The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-09-11
SHALL WE VOTE THE SUBSCRIPTION

The election to be held on next Satur-
day, to determine whether certain Town.
ships in Anderson County will subscribe
to the Savannah Valley Railroad, is an
event of no little importance to the peo.
pie of those Townships. 1t is, as gen.
eral rule, bad policy to have taxation by
popular vote for public enterprises, but
the tax to be voted upon in this case has
been guarded against the evil Of ordinary
votes for taxation, by providing that be.
fore any vote shall be taken, majority
of the owners of real estate in each
Township shall first sign petition for
the election. The rights Of property,
therefore, have been amply guarded, and
the question, Invested of this danger, is
presented to the voters of the County as
practical business question: 'Will it
pay them to make the Investment asked
to secure the Savannah Valley Railroad?"
In discussing this question there should
be no unkind feeling, and all should seek
to reach the right conclusion. 1t is a
matter of business, and should be settled
upon business principles. Six townships
are asked to subscribe fifteen thousand
dollars. If they do 80, Gen. Humphreys,
the able and energetic President of the
road, has the guarantee that if this is
done the road will be built and equipped
at once. 1t is net a matter Of conjecture
but a matter of fact. The road will be
built at once if the subscription is made.
1t will not be built until that sum is
raised. When built, the road will save
to the people of those Townships every
year, more than ifteen thousand dollars
in freights. The freight from Greenwood
to New York on a bale of cotton is 81
cents per hundred pounds, while from
Anderson it is 79 cents, or sl.1O per bale
of FIVE hundred pounds. Fertilizers
from Charleston to Greenwood are $500
per ton, while to Anderson they are $475,
or s1.75 per ton higher to Anderson.
Flour from Baltimore to Greenwood is
81 cents, while to Anderson it is SS centsv
or 81 cents per barrel higher to Ander'
son. Bacon to Greenwood is 9S cents
per hundred pounds, and to Anderson it
is 56 cents, or 1S cents per hundred
pounds higher. First.class freights. (dry
goods, &c., from New York to Green
wood are s1.05 per hundred pounds and
$l.5O to Anderson. The freight on q
buggy or wagon is four dollar more to
Anderson than to Greenwood. The
freight on reaper is $500 to Anderson
and only $3.50 to Greenwood. The City
of Anderson buys 10000 bales Of cotton a
year, of which at least 10000 come from
the Townships interested. 1t is also safe
to assume that 5000 bales are raised in
these Townships and boated to Augusta
or sold in Belton, at Pendleton Factory
and other points, so that it is apparent
that more than the amount of money
asked will be saved every year to these
Townships.
The saving in fertilizers would be at
least $1,000 per year; in -four it would
be at least $4,000 per year; in bacon it
would be at least $4,000; in dry goods
and other freights, such ss hardware,
farm implements, sugar, coffee, salt, corn,
molasses, shoes, and similar articles,
it would be atleast S., 900, so that we may
reasonably expect to save in freights
every year a sum nearly or quite double
the amount we are asked to subscribe.
This not to be bonded debt, but is to
be discharged in two years of taxes. It
will not be burdensome but can be easily
paid of. The road will give to our peo.
pie an increased prosperity. At least
TWO new towns will be built in our Coun-
ty. twill give a market for quantity
of the valuable timber in the lower part
of OUR County. 1t will afford valuable
crosstie contracts to numbers of our peo-
pie. 1t will give employment to con-
siderable number Of hands on the trains.
at the depots, and in keeping up the
track. 1t will enhance the value of our
lands. 1t will keep our City and County
a space with Greenwood, Laurens, Green
vile and spartanburg. In our judg.
ment, self.interest, County pride and our
regard for the future all conspire to urge
our people to vote for the subscription.
We hope it will carry iu every Township.
We really believe it will be to the Inter.
est of every voter in the Townships
named to have the subscription voted.
There is no doubt Of building the road
if the subscription is made. There is no
doubt that it will pay when it is built.
Therefore, let us by all means have the
subscription.
CONVENTION Of SNEAKS.