The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-04-27

The Question Of the Hour.
The Trolley line from Greenville will b.
built to the Seaboard. 1t is coming. i
is a certainty. This Trolley question is
not the idle dream OF penniless promoters
but the avowed purpose Of business mel
Of means. The Trolley is going to bt
built. The Seaboard railroad is to be
connected with the cities Of the up coun'
try.
What is Of most vital interest to us
Just now Is, where will the Seaboard be
tapped? Will it be tapped at Abbeville OF
at some other point?
This Is a question that will have to be
settled by the citizens Of this town. The
Augusta and Knoxville railroad coult
have been bought by Abbeville for the
paltry sum Of $40, 900 atone time. Today
there are individuals in Abbeville who
would give as much to gel It. The Sa
vannah Valley railway went begging fol
$4,000. It could have been brought by
here for that amount. There are, today
individuals in Abbeville who would give
5000 to getthe Savannah Valley railway
But those opportunities have passed and
5. gone forever. Now here ZONES another
opportunity the trolley-shall we seize
this opportunity or shall We let it pass,
and spend the remaining years in vain re-
grets and sour repinings?
Opportunity has hair on the 'front Of his
head, he Is bald behind, when he meets
you you may seize him, when he is passed
you cannot. Our opportunity Is coming
1t Is here! What shall we do2
. All are familiar enough with the history
Of trolley lines to know that they more
than double the value Of lands through
which they pass. All know what trolley
systems have done for the eastern states.
II they do not and will take the trouble to
inform themselves they have a great sur
prise In store for them.
A trolley line will more than double the
value Of the lands through which it passes.
: What would it do for Abbeville County?
It will pass through fifteen or sixteen
miles Of Abbeville County grit II 1t comes
here. Suppose you count only lands with
In less than half q mile from the trolley,
the increased value will amount to three
hundred and thirty seven thousand. two
hundred dollars, almost enough to build
It from Donalds here, and this is counting
ON just double the present value Of a strip
1-2 mile from the line. What would it
amount to If we should count on the in
crease to the entire county?
Our people, we believe, are not going to
allow this opportunity to pass, we simply
cannot afford to lose it. 1t is too good a
thing to miss.
With the promoters it Is purely a matter
Of business. They wish to tap the Sea-
board road in the most economical way,
that Is all they are interested in. They
have no pets, know no favorites, and are
Influenced by nothing except hard cash.
With them it Is purely a bushes propo-
sition, the sooner We learn this the better.
This road Is not to be had by singing pa
triotc odes or by making pretty speeches,
for the men we have to deal with are
neither t%roubadours nor sonneteers, but
business men and they will listen to moth
ing but business. They are 'holding out
to us no false hopes but what they say
may be relied on.
Greenwood and Abbeville seem to be
the objective points just now. AS between
the two places Abbeville has a decided ad-
vantage. The point from which We reckon
Is better. The line will be built through
Honea Path to Donalds and from Donalds
to either Greenwood or Abbeville. The
distance from Abbeville to Donalds Is
three and a fraction miles less than the
distance from Greenwood to DonaIds.
This is a great argument In our favor
almost an insurmountable argument with
In itself.
1t will be claimed by the Greenwood
people that the line from Donalds to
Greenwood is free from streams but we
can claim just as much for the line from
Donalds to Abbeville, because Donalds and
Abbeville are both on the watershed be-
tween Long Cane and Little River.
There are two lines in prospect from
Abbeville to Donalds, one the way the
crow flies and the other by way Of Due
West. Either is three or more miles near
or the DonaIds-Greenwood line. The
committee appointed at the mass meeting
last Friday will make a thorough survey.
OF both routes from Donalds to Abbeville,
the route over the water shed and the one
by way Of Due West. The route by way
Of Due West will necessitate crossing one
stream, while the other route will cross
no stream the entire way.
While Abbeville wishes very much to
bring the line here by way Of Due West,
and will work to that end, at the same
time she will make the other survey so
that she will have all the information in
hand when she bids for the road.
1t Is not likely that the people Of Due
West will allow q line of such Importance
to come 80 near them without making an
effort to take it by that thriving town
To allow it to pass almost in hailing dis
lance without stopping would, to say the
least, be bad policy.
There is another route which it seems
would be a good one. 1t is pointed out in
clipping from the Anderson Intelligencer.
t. To ~ 10 tho CoohoorS b,, n ~ Abba