Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-11-28
BLUE RIDGE-NOTHING DOING.
officials Hold Time InopIortune for
Completing Road.
(Anderson Mail, 23d.)

| to attend a conference with reference
| road do not bring very much encour-
| agement. Now that the merger
suit" trouble has been removed there
| is another obstacle in the form of
| contested rights Of way.
AS the outcome Of correspondence
between President w. w. Finley and
Gen. NJ. l.. Bonham, representing in
| terested towns and cities along the
| proposed road and it's connections, an
| informal meeting was held here at
the ChiQuola Hotel at $50 o'clock.
The announcement made by the OFF,
cials OF the railway company caused
disappointment.
The visitors were Col. A. b. An
drews. president of the Blue Ridge
road; II. B. Spencer, vice president
of the Southern Railway Company,
and Fl. w. Miller, assistant to Presi-
dent Finley. Allen Forman, of the
executive staff, was also present.
The meeting was called to order
at 2.30 this afternoon in the parlors
of the Chiquola Hotel. There were
many out-of-town members Of the
committee, among them r. S. Gallo
way, president Of the Due West rail-
road; Nj. b. Clinkscales, OF Due
West; d. A. Geer, e. G. Frierson and
John B. Adger, of Bolton; j. d. Nc
Elroy, Sandy Springs; w. r. DOYLE,
| e. &. Doyle, Seneca; r. J. Blalock,
Columbia member OF the city coun-
Gil; John r. Callahan, Honea Path;
w. S. l!endley, Columbia; Wyatt
Aiken, Congressman. Abbeville; r.
T. Jaynes, Marshall Habersham, Jas.
II. Darby, w. l.. Werner, Walhalla;
S. l.. Eskew and j. D. Day, Pendlc-
ton.
In opening the meeting, Gen. Bon
| ham told of the revival of interest
and Of hope year ago. Since then
the committee has been in cores
| pondence with President Finley, who
was the representative of the South
| ern railway here to-day.
Col A. b. Andrews was then pre-
sented. He said that he was here as
| the personal representative of Mr..
Finley, who was unable to come and
sent much regret. He would be glad
to aid the meeting in any way posi-
Bile, but was no speech maker
Fl. B. Spencer, who was then pre-
sented, said that the Southern has
always been very much interested in
the question Of the Blue Ridge and
its completion. He told Of the small
lines already completed beyond the
| mountains. But there had been met
with a great obstacle in the gorge at
Rabun Gap. The Southern claimed
ownership Of rights OF way and other
interests also claimed the same
rights, because Of projected water
power development. That litigation
| has been very difficult The alleged
owners Of the water power wish to
construct dam $50 feet in height,
which, Of course, would destroy all
| riparian rights and make the narrow
| gorge impossible. This would of
course destroy all hope of completing
the Blue Ridge.
The Southern is generally extend
ing its lines In that valley where To-
cal interests warrant, but it will re-
Quire $3,000,000 to complete the
line. 1t is not advisable now, he said,
to market securities for such large
| a &C n
dition Of the country would preclude
the best advantages, but the Southern
hopes that the conditions will i'm
prove. ut is our purpose and intcn-
ton to continue the work, and we
| hope that we may do so before very
long"
Gen. Bonham then called Mr.. Spen-
GERS attention to the three alterna-
tives: Would the Southern complete
the Blue Ridge unaided? Would the
Southern complete it with the aid OF
bonds? Would the Southern complete
it with the aid Of work on the right
Of way?
Mr.. Spencer had already answered
| the first. He said that the road
would not accept bonds, and as to the
| third proposition he had never had
consultation with Mr.. Finley.
| Gen. Bonham, r. S. Ligon, Col. r.
+. Jayncs and ohtcrs were surprised
at this, for they had discussed the
matter with Mr.. Finley and expected
a reply.
Gen. Bonham then put the matter