The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-05
RAILROAD MEETING IN WINSTON.

RAILROAD MEETING IN WINSTON.
The meeting of the President and Di-
rectors of the North Carolina Midland
Railroad, which is in reality to be an ex-
tension of the Virginia Midland, in which
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad has q
large interest, took place as announced
in Winston, North Carolina, on Tuesday,
the 22nd of April, and was largely at.
tended by delegations from points in
North and South Carolina. From this
State delegations we're present from
Yorkville, Union, Spartanburg, Gafney,
Gseenyille and Anderson, each looking
after the interest Of their respective To-
calities. The Board of Directors, of
which Hon. John S. Barbour, member of
the present Congress from the Alexan-
dria, Virginia, District, is President, held
their meeting privately, and admitted
one delegation at time, hearing the
propositions they had to submit, and
then taking up another until all of the
points interested we.~ lilly heard. At
the conclusion Of the hearing, resolu-
ton was adopted by the Board OF Direc-
tors locating the road as far as Mocksville
in North Carolina, and directing surveys
Of the different routes from that point to
Shelby, in North Carolina. The charter
of the company ends.in North Carolina,
and therefore they took no action towards
locating in this State, beyond passing a
resolution authorizing the President to
have surveys made in this State along
such routes as he deemed best, provided
the points along such routes would defray
the expenses of such surveys. The pre-
;yious organization of the company was
continued, and Col. J. B. Yates was
elected Chief Engineer of the company.
After a session of two days the Directors
adjourned, and President Barbour and
party visited Augusta and returned via
Atlanta, at which point he is now stop.
ping. In Augusta he was assured of the
completion of the road from Spartanburg
to Augusta at an early day, the trains to
be running to Greenwood by the first of
September, and the remainder to be com.
pleted in very short time. President
Barbour expressed himself as greatly
pleased with Augusta, and advised the
city not to sell its stock in the road, but
to continue its ownership and control
of it.
The prospect for Anderson in this rail-
road venture is very encouraging. Our
commercial importance, the energy and
prosperity of our people, and the excel
lent geographical position of the town is
such as to invite the location of the road
this way. To go from Spartanburg to
Augusta by Anderson would only be
some sixteen miles further than to go by
Greenwood, and would be through a
much richer country, and one where the
loealbnsiness would be much greater and
surer, for there would not be so many
competing lines of road touched upon it.
To go from Shelby to Greenville and
Anderson to Augusta is said to be only
Z some eight or ten miles further than to
go by Spartanbprg and Greenwood.
Now. when Anderson is reached, the
extension would be some sixty miles
nearer Atlanta, so that on the Spartan.
burg route the extension, by losing six
teen miles on the road to Augusta, would
gain sixty miles on the road to Atlanta !;
and on the Greenville route, by losing
about eight miles to Augusta, they would
gain still about sixty on Atlanta. These
facts give Anderson a considerable
advantage in location for a diverging
point to Augusta and Atlanta, but if the
company, for other reasons, should take
Sparsanburg as q diverging point, then
Anderson offers very great material
advantages for the continuance to At
lsnta. 1t is on the shortest and best line,
and in one of the finest sections of the
South. tits fact, attested by CONNER
cial men of judgment and experience,
that the cottons grown in this belt of
country rank in the very best grade of
upland cottons, commanding an easier
sale and higher price than those grown
in the lower counties. The distance
from Spartanburg to Atlanta by Ander-
son can be made at least thirty-five
miles nearer than the present Air Line
route, and the difference in grades and
curves will be equivalent to a still
greater sayiDgin power and time, 80 that
we may safely claim that this line to
Atlanta could easily be made at least
two hours shorter from Spartanburg to
Atlanta, which would secure for the new
route the passenger travel and the
United States mails between the East
and the Southwest.
The people of Anderson, however, will
not depend alone upon these natural ad-
vantages to secure the coveted extension.
They are 30 fully awake to its importance
that they will work vigorously to bring
the road this way. Already surveys have
been provided for, and at the proper time
very substantial material contributions
sill be offered to protect our interests,
and secure the realization of our hopes.
There is a harmony and uuanimity among
all Of our citizens which augurs well for
onr success.
President Garfield has at last become
wearied of the Senatorial deadlock, and
-