The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-08
A GREAT PROJECT.
The Black Diamond Railroad Will be Built
f8pnt Of Letter By Rogers Wa.gon, G. from the D0rc'
(Ry.) Messenger, of IS, 1871

my opinion that the North and South
traffic Of the Mississippi Valley by
rail Will ere long give such results
that will surprise the stockholders
and them to regret the sacrifice
they have made in disposipg Of their
holdings in time Of temporary dis
strust and depression.
How we'll this prediction has been
verified let the present market quota
tions of the Illinois Central r. r. be
the answer.
Without noise or flourish of trump
cts and in the heart of the late hnan-
cial depression, another North and
South trunk line, the Kansas City and
Gulf r. r., has been constructed with
Datch capital at cost Of $50, 100000,
and thrown open for business in Sep
tember last. Although this road ira
versed long sections Of country entire
ly unproductive, yet the daily papers
of the last few days have told us it
has already made such inroads on the
freight business of the East and West
roads that they have taken concerted
action against it.
Having thus shown the Importance
attached to North and South tsank
line, by public men in the past, and
the successful operation Of those al
ready constructed, I wish to call at
tention to a few facts, proving, as I
think, that the Black Diamond enter
prise is better than either Of the two
others, aud why it must be a paying
enterprise from the start.
I shall say nothing about the steps
| alreafy taken to insure the necessary
capital for construction, but you vail
concede, I think, that in the present
conditions Of the money markets of
the world, there is. not the slightest
difficulty to capitalize any legitimate
paying enterprise. Capitalists are
eager for such chances.
Here are my facts:
The Ylliaois Central R. r. saps the
resources of the Mississippi Valley,
the Kansas City and Gulf read, those
Of the Missouri Valley.
| The Black Diamond will zap those
of the Ohio Valley, richeraa mineral,
agricultural and manufacturing re-
sources than both the others COM
bined.
It will be the lowest grade and
shortest route from the Ohio Valley
to the sea. and consequently must dis
tance eli competitors for freight.
It has tributary coal area greater
than that of any two of the other
trunk roads, as shown by U. S. census
report.
It taps the center Of the greatest
corn producing area Of the United
States.
It passes through the finest timber
districts east Of the Mississippi.
1t opens up one of the richest agri-
cultural districts Of Kentucky.
1t opens up the untold mineral re-
sources Of East Tennessee and West
-ern North Carolina, their states, mar
bles, onyx, ETC., long known to be the
finest on the Continent.
It intersects the great rice fields of
the South.
1t has the finest seaport on the
South Atlantic coast. Neither New
Orleans nor Port Arthur can be COM
I pared to Port Royal.
1t will be complete trunk line
from the start, and not zig-zag col
lection Of local roads aggregated into
a system.
1t can now be constructed and
equipped at % per cent. less cost
than in former years, ard will have
all the advantages Of the most modern
improvements and equipments, to OBJ
tain which have cost older lines i'm
mense sums in experiments.
1t has an area tributary to it con-
taing over 100000 of population
and one-fourth Of the wealth Of the
United States.
The people in Tennessee and South
Carolina stand prepared to issue
bonds of their respective counties and
municipalities, to guarantee the inter
est On the bonds of the Black Dia-
mond r. r. to the aggregate amount
Of 81, 10000. Lastly, it is the peo-
ple's movement, and as such will
bind the people of the North and
South by a community Of interests
and profit, with hooks Of steel. " By
the interchange of products along its
line, the stimulation Of manufactures,
u q -. l:IJox t1ro