The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-24
BREAKING DIRT
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. RAILROAD

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The building of the Savannah Valley
Railroad has been the dream Of the citizens
living along its route for the past twenty
five or thirty years, but never until the
present time have those dreams had any
reasonable prospect or hope of being real
lied. Before the war company was or"
ganized for the purpose of building the
Road and had the route surveyed and loca-
ted, but owing to the unsettled condition OF
affairs and the subsequent breaking out OF
the war, nothing more was done, and this
enterprise, like all others Of similar char
acter in the South, was from necessity dis
carded. But it was not forgotten, nor did
it suffer death, although for many years it
was permitted to slumber undisturbcd.
About three years ago, however, the cltl-
zens of Lowndesville, realizing the great
need of railroad communication with the
outside world, and the vast importance OF
putting this particular route into operation,
begun to agitate the matter by directing
public attention to the benefits to be de-
rived from its construction, and the conse-
quent development of the fine section of
country through which it was to pass. 1t
took only short time to ascertain the TACT
that public sentiment was strongly on the
side of the enterprise, and Notwithstanding
the opposition Of a number of persons who
WELD considerable influence, the enter
prise has moved along from one point to
another until at last we see the work OF
grading the road bed actually begun-an
event that has been anxiously looked for
ward to by its friends for some time past.
We need not now consume time nor space
in recounting the difficulties the present
Company have had to deal with, nor the
advantages to be derived from the building
of the Road. They are known and recoss-
nized, and our purpose now is simply to
record the pleasing events of last Monday
when the first work of grading the road.bed
was commenced.
The place selected by the Directors as the
starting point was near the residence of
Rev. W. II. King, two miles south Of this
place, and the hour appointed by the con-
tractors 8 o'clock Monday afternoon. At
the hour mentioned three or four hundred
citizens from the town and surrounding
country congregated on the grounds to
witness the Inauguration of the work,
among whom was President Latimer and
Directors Whitner, Norris and Humphreys.
After all the details were arranged and
everything put in readiness, the ceremonies
were opened by Maj. B. F. Whitner, who,
standing at the head Of the open space be-
tween the citizens, made the following ad-
dress:
Ay Friends: In view Of the interest man.
ifested in the ceremony of breaking dirt
upon our Road by the presence of so many
of our friends, the Directors present have
thought it proper that something be said, II
might be, appropriate to the occasion,
though having no reason beforehand to ex-
pect so large concOurse of spectators
they had arranged no programme, ard you
must regard the whole thing as impromptu
and as wholly suggested by your presence.
think may venture to congratulate the
friends of the enterprise upon the favorable
auspices under which we meet to inaugurate
the work. The day itself is propitious, with
its bright, warm sunshine, as II nature had
put on her spring garb, and heralded the
season to commence the work OF the new
year. Your very presence here unoldden
and in such large numbers, to see the flTst
spadeful of earth thrown, is auspiciOus; and
At Eat . kl,ot Ia sY,to
is to be performed by the Oldest citizen of
cur town, standing upon my right. just
risen from his sick couch, to baptize our
work with his own hands, and who has
ever been ready to second and support every
enterprise that promised to be OF benefit to
his town, is doubly 80.
We have been most fortunate, think, in
securing very advantageous and favorable
contract for the grading of the first twenty
miles of our Road, not only in the terms OF
the contract itself. but in the contractors
also. who, as members Of our community,
are in full sympathy and accord with the
spirit and object of the enterprise.
And, as if to give zest to our efforts, it
has Just been announced in the Press OF the
country that all association Of New York
and Boston capitalists are endeavoring to
get control of the Blue Ridge Road through
Tue lIdDUu Udp, Will Vic NlCh Va
it from Knoxville to Anderson. This an
nouncement is but lust made, but the accu-
racy of Cetail in the work done upon the
Road and at what cost, that remaining to he
done and the probable expenditure necessary
to its completion, and other information
touching its past history and present status,
give to this statement the air of the highest
probability. You are aware that the Savan-
nah Valley Railroad was in its inception the
outgrowth of that great enterprise, and its
friends in reviving it was influenced, in part.
by the hope that its reorganization would
give q new impetus to the revival and final
completion of the Blue Ridge Railroads.
hope not wholly unauthorized, it seems
for in the publication to which | have just
| alluded, it is mentioned among the advan.
tages of the Blue Ridge route, that while it
will meet at Knoxville the great Western
railroad corporations reaching out to that
city, at Anderson it will connect with the
Greenville & Columbia Railroad, now in
operation, and the Savannah Valley Rail
road, about to be built; while the special
advantage of this Road over the Greenville
Road is described as shortening the distance
by more than so miles to Charleston, Port
Royal and Savannah.
These, gentlemen, so briefly mentioned, l
am pleased to think are SO many favorable
auspices which smile upon us to day in be-
ginning the work upon our Road. Ifnow,
sensible of the opportunity afforded us, we
are united in our devotion to the work. con-
centrating our energies upon it, and hus-
banding its resources to use them where
most needed to advance it, believe moth
ing will be wanting to insure its speedy and
successful completion.
Mr.. Stephen McCully, who has always
been firm friend to the enterprise, and has
encouraged it in every way in his power,
then took hold of the shovel, and by the
assistance of Mr.. J. c. Keys and Capt. S.
H. Provost threw the first shovelful of dirt
when Gen. Humphreys stepped out and
called for three cheers for the Savannah
Valley Railroad, which were Justify given
by the crowd.
Col. James NJ. Latimer, the President of
the Company, then came forward and made
short address, in which he expressed great