The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-01-18
COLI MISIi CANAL.

in legislation, and now from your cdi,0.
rial Of January llth, 1883, and having
voted against the Canal in the Senate
and being responsible to the people OF
the State as public scrvant, and more
especially to the citizens Of Anderson
County, feel it duty to myself and
them To ask space for !. few thoughts on
this subject. nave no objec, in view
beyond placing this Canal in its true
light, ns viewed by myself, before the
citizens Of this State, and if through
Kindness in your space | can only sue
| coed in giving tho reasons 90. the faith
tha, is III me, shal! be consnt
That every citizen may ascertain for
himself tic amount appropriated for
the Canal, offer to them the following
sums, which hope will be carefully
co'""lsrri. but, before doing SO, it is
proper 10 state, that the average cost Of
convicts per capita per day, is reported
~ cents, and that each able. bodied
convict can be hired for 1920 per
month, boarded aud clothed. The ad.
ditiOnai average cost Of c0uvicts per day
in salaries last year $l2,llS.U7, inciden.
tai expenses Sl0,367.G3; board Of direc.
tor and other expenses amounting in all
10 about $50, ,OO0UD, will be about 20
cents per day.
With this explanation | offer the
sums above referred TO.
What will 200 conyicts cost the State
for twelve months, at Il cost per capita
per day Of .i2i cents?
If the average cost Of one convict per
day for salaries, incidental expenses, etc,
is 20 cents, what will 2UD cost in twelve
months?
What sum Of money would the State
receive for the hire Of 200 convicts for
twelve months ut $3.50 each per month :?
make the aggregate Of the foregoing
sums fj2,332.435, to this add $lJ,0Op
cash appropriated we find the appro
priation to be $j7 ,332.43i. Under the late
Act you say it is estimated that the Ca
nal will he completed in five years, if NO,
five times SG7 1892 is 1896 600.
II this sum be correct l say ii is great
ly in excess Of what our people are
actually able to pay, even if the Invest
mcnt should prove to be n good one, for
our people need a rest from heavy taxa
ton.
notwithstanding the estimated cost Of
100000 by Hr. lIolley, and tho accom-.
plishcd L. B. Lee, referred to by you,
have my opinion as to the cost OF this
Canal and yet am free to admit that
am not Civil Engineer, notwiths,and
ing | have considerable experience in
blasting granite rock.
predict this Canal will not be com.
plctcd with the present force aud manage
ment in 10 years, and that it will cost
the State more than one million Of dol.
lars, and perhaps moro than two millions
before completed. If were able to
communicate to the people just why say
this, | should be content; the best | can
Go is To speak OF the Canal direct. This
Canal is - miles long, 100 feet wide and
10 feet deep, and the greater part Of it
through loose and solid granite rock. a
ccmented dam of rock and cemented
rock sides to the Canal to hold it's water
for about $50 yards at one place, besides
shorter spaces at other places. My esti-
mate of cost is predicated upon the
above, and it's present management IN
we'll, which l call common sense, and
which believe is becoming among the
law makers on certain things the most
uncommon Of all sense. You say consid-
erable money WAS spent OH this Canal
before and since the war. know Of no
money spent since the war, except the
surveys you speak Of, the appropriation
Of SlO,0UO.00 and hundred and twenty
hands, last year, which in labor, board,
and money appropriated, etc, cost the
State about $Ij0,000.O0.
The Canal built before the war, was
Il 81 I
needed at tho time; this was before the
days of railroads, and the thousands Of
little pole boats on the river passed
through the Canal, safe from the rapids
Of the river, for which they paid the
State reasonable toll as fixed by law.
This untiwar Canal is many miles long,
and cost the State less money than the
amount already expended on the new
Canal, and in my judgment paid more
money by far than the present underlak-
no business man doubts that factories
will bo built on this Canal when finished,
and yet it is certain that the State has
not yet been able to learn from who, or
from what quarter the capital is to come.
To say it will come is to exercise the
greatest faith, and yet no business man
will pronounce it saving faith.
Who is it that will utilize this power
when completedi From what quarter
has capitalists sought to invest money in
this Cnnal2 Who are they, and where
are they, and what amount do they offer
Under the laws of this State, factories
are exempted from taxation for ten years,
and if this Canal was completed !c day
capitalists would not only require exemp.
ton from taxation for ten years on the
factory, but the free use of the water as
we'll. Then tho time required to com.
plete the Canal, the time required to
build factories, and the time of exemp-
lion from taxation, will span over the
life Of any man in the State. Revenues
to the State from this Canal in this gen
GRAFTON il out of the question. Our
people have just emerged from the late
disastrous war, with bleeding wounds,
crushed fortunes and hopes, her property
contiscated, and her people reduced to
penury and want; whose energies to re.
cuperate, and retrieve lost fortunes, has
been more than paraized by the dishon-
est and wicked governments of State,
under Scott, Moses aud Chamberlain,
these endorsed by the United States
government, who in addition augmented
our troubles in every conceivable way.
Thus treated, and thus impoverished,
puts it out of the question for US to be-.
queath fortunes 10 tho coming generation,
and yet We ought in justice to them to be
70 ,fDl not IN maka dehta fnr tbon, n