The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-26
OVER THE SOUTH BOUND.
THE BRIDGE ACROSS TIE sAvAN-
NAHTo BE OPENED NEXT WEEK.

In Sixty Days-A Trip Over the Geor-
aia Division--villages eprlnging Up
and New Enterprises Being Estab-
lished-A Great Future for the Coun-
try Which the Road Traverses.
The big 26o feet draw in the South Bound
bridge across the Savannah river will
be swung next week.
The trestle work will be ready for trains
to cross Aug. 1, and the road will then be
In operation to Graham's, s. G.
1t is in operation now to the bridge,
thirty-five miles west Of Savannah, and
will be opened through 10 Columbia in sixty
days.
There are doubtless hundreds Of people in
Savannah who, in spite of ali that has been
said about the South Bound, do not realize
that Savannah's enterprise has built pss2-
road 140 miles in length which treverses
one Of the richest sections of the south.
Yet 1t is fact that. with the exception OF
few miles, the South Bound road, from Sa-
vannah to Columbia, 9. @. is completed.
When the new road is opened to the pub
lilo those who travel over it will not find
half-built road, which it will take a year or
two to put in shape, but well-built, thor
oughly equipped line, with splendid track
and ample side-tracks, iron bridges. hand
some and commodious depots, ana running
through q country the richness aud fertility
OF which are hardly equaled.
TRIP OVER THE ROAD.
A party consisting of General Freight
Agent J. =. Babbitt, Dr., Roadmaster w.
A. Moore and a representative Of the
MORNING NEWS went over the road day
Savannah river bridge on a fiat car.
Engineer r. w. Bell was in charge Of the
engine. The car was run ahead of the To-
connective aud the party, by frequent stops.
had every opportunity TO inspect the road
and see the country which it traverses. At
the bridge they met Mr.. B. R. Guest resident
engineer OF the Savannah Construction
Company, and Mr.. ]. L. Rousseau, superin-
tendent for the bridge contractors, and
dined with them in their camp overlooking
the river from high hill.
The roadbed and track to the river arein
splendid condition. The roadbed has been
neatly graded on each side of the track, aud
has the appearance Of q road that has been
built and been In operation for years. The
track is laid with heavy steel rails and is
perfectly ballAsted.
I10DuSOulb 6nQ u6pOb6 nave
been built at RAMON and Clio, and at Ran
con a 50,000-gallon water tank, sup
piled by an artesian vol, has been
built. At Meinhard, the junction of the
South Bound railroad and the Montieth
road, quarter of q mile from Montieth,
large warehouse has been built. and
vegetables are already being shipped
in quantities. The place is building up, and
already there are dozen or mere houses in
sight,
VILLAGES sPRINGIyG UP.
At Rancon and Clio new houses
are going up, and these places will soon
be prosperous villages. Two saw-mills
have been erected this side of the river,
one Of them at Rancon, and are In opera
ton. Other mills are to be erected soon.
The opportunities for the mill industry
along the line Of the road are great.
The country from Savannah to the river,
for the first thirty miles, is a.gradual rise,
and then 1t spreads out In O great plateau
from seventy feet to 100 feet above the river.
The land is a red clay bottom with a
rich alluvial soil on top, capable of,produc-
ing every kind Of crop grown in this sec
ton Of the south, and especially adapted for
fruits and vegetables. The laud slopes back
from the river in series of hills or ridges,
rising one above another until the plateau
Is reached. A popularity Of the plateau is
what Is called Indigo Bog, a rich swamp
land ninety~six feet above the river level,
capable of cultivation to the highest degree,
and when it is drained among the NEST
valuable lands In that part Of Effingham
county.
A RICH FUTURE SECTION.
The entire country along the South
Bound on the Georgia side OF the river Is
made up of rich agricultural lands. Their
development by this road will result In the
building of villages. the cultivation of
farms and an increased population. gen.
tleman who has been over the road says that
had il been built thirty years ago or had
the Charleston and Savannah railroad been
built through the country the South Bound
traverses, there would be ten white people
there to-day where there Is now one.
The projectors Of the South Bound in esti-
mating the business of the road when the
various routes were surveyed did not con-
slider the business to be derived from that
part of it on the Georgia side of the river
at all. Their estimates were based alto
gether upon the business from South Caro-
lima. The Georgia division will contribute,
however, no small part to the traffici which
will be handled, besides developing section
OF country which in time will be one Of the
most thickly settled and the richest in the
state.
TO BE THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED.
The South Bound will start as a thor
oughly equipped railroad prepared for
ali the business that II may be called upon
TO handle. its rolling stock will be of the
latest pattern. It's passenger cars will be-
equipped with all OF the improvements of
the age. First-class cars only will be run
Separate cars Will be provided for white
and black people, but one will have all the
| conveniences that the other has. The
trains will have no smoking cars, but each
car will have a smoking compartment SINH
lar TO those on the Pullman palace and
sleeping cars.
The train service will be operated by
telegraph. The poles are being placed now,
| and the telegraph line will be up and in
operation by the time the first train is run
| through to Columbia.
Handsome depots will be erected at every
station, and when once opened the road will
be as thoroughly equipped as it is possible
for it to be. Its formal opening viii be the
occasion for a demonstration on the part of
| Savannah's business man