Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-02-10

suuio'eu''y w aiIoH neaVy IrelGht5 10 Oe car.
ried economically aud easily. n
second route .is by tho Blue Ridge
Railroad. This road is ia operation from
Anderson to WalhaI.- nd from Maryyillo
to Knoxville. A rough estimate is TINT! the
road oan he completed for about So, 900 900
but the Knoxville, aud Mnryyille RaiIroad
is now owned by Mr.. Sibley of tue Air
Limo Railroad This routo, if tho Savau.
nah Valley Railroad DO built, or u line
from Niuety-Six to Aiken be construct
ed, will give the shortest practicable routo
TO Charleston. Several million dollars
have already been sren. apou the ro,d
Auuther route is 10y the Eastatoe Gap,
which Senator Butler describes, iu recent
letter to Senator Poudlctor, as follows:
"Our people on the Southeast side of
the Blue Ridge range Of mountains are ex-
tremely arc anxious to nuke sumo direct
railroad connection with Ciu.uuati aud tho
Western cities. The chief obstacle to this
very desirable eud-the hitherto impassu-
bic barrier of the mountoins-has been
lately overcome by tho discovery puss
through which railroad may tc built, as |
am informed, without tunuel or trestc
aud with grade of not tDore than seventy
i've feet to the uiIc. The present terminus
of tho Cincinnati Southern R,iIruaI at
Chattanooga il too far to The West for its
extension through this gap, and does not
reach-dircctly at least-thoso ports on the
Atlantic const nearest to C;noinnnti. Nor
oan it traverse that foe agricultural and
manufacturing region lyiug between the
Blue Ridge uud the sra coast, without
branch diScrging from it's present luc
e's'wnr'iiy, ~ IN to pass the mountains
through this natural opening. Liuks OF
II trunk iiuc ure now being graded from
Aiken, s. q , to Edgr6cld. and from Epsley
Station, on the Air Line R,i.oad, towards
this gap, (Estato) which, il yuu will
examine the map, you will fud is the
nearest route from Cincinnati 10 Charleston.
| s,y links of trunk line meau that
different railroad companies under chnrtrr
from South Carnliua Are being thus graded
which hy consolidation could be nado e
trunk line, and with continuation through
the mountains, aud Western connections,
| would mukc tho shortest line to the sea
cost. L. it practicable, do you think, to
n'nka this connection with any Of yuur
roads, so ~ TO make an Independent direct
short trunk Iinc? If 50, 10 my judgment
one Of the best aud most profitable lines
cunhi DC established Oh the continent, aud
ut u smnllcr cxpcnsc than any similar Gu
| 'e,prise in the county. These roads on
The East side of the Blue Ridge arc being
graded with convict labor, and one of them
''as not cast nnr" th,p $3.50 per mIe, for
the grading Tor the last eight miles. It il
ltuo the progress is sIow-for the want of
caPital = bat believe if there was pros
poet of having no cxscusiun to Cincinnati
aud the Western cities, capital would be
Forthcoming for their early completion.
Port Royal harbor, us you know, is one Of
the finest on the Atlantic coast, with voter
of sufficient depth to admit the largest vessel.
nilout; aud when The Charleston i",tirs have
been completed within the nest two or
three years, we hope 70 have iwcu,, live feet
ot The water ut ihc bar. so that tic ahiD
pm. would he amply accommcdltc Cor nny
,anuu0t. .Oi,irelRhtuge. ,-sns,v
"Sinco tic c''mpl,ti tiou If the Snnthrrn
Clncinuntl, terminating rs remotely as u
does from us. nany o! our hi >ucss mrn
are turning their attention tn Cincinnati
l"r many OF y"nr manufactures, .aah u,
tuggl"S carriages. wagons, furniture, hard.
ware, ~. Aud. of course, with ,irrcr
trunk linc Of railoa,ts through Ihe-..
mountains. At" priut such as have inLi-
Gated. this lacIi"e wnnid be inneus;:Iy IN.
creased, anu rcrirocIty OF rrntitanl" rr,ds
established. Thnt SECTION vi country North
Of - ine drawn frn,u Ausu-t,, g., ihrnu,n
Columbia aud Cheraw ~ 5. o., is u,lSur.-
passed ia any part of tue world :ur its eu,l
less water power for ma,',in'ry aud cotton
Manu actUrtss are tr'ny ana viii connnu"
to be bnilt up"n tiicm. hcse unnnu1nc-
lures viii ot course want market, .and
y"nr city and other ndjaocnt Weston cities
viii be lrpo't"nt cu>trnirrs il qnic" d'rcct
transportation should DC at haud To take
Them away.
"L,st Su,nmor after l. left you 10 KIN
lucky came over The Sonthcrn Cincinnati
to Chattanooga from Lexington. Ky, 10
about ten hours. What is wanted is u ro,d
10 kroxvilio, aud thcupo through the
moniitsius atsumo convenient pass dire,., to
the Atlantic coast Could not the Ken
tnrty Central reach ont in that direction
'nH establish An 'nd"prn zen, trurk In"
such as have suggested? Our pu.pe IN
South Carolina would take hold Of such u
pr"Ject with earnestnrss aud zeal
aud aitord every assistance in thc,
power to make Il one Of thn. linrst CONNER.
cinl highways 10 America We have spcn,
T" vast nmount o! moncy on the Bine Ridge
Ealronh. which was to cr,.ss tho mountains
at the R,bun Gap; ani but Tor the inter-
.Vrntiun Of the war. the road would have
been completed. Perhaps this rontc might
still be adopted With odvYntnge. but fran,
what have hcprd Of The E,st,toc Gap
,outc il w"uld donht'ess tie cheaper th,o
L. Il.