The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-09-22
Railroad Progress.

No question of the age is more impor-
tant than that Of building and operating
railroads. The whole country is being
intersected with net work of roads, an /
in no department does science exhibit
her wonderful progress, and the daring
and brilliant feats of invention au1 dis
covery being made in hes name. than il
this. We ordinary rnGs;z.r a!nnd eghast
in contemplation OF the Uses to which
the intellect of man puts steam, the
knowledge of the laws of nature, and
Of mathematical science in connection
with railroads. The building of roads
itself has undergone most marvellous
revolution since the day when the South
Carolina Railroad was built upon piles
driven into the ground. Now the iron
horse climbs mountains at q grade Of 200
feet to the mile, and rs feet to the mile
is considered but ordinary grade. En-.
ginee with g long line OF coaches attached
dash around short curves at rate oi
speed which makes our old time ideas OF
safe progress tremble. Mountains are
tuunelled. Bridges arc suspended over
rivers without pier to support, and
trains OF cars glide along over elevated
railways on level with our house tops
Truly the science CT building railroads is
wonderful. Mo- is it confined to me-
chanical scier ce. Financial skill plays
no unimportant part in the building OF
modern roads. Formerly the money
| must be in hand to carry out grand pro.
jects like this. But now few energetic
reliable and determined men set them.
selves to the task, without money. save q
few hundred dollars, and 10, in few
years the road is built.
The problem of the age ia the regula.
ton ofrailroads. In this line the pio.
gress has not kept pace with the other
The selection of the question of Railroad
| management is engaging the attention oil
some of the brightest men of the country
The brilliant and oad.minded Charles
Francis Adams and lawyers like Jerry
Black, &C., are studying and writing upon
the question, how far the general and
State government may Interfere in the
management of roads. The regulation
of freight charges az as to prevent dis.
elimination is the subject CT newspaper
editorials, legislative enactment, and end
less discussion, and its solution seems al.
most impossible.
Our Southern railroads have not hith.
ertofore ] IN managed with skill aEd
./NI INV tuAL baEy uatO ROuS
though the mills, have fallen into other
hands, we might look for better days fol
them, were it p1s that vast corporation
are threatening toswallow all Independent
lines to the great danger of out crmmer.
cial and agricultural interests. They ARE
reaching cat after roads which can oper.
ate as feeders to their main branches
The danger from these huge soullesi
monsters is great Too great power en-.
ables them to control legislation in their
behalf, and to defy competition, the life
oftrade. Yot this is essentially the age Of
railroad building, and it behooves us, il
wo would not be left behind in the race
for position and prosperity, to put oul
shoulder to the wheel and complete all
the roads now in progress of being bull!
in our county. We shall then have the
tineat system of roads in the State.-Ab.
6eUiNe Medium.