The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-09-30
RELIEF FOR NINETY-sIx.
Our NciEhboring Town has . Good
Prospect for = Railroad.
GreenriHe Meas.

Capt. W. J. Kirk, tho we'll known railroad engineer,
was in the city and was interviewed on yesterday hy
q representative o! TUX NEWS on tho subject OF the
new narrow gauge railroad now being talked about In
the lower section Of the up country.
In response /" o vigorous application OF the pump
HI gave what he knew Of the schtinr. Three years
Ninety six. being part OF o projected line intended to
be built under the name OF the GIeenville Il Port
Royal railroad. There was much interest In the sub.
jcct at the time, several meetings were held and u
charter was obtained, Representative NJ. +. Ansel and
4. L Williams, Of this city, being among the corpor.
ators. Other railroad sclrn,es attracted the attention
Ct the people and the Greenyille and Port Royal drop.
ped out "f sight, only its charter snd memory rema'n-
in:. The original idea Of the line wss thst 1t was "
follow the Augusta public road from here through
Lanrcns county and run BY Ninety Six or Greenwood
and thence to Aiken and the coast.
Three weeks ago the interest Of citizens IN and near
Nin-ty.Six MAS revived In the old schc,nr by the ex-
citculent now prevailing over narrow gauge railroads
IN Edgeield and Newberry counties, stimulated by
the wonderful achievements OF X. NJ. Mitchell with
the Augusta, Gibson Il rnunlersville railroad, o narrow
gauge running about eighty miles south from Angus.
tn. Mr.. Mitchell, who was a reporter for the Augusta
Chronicle, became Int crested In that road, which was
vigorously that 70 miles Of I, is completed and In op.
GRAFTON to salndersville, laying ~ per cent. On Its cap
ill stock.
Mr.. Mitchell has recently become interested with ex
Senator Callison, Of EdgrArld, and others in the
scheme Of building = narrow gauge from Augusta to
Newbcrry via Edgeheld G.. H., and the money FOR that
Is now in hand ready for the beginning Of work u,
soon rs tho survey settles n local dispute about what
points the line shall run tu. This road is chartered tn
Ncwberry.
The Nincty.si1 people now propose to use the old
Greenvile and Port Royal charter and under 1t tn run
a narrow gauge touching and connecting with the Au.
gus,a and Newbcrry road mt II lrint fifteen miles be-
low Sinety.Six and ten Gr twelve miles HhnVe Edge
field court house and extending to Grernville with a
view to ultimate extension westward over the noun
,ains. An Informal meeting VAS held Mt Nine,y.Six
and Captain Kirk WAS requested to Visit Augusta and
have m interview with President Mitchell.
Broadly stated, Mr.. Mitchell's design seems to he to
continue pushing the narrow gauge line south far
down into Fl"rida and west over the Blne Ridge
mountains until no has . continuous limo several hun.
dr-d miles In length. connecting with Charleston by
the south Carolina rnilrond which has given every In
dicati0n ut n purfruse to work with him. He heard
the plans Of the Ninety.six people Us stated by Cap
tain Kirk, and, after u long Interview In which all the
ground Was carefully gone over. gave q written In
dOrsement Of the scheme and pledge to aid 1t II the
people Interested would do their share for building It.
lie undertakes to iiu1t at par bonds Of the proposed
road to the amount Of one half Of Its cost and PROM
i.cSt to furnish tho Ruling stock and run the road Us
part Of his system. although he advises those Interest
ed in 1t to keep 1t independent and under their own
cnltr0l and believes they can do It. II they should
decide On this course he promises to buy their rolling
stock, ties, rails, etc. at the snme rate at which he
bought them for his own road. That road has cost Tor
construction and complete equipment $4,GOO per mile,
and the proposed lire can DO built more chcnply, Its
grading leing much ensier than that VI tho Augusta,
Gibson and saundetsville road.
Another me-tln: was held Mt Ninety.Six on last
Saturday and Capt.. Kirk reported the result Of bis In.
terview. 1t was received with much enthusiasm, and
the gentlemen present decided to give the scheme de.
finite shape Immediately. Subscription lists were
prepared and sent out along the line OF tn. prorosed
road, and have already shown results which p,oinire
success. The subscriptions pledge the uignors 10 take
80 much Of the stock to BE- paid for In five instalnents,
tn. agreement to BE- null and void in cnse the town
ship In which the subscriber lives shall vote o sub.
~scriptinn. The money subscribed In c,ch township is
to he expended In grading in that township 80 fur as 1t
may be required. -,
4 meeting was held at Triangle on Tuesday and the
people there show much interest In the scheme and
PROMISE to subscribe literally.