Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-03-25
Editorial Correspondence.
CINCINNATI, March 10. 1880

TINS event and to bring tho business mon oI
the South face to face with the "Oueen
City Of the West," grand excursion wa,
inaugurated by tho citise.s of Cincinnati
mainly over the new line Of railway. Takinn
advantage Of an Invitation furnished us, We
lett Walhalla on Tuesday afternoon last to
participate in the events Of tho occasion
The heavy rains had interrupted travel come
what, but, through the kindness of friends u,
Atlanta, We were put in thorough condition,
not only for travel, but to "see what was to
be seen" and through the very best agencies.
Atlanta, as usual, was moving ahead with
her increasing business in trade, in building,
travel and freights. Leaving Atlanta in the
morning. wo had on opportunity of viewing
tho country as wo passed West. Cherokee,
Georgia. impressed US with her fno soil, her
thriving towns, successful farming, her
manufactures of iron, &c.. SO. Tho Western
and Atlantic or State Road is in fine condi-
ton, its excellent management rejecting
great credit on the administrative abilities OF
ex-Gov. Brown, as O railroad man. Nearing
the summit of tho Blue Ridge, which
nearly fades from view on this line, We puss
Tunnel Hill, tunnel l,47O feet in length,
Here ia the dividing ridge, which separates
tho waters Of tho Atlantic from those of tho
the Tennessee River. Tho first of those
streams West Of tho ridgo is the Chicka.
mauga, rendered famous in the history Of
tho late war, and which is crossed thrtcon
times by tho railroad between Tunnel Hill
and Chattanooga. From Atlnnta to Chatta-
no"ga tho country shows signs "f the sangui-
nary contests between the Confederate and
Federal forces. This is especially ebservable
at Chicknmanga Mission Ridge Lockout
Mountain and Chattanooga. We arrived ut
Chattanooga at II A. NJ. u run Of five hours
over distance of $50 miles. Chattanooga is
the Southern terminus Of the great Cincin-
natl Southern Railway, and il 254 miles fran
Seneca City. From Chattanooga to Cincin-
natl over this route is 336 miles, making tho
distance from Seneca to this city 500 miles.
Our readers have often heard OF Chattanooga,
and not always favornbly. Since the war.
however, very decided improvement has
taken place and it seems to be working out
Of the mud, which is almost everywhere, aud
deep for city. 1t is also
railroad centre, and is largely interested in
ho iron and coal business. We had tho
pleasure of meeting Gen. Wilder, u Northern
nan of energy and capital. engaged in the
ron trade. lie ia anxious to have connection
with the Blue Ridge Road in tho Mountains
IF North Carolina. ind thus reach the const
by shorter line. Being in the rear of tho
in oAu rf
being in r. adiness on the Cincinnati Southern.
We concluded to 60 via Nashville, Tennessee
and Louisville. Kentucky. aud make up by
night travel tho time lost by the disarranse
ments causcd by tho frcshct.
Chattanooga is on the Tennessee River
1t was booming and on the rise Tho low
lands were flooded from hill to hill The
distance is l57 miles to Nashville. We
followed the river to Bridgeport, Tennessee.
where we crossed it; meantime passing the
celebrated Dade County coal mines, belong,
ing to Gov. Brown. The river was very
high at Bridgeport. The people were movr
ing out Of tho islands and away from the
banks of the river. The next point of inte~
rest was Stevenson. Alabama, whore connec
tion is made with tho Memphis and Charles
ton Railroad, 48 miles fran Chattanooga.
This was ''ttrugetic point during tho war,
the old defensive works showing plainly tho
desperate character of TINT conflict. Steven
the Memphis and Charleston Road 1t was
here that Charleston, with her money and
libernlity. invested largely in this enterprise
before the war. To our view, it was an
effort to make water or commerce run up hill
and has been complete failure. Az long as
the Nashville and Chattanooga Road re-
maincd friendly to Charleston all went well
Now, the read is operated in the interest of
the Georgia. East Tennessee and Virginia
Road. and carries trade and travel Nm,h or
in the direction of Memphis and New Orleans.
10 some OF our readers it may not be go we'll
known that We have either been on or in view
OF tho mountains this entiro trip. From
Stevenson we gradually ascend tho Cumber-
land Mountains, passing through tunnel
half mile long. Just beyond tho SUNNI,
we lass Scewahnee College. under the control
Of the Episcopal Church A little further on
so emerge into Middle Tennessee. n 6rc
farming region. Cotton is grown up to
Nashville, but tho main crop appears to be
small grain and corn. Stock Of NIL kinds are
abundant and in fine condition. Murfrccse
bnro' liz the next place Of consequence. Here
battle was Tough, during the lato war in
open ground. At Chattanooga, Nashville
Murfreesboro ard At all the cities md bnttl,
fields we passed-and there were many-tht
Federal authorities have collected the bones
Of their dead. buried them in cemeteries
marked the graves with tho names of tht
dead, or unknown" and keep these place