Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-03-03
sew Life for the Blue Ridge,

The article from the New York
Times. which we publish on another
page, giving the skeleton Of a scheme
which is likely TO be carried into exc,
eution for the completion of the Blue
Ridge Railroad, will be read With
great interest hys ysall Of our readers as
a movement affecting the material
development of our whole State in q
me.t vital manner. The Blue Ridge
is inseparably connected with the
past history OF our State, and its. re-
Viyal is like the return of dear old
friend IL was the conception Of Cal
houn and Hayne, whose broad minds
recognized the importance Of linking
ia commercial interest thesgrand val.
jeys--the grain growing region of the
Western world-with the South At.
iantic sea coast snd securing is out.
let through our State. Under the
wise Influences which then actuated
our government, the systems Of road.
planned for the Development Of the
resources of our State were all located
as subsidiary to the grand trunk
which was to cross in a direct line
from our State to the granaries OF the
West. Our puerile railroad policy
Snce the war, and the rauds connec-
ted with the Blue Ridge Railroad
during the reconstruction period. have
given to many en- undue prejudice to
this Road, but when tits remembered
that up to this period the Road was
in the hands Of competent and dis
tinguished men of our State, and a
vast deal of verJ. thorough and per
manent work has been done upon the
Road in this State and Georgia, and
also in Tennessee, there is no reason
for this prejudice. Tnirty.three miles
has been built in South Carolina, and,
to show the character of the work
upon this Road, it is only necessary
to examine the culte-ts, which will
stand for centuries; the bridges and
trestles, tie most important Of which
were put there before the war and
are now in good condition With tho
original timber; and the iron, which,
though rsed for oven twenty years ia
to.day Of superior quality, though
not up, of course, to the latter iayen-
tions. From three. to four .eillions of
dollars have been put into this Road
in such substantial work that it is now
e!anding and in available condition.
Although the work already done
npon this line Of Road has been very
extensive aud thorough, even it is
not the greatest advantage offered by
the route, for it ia central lins, with
out dependence upon any other links
of combinations. By the Blue Ridge
route there will be bu, three links ia
the connection 10 Knoxville, while in
the Aaheville routes there will Be not
less than FIRE or six. This is the most
feasible and desirable of all the routes
across. the mountains. not only for
upper Carolina, but for the whole
State, for it will be independent Of
ell other lines, and will control a large
portion the Western freights in the
interestofsouth Carolina S commerce.
1t will be u as Of greater value than
the; Western and Atlantic Railroad
is to Georgia.
We are, inclined 10 think the road
will now bs built. for it is necessity
to the Columbia & Greenville, the
South Carolina and the Charlotte,
Columbia & Augusta Railroads The
Clyde syndicate, who own tho Co'um-
bia g. Greenyille and the Charlotte,
Columbia & Augustai Railroads also
oyn a controlling interest in this end