The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-01-01
A. GREAT SCHEME.
b. Which AL. tho Americans VIII be Ber-
s6,eJ What ,he 0rf,jnaror. prnn,.o


b. Which Al. tho Americans VIII be Ben.
sG.ed What the orizinators Propose.
WHEELING, ". Va, December 28.-L
view Of its great Importance as grow
: ing out of the feeling that inspired
the Pan-American congress, and of ite
gigantic proportions as railroad en-.
ternrise, the recently-incorporated
Columbia Railway and Navigation
company, at Richmond, Virginia, Is
! likely to prove a sensation in COM
mercial circles. The following, e4-
planatory OF the plan, as gained from
parties directly interested, but who
have heretofore refused to give cut
any information for publication, will
appear in tomorrow's Wheeling Intel
| ligsncer:
1t is authoritative. The purpose Of
the company is to construct railroads
and South America steamship lines
connecting these railroads with points
in the United States, and incidentally
everything necessary to properly carry
on such a business. The company's
capital is to be 100000, and Captain
H.C. Parsons, of Virginia is at the
head of it. Very shortly other steps
necessary to complete organization viii
be taken, and at no distant day plans
which have been carefully matured by
some of the leading capitalists and
most practical railroad men OF this
country, will be in readiness for ap.
plication, Briefly, the aims of the CO.
lumbia Railroad Navigation company
are as follows: To construct line Of
railroads from some point near the
mouth of the Magdalena river, which
entities into the Caribbean sea: In the 3
United States Of Columbia, southward-
ly along the eastern bank of the Andes
and headwaters of the Amazon to Z
points in Peru, there to connect with
the Peruvian and Argentine systems
ofrailrods at present in operation or Z
under construction. From the mouth
Of the Magdalena river, steamships
will be run to the southern point Of
Florida and New Orleans, whencewn
extend railroad connection to all parts
of this country. The value of the Z:
scheme contemplated is apparent ata Z
glance. A continent, prob
ably the richest in material resources 3
of a.! continents in the world, and
still practically unknown, is to be
opened up to the purposes of COM
merce, immigration and civilization,
its products and people, are to be
brought into easy communication with
the rest of the world; and the best of
all, the direct and lasting benefit of
these purposes accrues to the United
States, and especially to the southern
States.
Captain II. c. Parsons, whose homo
IS now at Natural Bridge, Va, but s
who was formerly a resident Of
Charleston and Huntington, Va, is 3
The originator and controlling spirit of
the enterprise. It is by no means the
first difficult and hazardous undertak-
!na; IN the railread ead NE rs4sS aS LIS
been engaged in, though others were,
rs nothing when compared to this. BE
made a contract with Mr.. Huntington
for the Chesapeake and Ohio line from
Covington, Kentucky. to the Ohio
from Charleston to Point Pleasant in
West Virginia, and fnally having
purchased the rights and privileges Of
;he cd James River and Kanawha
Canal company, built the Richmond
and Allegheny railroad from Rich
nond to Clifton Forge, Va; 25o miles
N fourteen months, under penalty
Of s5O0,0OO. For fifteen years Captain
Parsons has given the subject of a Z
north and south line of railroad in
South America his attention. He has
travelled and investigated. examined z
Of the country and collected
Information until he has demonstra-
ted the feasibility of his great project s
and at last brought it to point of reali-
zation:
In order to obtain more thorough
and secure heartier CO.
operation the incorporation have been
selected and will shortly be named in
Ill the Southern States. When this has
oeen uone andthe organization compile
led ~ the selection of officers, etc..
books will be opened anu
;he practical work Of making surveys
and estimates inaugurated at once.