Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-12-07
The Columbia Canal.

B. Leo, the engineer in charge of tho work
in the Columbia Canal, has prepared for
tho canal commission report Of tho work
done on the canal. Tho surveys and esti-
mates having been made the actual work of
construction on the canal was begun on
April llth last
Up to the first of November there had
been l64 working days, averaging nine
hours. Tho working tcrce was engaged ia
grading, quarrying aud building masonry.
Tho labor furnished by the Ponitcnliary
was very unequal in efficiency and was
divided into three classes, such ns conld bo
hired y open market at 81 per day, such as
would oo,aa aaiaa b6FocsinsttS aad1sn oh ss would
bring rs cents:h day, ,hc.laborer boarding
Seea done s. o5 ous sas Of 'Hss ,esoona nao
tion worth 81 ,262.50 On quarrying thcro
had been expended 3.472 days labor with
the result of removing 4,0l0 cubic yards
of excavation valued ut S2,406. The ma.
sonry work done amounted in vuluo to
s2,54l.75 and tho total valuo OF work
done is given at Sl2.2l0 25.,
The present value uf plant, consisting of
derrloks, cars, pumps, &c.. is So 100, max
ing with the S2,ll2 60 paid for the right Of
way, the value of labor aud mouoy cx-
pended on the canal SIT 1926. Sub.
tracing from this SUN the aotunl cash $3,.
5ll.6O paid for the prosecution of tho work
which was expended for supervision, ma
terials, plant and right Of way, "the actual
return for the labor employed is given at
SO 9ll.25.
The return would have been better,
"cven with the character oflabor furnished,
had it been more stable" An average
daily force of one hundred and twenty con
vcts is now employed on the canal ia era.
ding on the Geger hill, quarryns and
building tho masohry for the waste wier
aud retaining walls adjoining. The pro-
gress of the work is good, being better
than at any previous time, and the eilicicucy
OF the labor is greater, owing to the greater
permanenoy Of the working force. as
Major Leo says, "the future progress Of
the work will depend on the funds and
labor provided for it,"
When tho canal is finished it will be
worth s50O,0O0 to the State, the estimated
revenue derived from rentals amounting 10
Soo,oo0 year, From the railroad bridge
down tho line Of the canal for half mile
there are sites for the erection of mills, the
fall being ten feet. Between Gciger's mill
and the Penitcntiary there s room aud
and water power for four more mills
with n fail of twenty feet, and below
the Penitcntiary there is room und
wutcr power for four more mills the
tall being twen'y1nine and half feet.
The canal will give 10000 horse. power Of
water power, or enough if properly devel-
oped to drive 100000 spindlcs on yarus or
300, 600 spindles on weaving.
The Legislature will bo asked to make
the necessary appropriation for the prosecu
tion of the work 1t is claimcd that under
the Act passed last winter the appropriation
then made is to be continued from year to
year until the canal is completed.
TIE OH NATIONAL PIKE.-Ihc open
ing of the Rcdstope branch of the PITTS
burgh, Virginia and Charleston Railroad
marks a still further decline in the famous
old National turnpike from Cumberland to
! Wheeling. san Aot to regulate the lny..
ing out and making read from Cumber
land, Nd, to tho State of Ohio" booame
n law in 1906. ana the first stsgo ooaoh
carrying the United State mails over that
route made its first trip August |, 1918.
The distance was one hundred and thirty
miles and the total cost OF constructing this
great highway across tho A!lcghancs was
81 100000. It's traffic soon became enor-
nous and inns to accommodate tho travel
ing public sprang up so thickly along its
| line that they we're sad to average two to
a tiiIc. Gho pike was admirably con-
s!ructcd, but the heavy traffic which demon.
str"tcd its necessity put it in need of fro
qucnt repairs aud the government Gually
turned it over to tho States Of PcGnsyIvapia,
Maryland aud Ohio, aud they established
toll gates to pay for its maintenance. In
1852, with the opening of the Penney.
vauia R'ilropd to Pittsburgh nnd the Bali
" or. II. :" Nhecline. its decline
Why SToCKs ARE PANICY New York
| Herald Editorial: The copdition of the
tsock market is iust this--more railroads
tave been built than c,n possibly earn more
than their working expenses for years to
cDme, more bonds, stocks and construction
certificates have been anated than there is
currency to pay for, and a competition for
busiress has sprung up nmon" the Western
rnlrnads that canuot reanlt, othersise than
to the dcrment of tho holders of these
properties. Knowing this tho bears for
| weeks past have toen podnding the prices
TO their hearts content with the result of
nearly briugng about pnnic On tho
other hand. railroad earnings are greater
than were ever before known, and upon
the cheap rates. at present made by the