The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-06-29
FROM KANSAS TO CHARLESTON.

4 Direct Road FROM Mc Vest 10 tie atlantic
Riyht 7hrough The Bi"e R,d1e Mountains.
Tho following letters are ofso vital interest
10 Charleston that there can be no need for
an apology for their publication in full
To the Editor of The News and Courier:
| enclose letter from MIR. Edwin Walters,
of Kansas City, Mo-, which will speak for
itself. Mr. Walters has been assistant State
gcologlst OF Missouri uIi is IA man of much
experience in the location of railroads In
addition to being Il gcologist he is civil
engineer of ability. lie is well known in
this part of the country.
For number of years have been inter-
estcd i'll the building Of M East ond West
railroad. Our company is waiting revival
of business, when we hope to take up the en-
tcrprse again and prosecute II to success
fuI issue What says Charleston?
Respectfully yours, u. a. Thomas.
Gaitney, May "A, 1894.
KANSAS City, Mo-, May If, 1892.
Mr.. ID. a. Thomas, Gaifncy, :. C.-Dcar
Sir: see by the newspapers that Oh; rlcs-
ton is agititing the subject of Western trade
extension. Now, as there Is no better way
to extend trade than that of building a direct
railroad and knowing that you are interest
ed in such an enterprise, and remembering
our conversations on the subject at the sew
eral times of my visits to South Carolina,
address you this letter.
In the first place, Kansas City and the
people of the West generally are not un-
mindful of thci: interests. While it is true
that we can reach tide water on the coast of
Texas at distance of about three hundred
miles less than We can reach the Atlantic
seaboard, yet the r0utc from here to Europe
via the Carolina ports is about fifteen hum
drcd miles shorter t.an via Texas ports.
tl,,tt tl,ns uly,t ian - hn
and Central West depends very largely on
the extent with which we utilize both routes.
In short, our people are not NJ all modest;
they want "cvcry thing in sight.
Charleston and o,hcr Carolina ports arc
accessible 10 the West, but inasmuch rs
Charleston has deep water, is great COM
mercial centre and ha, much local capital, it
Is probably the best point for the Eastern
terminus.
At the time of the Barring f,i ure |, Is
civil engineer and geolngist, was making
preliminary survey ar rcco0noisance of
rou,e from Kansas Ci!y southeast. 1t is
possible that under new management the
s,mc enterprise may tc revived. The Kan
saS Ciry, Oscc)la aud Southern Railroad is
bui from here TO Oceoli, one hundred and
thirty-Scycu miles in the Iii ght direction. 1t
is the property of John J.. Blair, of Blairs-
tUwn, j. TIy dUUur ycrrs uuu;
nf course, mist soon permit the road 10 go
into other hands.
The natural route to the seaboar! appears
TO be via New Madrid, Mo-, or some neigh
boring poiut on the Mississippi River thence
via Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn, liender-
sonvlle, Chimney Rock, n. G., Gatfney, s.
c., and thence down Broad River and on
southeast to Charleston.
This would give easy grades over the Blue
Ridge and all intervening mountains This
would utilize the charter in North aud South
Carolina that the company holds to which
you belong.
The immense water power along Broad
River for scvcuty-ivc miles could be devcl-
opcd if this road was built, and manuf,ctur-
ing towns could be founded that would afford
vast quantity of local traffic. The re.
sources of the country along this route are
wonderful. They consist of timber, marble,
granite, W. iOHg minerals, including gold
ores, grain, live stock, c6tiun, rise end many
other items of equal importance. Above all
the through traffic from the South Atlantic
country and the Old World TO the great
IVES; AMI the return Of our great store of
agricultural aud grazing products would un-
doULteliy assume gigantic proportions.
Then, again, thi. i&ErGad would be another
link in the bon or chain Thai tinis the
West to the South. The commercial and
politici significance of such an enterprise
can scarcely be overestimatcd. SO let it be-
Edwin Walters.