The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-11-02

Taxing servant and pack horse, |
went up Keowee River, and at the North
Carolina line engaged rs guide a man
who had never been near the motntain.
The region. then belonging to the Chero-
KEGS, was Sc thoroughly a wilderness
that in our excursion Of several days we
did not sec the least sign Of settlement.
nor did We meet a single human being.
Finally, bear path led us to the sum-
nit of the mountain. On the way back
to my Naval Station fell in with Major
Long. l told him that at the Whiteside
the character Of the mountains changes
from an unbroken range nothward to
isolated masses toward the South. That
a canl communication with the West
should be sought for among the head
waters of Tugalo River. That the Cha
tuga comes down at right angle as q
feeder, and breaks through the ridge.
and that its great fall gives choice of
level. We arranged to make an early
reconnaissance, for it so happened that
his mind had been long occupied with
the project of uniting the waters of the
Mississippi with those Of the Atlantic,
somewhere through the Alleghanies.
But as he wrote me, certain infuncc
with the government had procured his
employment far away. was promoted
and went to sea. Mr.. Poinsett, Presi-
dent Van Buren's Secretary Of War,
recommended the establishment Of bar
rrcks in the South, to be co.relativc with
those at Carlisle. Penn. He had in view
the region Immediately beyond Wal
halla, Cor the reason that, being an apex
Of country, there is descent from it in
directions through more then half the
points Of the compass. The sources Of
tho streams running to the ocean inter-
lock there with the heads of others
turned toward the Gulf: their waters
have been. brought together for indus
trial purposcs. Hon. Geo. G. Dibrel,
M, c. from Tennessee, introduced rcso-
luton for the improvement of the navi-
CATION of Hiwassee River, perhaps
looking to this interdow. The lower
portion Of the Hiwassee is the most IA
vorable, while the upper Of the Little
Tennessee is superior. A slight cut
across the Rabun Gap would pour theity-
five miles Of smooth Of water Of this latter
into Tugalo River. Four years ago
water was drawn from Black Creek, IN
affiuent of Tennessee River, across the
Gap to Izell's Mills, on Checkero Creek
an afflu ent Of Savannah River. Less
than the expense of single railroad Of
equal length would give the Northwest
water transit more efficient than q
dozen railroads. 1T has been proven an
the Western waters that light tug can
tow barges laden with 10000 tons.
TO remove the same bulk by railroad
would require 5000 cars, 100 locome-
tives and 600 men," Chicago become
the entrepot for Canada West, and all
the great lakes would soon be without
rival among interior cities. The produc-
tions of the great Northwest arrived ut
the distributing point. Augusta. would
be competed for by Brunswick, Darien,
Savannah, Port, Royal, Charleston and
Wilmington. They are ports ofan i'm
mense plain extending from Chesapeake
Bay to the Florida line, traverscd by
streams, at average intervals Of less than
thirty miles, practicable for setamers $50
miles to the first falls OF, the rivers. 1t
is the extreme verge Of the true cotton
region, nearest to the marts Of the world
1t fronts the ocean the safest and the
readiest, to navigate. It is most con
venient Tor commerce with South Amer
.ica, the West Indies. the Mediterranean,
the East Indies. and China.
The company making the canal and
slack-water improvements would derive
double benefit, from tolls and from let
ting water power. To illustrate the in
conceivable profit from leasing water
power by the square inch. Gerrit Smiths
bought for $4,000 yielded him an in
come equivalent to interest mn $8OOOOO.
The Passaic Falls, located in this quar-
ter, would not be remarkable. The
proprietor. hearing I was in New York,
sent to invite me to visit him at Pater.
son. found him in house still un-
finished, that already cost $4,000.
His income was such that he allowed