The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-09
NEW RAILROADS I'm THE STATE.
Iho Charters Granted Indicate a
Revival in Railroad COnstruction

J SnarleSI0n Evening Post SAWS that
raiiroad building in South Carolina is
TO have she biggest revival known in
recent years, judged by the number OF
now charters granted by the General
Assembly Just closed. According Co
these charters there aro eleven new
railroads projected, having in round
mum ocrs an aggregate length of 500
miles. In almost every instance tho
lines arc short, but Il study Of u rail-
ROAD map will show that their object in
each case is to connect with one of the
Dig systems Of the State, SO as to crcat &c
COmpetltlon with its rival systems.
Inc olg lines are already in operation,
"hu thesc viii fill in tho gaps and serve
rs fcedcrs to them.
On the whole the Poo Dee Is the
most favored section for these new
ROADS. ~ has long been under tho do
hlhhIlon OF the Coast Line, but by the
construction OF several short lines pro-
poses TO tap tho ScabOard Air Line,
ana IN this way en- JOY the benefit OF the
Two large systems Of railway instead OF
one.
one ol the new roads just chartered,
wnlch Will be most Instrumental in
doing this, IS the Carolina and North
ern Naliroad Company. Its proposed
route IS from Lumhcrton, N. c., where
connection with the Scaboard Air Limo
Will bo had, to Marion, Il distance OF
lorty miles. The road would traverse
u scctlon lying between the Florence
ana tho Wilmington, Columbia and
Augusta railroads, both Of tho Coast
Line system. From Marion the char
ter gives the road the right to extend
TO the coast. Georgetown, a distance
OF scvcnty.hvc miles, is tho objective
point. This latter part of tho road
equal tn three counties, in which there
| Il not u road.
n kindred road to this is tho Mari
boro, Marion and Horny railroad. 1t
| proposes to make it's connection with
the Scaboard at Hamlet, N. g., almost
parallcling the Cheraw and Darlington
from there to Bennettsvilc, and from
.he latter place to continue it's line to
Marion. It's character gives the road
ehe right TO extend its line to Conway
and Port Harrclson, thus bringing il
TO tidcwater navigation, but it is Il
question If the road will be projected
beyond Marion If the Carolina and
Northern extends its line GO George
town. Werc the road built rs c0ntcm
plated in It's charter its length would
be about ninety miles.
| The Bcnnettsvillc and Osborne is a
short road, just eighteen miles long.
1t extends between the two points
named, and is IL shorter way to get /.
connection with the Scaboard Air Line
Than the route contemplated in the
charter for the Marlboro, Marion and
Horny railroad If the road from Ben.
nettsvllle to Hamlet is built, then it. is
improbable that the road TO Osborne
| Will be constructed, as each has the
same object and would pass through
virtually the Same territory.
The Conway Scashorc Railroad Com.
pany Is corporation Of Conway bust
ness mon, who have already begun
work on aroad thirteen miles in length
to run from Conway TO the beach.
They propose to put up a big summer
hotel, but tho prime object is to utilize
2U,OO0 acres Of wooded lands. This |
large tract OF timber land has remained
untouched up to the present time ON |
account OF it being impossible to get
tho timber out for shipment The |
railroad will cause the establishment,
OF one OF the biggest lumber mills i'm |
the country.
The Wilson and Summcrton, or rs |
Its charter calls il, the Northwestern
railroad Company Of South Carolina.
Is thirty miles Of road from Sumter to
Camden, now in coul Sc of construc.
tion by the Atlantic Coast Line. It,
Will give Camden two railroads instead
Of one.
The North and South Carolina Rail.
road Company is by far tho biggest
railway chartered by the last General
Assembly. Tho road is to run from
Wadesboro, N. c., to Camden and
thence to Columbia The length OF
the road in this State will be about
cighty-iivo miles. II will run diago-
nally through Chesterfield county,
which is almost without railroads,
across to Camden, and to the capital OF
the State, throughout it's whole length
opening up Is territory which is more |
In need OF railroads than any other !
section Of the State. But to add to It's |
Importance arc It's outside connections.
The road will traverse North Carolina,
vile at Milton, N. G.. The Atlantic
and Danville il d road owned by Eng
llsh capitalists, and runs from Norfolk,
Va. to Danvillc, thence to Milton, N. |
&. The immense benefits OF the con
structiOn OF this road arc then readily |
sem. 1t gives Columbia another big |
system passing through one OF the
richest sections Of tho State, giving To
her another outlet, and at the same
time, bringing her into touch with
section OF the State which tho present
roundabout way OF reaching makes it
almost impossible to have anything to
do.
The South Carolina and Gcorgia
Extension Railroad Company was stub
bornly fought in the Senate. The |
South Carolina and Georgia has OBJ |
taincd control OF tho Ohio River and |
Charleston railroad, which runs from
Camden to Blacksburg.
1t Is from the latter place that it Is
now proposed to build q line OF twenty
miles to Gaifncy, thence TO Clifton and |
Spartanburg. AS Mr.. Archer and other
friends 80 urgently insisted this short
line wOuld enable the South Carolina
and Georgia to compete with the
Southern railway, and would free the
manufacturing section Of the Piedmont
from tho discrimination Of single
railroad.
The people OF Union, Ncwbcrry, Sa
luda and Edgciicld, too, are alive to
the Importance Of railroad compct.
tion The Union and Augusta rain Dad
will bn line OF about twenty miles be-
tWrcn Union and some point on the