The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-09
THE AUGUSTA EXPOSITION.
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM THE
FOREST CITY.

The Mistake which the Almighty
Made in Laying Out the Course Of
the Savannah River.-Demands fol-
Experienced Surveyors to Straight
Ell the Stream...The City of Angus
tn on q Boom.
AUGUSTA, GA, Aug. 26, 1891.
Editor Press and Banner:
The usual annual scare has been INDUCED
in by the timid, about this river Of ours and
happily, has about passed away. Ihese
things will continue to come on us, ana 10 q
certain extent upset matters, until something
Is done which Will guarantee immunity from
these annually threatened ireshets, anu con on
tinuing SO, will continually operate as hand'
leap TO our advancement and prosperity,
For though we may not have another high
water as we had in 1883, In forty years, and
won't, still the apprehension that 1t can and
may come with every annual or semi-an.
nual squirt Of the old stream, works almost
as much injury TO the city by keeping out
Investments already In operation within our
gates. South Carolina, at least the section Of
It bordering on Georgia, is as much interest,"
ed in this matter, as we are. Even more so.
For though the slight rises OF the river may
threaten Augusta, and cause grave appre-
tensions, they are certain to overflow the
low lands below the city and desolate the
crops Of that country as It has done ior the Inc
y
finest in your State and the loss of the corn
crop there is one of incalculable disaster. and
especially Is this the case ia Is year, when all
the cereals promise 10 De dear, g 3Wlng 10 The Inc
remedy lies within our Joint reach. Every
body agrees that something has got TO be
done" but nobody takes the initiatory to do IL.
In other words we seem not to appreciate the
situation until the waters are upon us, and
with It's subsistence, comes again lethargy
and Indifference.
If the Representatives and Senators Of
Georgia and Carolina would unite and bring
their Joint pressure to bear on the rivers and
harbor committee, they could get an aPpro.
priation commensurate with the demands oi
the occasion, and both protect Augusta and
relieve while 1t reclaimed the magnificent
low lands below US. equal in fertility and in
exhaustable phosphoric properties TO any in
the famed Mississippi valley. In my opin-
experienced engineers to come and view the
ground. When say experienced engineers,
mean II and not any gim-crack who can
tack a blacking box top on the end OF
broom handle and run hair pin through II
for needle, and start out to infict himself
on q credulous public who loves to be hum
bugged anyway. Get United States Govern.
ment marine engineers who are supposed at
least to know their business, and let them
say what shall be done.
The river below Augusta Is one continual
Of bends and turns, some OF them
80 outrageously tortuous that person can
nation and toss rock to the other, while 70
60 around from one TO the other point would
take eight or ten miles Of water travel.
1t is simply impossible for the volume OF
around these twists and turns as fast as 1t
comes down q comparatively straight chan
mel, and, perforce 1t backs back over the sur
country and the city behind II.
ter into It from two inch pipe and open q
one inch pipe faucet at the bottom and ex-
pect an equasion. IL can't get out as fast as
II gets In the barrel runs over. This Is just
because 1t is practically stopped up below.
The remedy is simply TO put q bigger faucet
in the bottom OF the barrel or, to speak di-
rectly, straighten the river below here. The
natural fall Is sufficient to take II all of, If
IL only has the chance, and once started
properly the river itself would be the biggest
kind OF a dredging machine, and DO most OF
the work Itself.
So much for the river 1t wont hurt Angus.
ta this time, but sincerely sympathise with
the good farmers down the river who are al
ready losers Of many thousands OF dollars.
! was talking with one OF the most astute
yesterday and he told me that the flour and
meal milling and the grocery business OF Au-
gusta would amount 70 SIS, 100000. Just think
Of 1t, 65,O00 600 OF dollars from one branch OF
trade alone and this does not embrace the
mammoth manufacturing industries in cot
ton and iron, nor the equally large lumber
business which Augusta now boasts;
Why Augusta Is the most favored city In
all the land and 1t only remains for an expo
sition or two, such as we are on the eve OF
Just now, to introduce these advantages TO
the outside world, when they will be made to
blossom like the proverbial green bay tree,
is one man In Augusta, who am Id all the
mutations, vicissitudes and set backs, which
the dear old city has experienced, has never
lost faith In her nor hope for her future
head of the Augusta Exposition Company,
and he shows the faith that's In him by his
devotion to her every Interest
and his never tiring tchfulness of every
thing affecting her. He is always In the fore
front of anv movement having Augusta's a6-
vancement in view and he never sleeps until
he accompllshes his object. He is getting up
now magazine Exposition Trade issue
which promises to eclipse anything heretofore
sent out in the South. 1t will be handsomely
and durably gotten out, and will be an Illus
trated hand book OF the city from Its founda.
tion to the present date. 1t will be looked
Interesting in subject matter.
The North Augusta bridge had little set
back yesterday by the floating trash and de-
oris coming down the river from the swamps
carried off portion Of the false frame work
used by the workmen. No very serious
trouble entailed, and only little delay and
Manager PIatt has secured the finest sys-
tenn of engines ever seen in the South for bis
motive power, and the electrical department
will be 80 complete as 10 attract men from all
sections of the country.
Mr.. j. w. Ryckman, who has probably had
more experience with expeditions than any
man OF his age In America, writing from
New York says:
Augusta is fortunate. She must be con.
cealing mascot somewhere. Her Exposi-
tion catches on with surprising avidity. You
hear expressions favorable to iton every hand.
And many regrets that the time for prepara
tion Is SO short. But think what will be
shown despite this latter drawback. The mo-
tive power will consist OF the finest system of
engines ever seen in the South. The electri-
tract men from all sections of the country.
The mechanical novelties wi II be surprising
in number and deeply interesting In labor
saving. fuel.saving and per lection OF service.
A complete model shoe factory, TO do all
work by machinery, from cutting the leather
TO finishing the shoe, is under contempt lation
In Boston to take the place OF the cotton
looms. A full line OF gas Illuminating, cook
ing, motive power and fuel appliances and
apparatus is promised. The miscellaneous
exhibits will be almost countless. What q
combination OF object lessons, instructive to
all classes OF people, It will contain. What o
myriad OF new avocations ii will suggest"
with the Exposition Company beyond being
u we'll wisher, and his testimony is therefore
Impartial.
In concluding the letter OF which the fore.
going Is an extract, Mr.. Ryckman, speaking
OF an important and enterprising citizen OF
Augusta, and one who has done and Is doing
as IN uch rs any man for the advancement OF
his new home, says:
81 hope the pubiic-spirIted wife of your pub.
lic.spirlted citIZen Col. ID. B, Over may be