The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-08
RIPLEY, ONO, Nov. 8, 1897.

III t1t AK OOl.. W thCi SaS ASohtOt
s onr comrades at haysville the
q ,ler day you asked my opinion as to
sz rhether the Black Diamond r. II.
r,uld be built, l answered it GER
d ,,;Oly would, and promised also to
4 .,n5 YOU my views on the subject at
4 lime length, which | now do.
j Judging from 60 conversations had
q with many people along the lines of
! his ROAD as proposed, they look at it
4 fam, > ocal standpoint. which must
necessarily be narrow and eircum
scr;bcd, and from, what Ileara of the
q history Of other railroad enterpriscsin
q This vicinity, which were entirely
3 locsl. the people have good ground for
4 doubt and distrust. But, while the
i loc,l Importance and benefits of this
q road to the people along its line can
not be ovcrcstimated, it is in no sense
j i local enterprise. If it were such,
4 doubts might very properly be enter
8 tanned of it's construction.
q It's great national enterprise, q
i North and South trunk line, projected
4 not only in response to the wishes Of
u .be people along the lirs, but loudly
3called for by the growing demands of
j trade and transportation, already tax
ling the resources Of the East and
\ West trunk lines to che utmost.
This question Of a North and South
d,rank line is not new one by any
means 1t has in tho past engaged
the attention OF some Of our wisest
statesmen and ablest fnanciers.
John G. Calhoun, as far back as
q 1886, advocated the construction Of a
q road substantially on the lines now
& followed by the Black Diamond, from
the sea northward through Rabun
1Gsp, East Tennessee and Kentucky,
q to the Ohio Valley and connecting
with the great lakes. Such q road
d vas started soon after. but in the
2 2 515sss ssH.ncis! panic Of that period
4 the project and the projectors were
4 swept away.
z Later the project of tapping the
rich resources of the Mississippi Val
ley and reaching the great lakes was
! asitated, and ilonggess, in 1sss, aud
: subsequently,, passed eets granting
J large tracts of land to the States OF
4 Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Miss
4 sissippi and Louisiana, Ito be used to
4 encourage the construction of, a trunk
4 line as great national thoroughfare
/ from the lakes to the Guile"
4 A popular convention was held at
the City of New Orleans in April,
! 1851, at which resolutions were
] adopted requesting the States Of
Louisiana. Mississippi, Tennessee
!! and Kentucky, 10 aid IN the .estab-
) ligincnt Of a trunk reiI.as4assera the
Gulf Of Mexico to the Great Northern
Lakes" 3
4 Following this request the State Of
Louisiana in 1852 incorporated tho
New Orleans, Jackson aud Great
Northern R. r. for the purpose Of
building "a continuous line of com
i munication between New Orleans and
i the Northern and Western pertions,of
atAe GoDfedeTacy to be q main trunk
s]liae."
q The Legislature Of Mississippi,
/ March IL, 1862, passed resolution
3deolaring that the construction Of
dsach road tsis deemed workof pub
aic Importance and should be enoour-
1 aged by Legislation. =
4 The State Of Tennessee passed an
4 Act, Feb. 25, 1852, authorizing said
I 'eilscsd &c &c T..ssss through through tho State,
3sad declaring in the preamble that it
vas "a matter Of vital Importance TO
this State that q connection by rail-
road betYeen che Gulf Of Mexico and
iae Great Northern Lakes should be
Established
Under these auspices the great
North and South trunk line system Of
the Illinois Central r. r. grew up.
That part Of the trunk line from New
|orleans to Canton, Miss, was con-
{afrnokoJ L ~ .ti NJ ~ ~ - ls