Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-02-09
NEwBERRY TO EDGEFIELD

Wnen one ChlnkS OF gong TO Euge'
field from Newberry about the first
thing that comes to his mind, that is
those who have some recollection OF
the effort to build railroad between
the two cities, is the need of just
such a road as has been talked about
and graded and for which taxes were
paid for so many years, and yet the
grading was done so many years ago
that the young folk of this day, when
they see the evidence of the cut or
the embankment, wonder why it is
there. Tall pines have grown all over
many of the graded places, and that
railroad seems but memory, and to
many it is not even that. And yet
there is great need for a railroad
across the state from north to south.
All the roads very nearly parallel
each other.
And this recalls to mind the time
that we built that narrow guage road
from Augusta to Newberry and on
to Union and Blacksburg. 1t was to
be an extension of the Augusta and
Sandersville narrow guage railroad
which was at that time operating be-
tween Augusta and Sandersville. A
man by the name of Mitchell was the
president. Mr.. JAS. Y. Culbreath
and Mr.. Robert Mclaughlin, and in
fact all of Newberry were very much
interested in the project. Prosperity
wanted the road to come that way
and the Moseley brothers and the
Wheelers and Mr.. L. S. Bowers and
Mr.. Henry Boozer and all the rest
were interested. President Mitchell
came over to Newberry and we had
a big meeting in the court house. l
will never forget that meeting. The
building was crowded with interested
citizens. Mr.. Mitchell was good
talker, and he made speech, and
several others spoke, of course Mr..
Culbreath and Col. Geo. tombstone
and Judge Pope and Col. o. L.
Schumpert and others and you know
Newberry has always had good
speakers, and the meeting was very
enthusiastic and we were going to
have a railroad from Newberry to
Augusta right now. Just before the
meeting adjourned Mr.. Thomas. S.
Moorman who was then practicing
law at Newberry arose and offered to
have a stipulation put in the bonds
requiring that the road be put in op-
Grafton to Newberry before our
bonds were delivered. He was almost
Kissed out of the court house, the
very idea of doubling the good faith
and the ability of these men who
were building the road, and President
Mitchell, or even suggesting that the
thing would not be done was prepos-
terous and the suggestion to put such
an amendment or proviso was in it
self casting a doubt over the enter
prise, or that is the way it was con-
strued, and the meeting would not
hear of it, because it would possibly
delay the building, and the bonds
were to be delivered as soon as the
road was graded through any town.
ship, and so it was done. Mr.. Moor
man pleaded for his proviso in the
bonds but the meeting would have
none of it, and so he stood alone.
And subsequent events have proved
that he was right. If his motion had
prevailed we would either have the
road to Newberry OF we would have
been saved thousands of dollars. And
we have no road yet. That was good
many years ago. l can't remember
dates.
1t is not SO far to Edgefeld, only
about forty miles direct way, but to
get there by train you have to go
around by Columbia. At the time we
were building that railroad Edgefeld
Joined Newberry at Saluda river. And
in this way if we had good dirt roads,
it would not be such an undertaking
to make the trip. 1t is only forty-hve
miles by Saluda and Johnston, and
if you go down by Wards 1t is only
about fifty miles. With good Stude-
baker cars that would not be much
of a trip, if we had any sort of roads.
But with our roads it is long way,
and if you get stuck it is still further
had little matter of business at
Edgefeld, which possibly could have
been attended to just as we'll by cor