Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-28
DUBLIN.

transportation Facilities-Navigation on
the Oconee-The Famed Men of Lau-
rens.
EASTMAN, GA, Nov. 26.-The writer has
just returned fromsa trip to Dublin. Re
Gently, it will be remembered, there has
been a little talk in some of the newspa-
pers about the probable building of a rail-
road to that little town. But while there
a day or two since l talked with promi-
nent citizen of the place and asked him
whether they really had any hope of
ever being visited by a railroad. He an
swered that it was his candid
opinion that the people of Dublin had
no good reason for entertaining any such
expectations. They have daily mail
making closing connection with the Cen
tral Railroad at ToOmsbOrO, weekly mail
from Eastman, and a steamboat that
makes daily trips and connects with the
Central about twenty or twenty-five miles
above Dublin. This steamboat, owned bv
Captain Henry l believe, though it was
formerly owned by stock company, is
doing a heavy business, and has made
large profits within the last twelve months.
Connected with the boat is q barge
of two and a half tons capacity,
and at this season of the year there is
hauling enough to keep both the boat and
the barge constantly supplied with
freights. In guano alone they carry about
one thousand tons per season, and this,
added TO the cotton, general merchandise,
naval stores and passengers, certainly
makes a paying business. The only diff
Guilty is that the 0conee river sometimes
gets so low that for while the boating
has to be suspended. To overcome this
trouble, however, and to break down the
present monopoly in the freight carrying
business, Mr.. Hicks, L am informed, pro-
poses to buy a light draught boat that
can run the river at all times,
in low water as well as high, and give the
citizens Of Dublin the benefit of a COM
peting line. This will do away with the
necessity of a railroad, which the little
town of Dublin can never hope to have
unless the citizens do as they did in Tai
bottom two years ago, that is, take the
matter in hand, raise the necessary
amount of capital and build a road them
selves, which shall be an entirely local
enterprise. | say this is their only hope,
for examine the map as you will, and you
can find no probable or practicable rail-
road route that ever will pass through
Dublin. But the plan suggested is a
slim chance indeed, for Dublin and old
Laurens county have not the wealth now
of which they could once boast in ante
bellum times, and it is doubtful whether
they could raise the means to build and
equip a railroad without outside as
siStance.
Laurens county was once the home of
some of GeOrgia's aristocratic families,
and that county has given the State some
of her best men. Governor TrOup, one of
the best Governors We ever had, was
Laurens county man; DIR. Charles Guy
ton, for several years a member of Con-
gress, was citizen of that county; DR..
Tucker, probably one of the most success
full and wealthiest physicians the State has
known, lived and died in Iaurens county;
the Blackshears. who, before the late civil
war, were counted among our first aris-
t0cracy, were wealthy citizens of Laurens;
and others also might be mentioned. But,
alasl the changes that fortune has
wrought! Rich men have been reduced
to ablect poverty; the proud have been
brought low; the great have succumbed
to death and misfortune.
Before closing this communication l
must not omit to note the fact that the ne
grOes of Dublin are much more polite than
the young imported Virginia and North
Carolina darkeys in and around Eastman.
When Laurens county negro meets a
white person, he or she invariably lifts his
hat or makes an humble courtesy; but
such thing is rarely seen about East
man, except among our old resident col
Ored citizens, j, b., JR.