the city, and ca
pable of indefinite expansion. The sup
ply of labor is abundant at reasonable
rates. The manufacturing business of
of the city is large and increasing,
and in the one article of fertil-
izers the production here this season
will be over $4,000 tons.
Charleston, it must always be remem.
bered, is already an important city,
transacting large business. The ship.
ments of phosphate rock, mined in South
Carolina, amounted last year to l99,S65
tons, and the receipts at this port of the
principal staples for the year ending
September, 1879, were as follows: Cot.
ton, 502,665 bales; rice, 10000 tierces
naval stores, 100000 barrels; lumber,
100000 feet. The value of foreign ex.
ports last year was S19,607 1897.
The single drawback in Charleston is
the comparative shallowness of the water
on the bar. There are, at present, about
eighteen feet of water on the bar at high
tide, but the National jetties in process
of construction by the United States
Government, under the direction of Gen.
@. A. Gilmore, will increase the depth
of water to at least twenty-six feet, max
ing Charleston incomparably the finest
port and harbor on the South Atlantic.
To make Charleston fully available
for Western business, it is only necessary
to complete the lines of railway to Knox
vile. On the Blue Ridge Read there
are 156 miles to be completed, counting
the Knoxville and Maryville lines as
finished. A large part of the grading
and tunnelling has been done. To com.
plete the Spartanburg route it is only
necessary to fill the gap of SO miles be.
tween Wolf Creek and Hendersonville,
the present terminus of the Spartanburg
and Ashevil.e Railroad. About half of
the grading has been done.
The principal distances from Charles
ton by the different routes are as fol-
lows:
PRESENT ROUTE.
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