Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-04-05
WAIIIIALLiA, S. c.:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL s, 1911.
THROUGH TO KNOXVILLE.

There are still vague rumOrS that
moment and then lapse again into
4 vague rcmotcncss that seems most
MISUNDERSTANDING the COM
plction Of the old Blue Ridge rail
way through from Walhalla to Knox
Vile. what a pity that this dream
Of Calhoun has not, eve before this
time, been brought to a great reality!
What a pity that the great section Of
country lying between these two
points must lie year after year unde-
veloped-practicaily unknown-sim-
ply for the want Of Il comparatively
few miles Of steel rails laid upon a
road-bed that was surveyed and par
TALLY graded years and years ago!
And yet these rumor that come
and go must mean something. There
is something back Of them-very re-
mote possibly, but still something
that pushes them forward every now
and thcn--and from hat something
we have found enough strength to
keep alive hope, il nothing more. 1t
is Il pity that this hope has so long
been deferred in its realization, but
we continue nevertheless in our hope.
\ writer in the Anderson Mail OF
Monday last has Il few remarks on
corning this question Of the compile
ton Of the Blue Ridge. They refer
to some information likely to be
brought out at a meeting Of the
Chamber Of Commerce OF that city.
lie says:
Gen. NJ. l.. Bonham will tell us of
the possibilities Of completing the
Blu Ridge railway to Knoxville
across the mountains. and the secre-
tary OF the Chamber Of Commerce
does not hesitate to say that those
who attend will he put in possession
OF facts concerning this Dad that will
be brim full OF interest INC will slim
ulate them to the greatest amount OF
energetic effort possible. 1t might be
said in advance Of the meeting that
the prospects OF completing this road
were never better than the present
time. Recent letters from the Off
Gals OF the Southern railway prompt
the remark just made.
1t may be a matter Of surprise to
many to know that the Southern rail
way has to build, practically. only
two gaps Of about thirty miles each
in order to reach Knoxville. These
gaps are from Walhalla TO CLAYTON.
Ga, n distance of about % miles. and
from Franklin, y. c., to Bushnell, n.
c., a distance Of about 80 miles. The
road is complete from Clayton to
Franklin and practically complete
from Bushnell 10 Knoxville. There
are two very short gaps, | am in
formed. between Bushnell and Rock
ford, on the line to Knoxville. MOI
exceeding two miles in length. The
Southern railway has been coming
this way from Knoxville for some
years. The report Of the Southern
railway as late as June 30th, 1909,
shows road building from Knoxville
this way.
There is no question but that the
completion Of these gaps in the origi-
nal plan Of the old Blue Ridge sur
rey would mean untold benefit to the
country ~traversed. and not only that
but great benefit to the Southern rail.
way as we'll. Blu there are always
business considerations to be met and
disposed Of by these great corpora
tons, and II is tho general belief that
the Southern has heretofore kept this
vast region bottled up for their own
benefit. Theirs has becn in a way 8
dog-in-th"-manGcr policy that, we be
iicvc, they cannot much longer pur
sue. Somebody some great aggrc