Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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JAS. A. HOYT, E. B. MURRAY, Editors. THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 6, 1876. MM COMMON. THE NEW MOVEMENT TO COMPLETE THE BLUE RIDGE RAILROAD. Pour States in Council?Encouraging News from Across the Mountains? Enthusiastic Mass Meeting?Re? ports aud Resolutions. Pursuant to the adjournment of the Railroad Convention held in Knoxville on the 20th of January last, in the in? terest of the Blue Ridge Railroad, by which it was resolved to meet at this point on Thursday, 30th of March, a number of influential and representative men from the several sections interested assembled in the Court House at the time specified at 11 o'clock a. m., as rep? resentatives of the various points con? cerned in the revival and completion of this grand railroad scheme, which has been the dream of South Carolina for more than forty years, and which to-day is the most important problem of our future success and prosperity in com? merce and material development. The Convention was called to order by Col. R. A. Thompson, of Walhalla, who was President of the Knoxville Conven? tion, and in taking the chair he an? nounced that the objects of the Conven tion were familiar to all present, so that he would not detain the body with any lengthy remarks, but call immediately for the enrollment of delegates. Under this call, the following delegations were reported and enrolled: LIST OF DELEGATES. Knoxville, Tenn.?J. W. Gaut, Presi? dent Board of Trade. Maryville, Tenn.?Capt. J. M. Greer. Blount Co., Tenn.?Col. R. L Wilson. Col. W. G. McAdoo, Secretary and Treasurer Knoxville and Charleston Railroad. Franklin, N. C?Dr. W. L. Love, Prof. C. D. Smith, and Capt. J. L. Rob? inson, Speaker of the N. C. House of Representatives. Rabun, Co., Ga.?H. W. Canton, F. A. Bleckley, D. J. Duncan and R. E. Cannon. Walhalla, S. C?Col. R. A. Thomp? son, Col. J. J. Norton and D. Bieman. Seneca City, S. C?Dr. J. W. Spear? man, Dr. S. J. McElroy and Col. J. W. Livingston. Charleston, S. C?E. H. Frost,. W. J. Magrath, James T. Welsman, Ellison A. Smyth, W. A. Wardlaw, Geo. R. Walker and Louis Zimmer. Anderson, S. C.?J. N. Brown, S. Bleckley, N. K. Sullivan, J. S. Murray, John B. Moore, J. A. Hoyt, W. W. Humphreys, 0. H. P. Fant, B. F. Cray ton, T. B. Lee, J. W. Daniels, W. G. Watson, Jacob Burriss, John B. Watson, E. A. Bell, S. McCully, W. S. Sharpe and E. M. Rucker. The Convention was then announced ready for business, and upon motion of James A. Hoyt, a committee of five to nominate permanent officers was appoint? ed by the chair, as follows: Messrs. J'. A. Hoyt, W. L. Love, R. I. Wilson, Geo. R. Walker and R. E. Cannon. PERMANENT OFFICERS. After an absence of twenty minutes, the committee returned and submitted the following report, which was unani? mously adopted : President?Col. J. W. Gant,of Tenn. Vice Presidents?J. L. Robinson, of North Carolina; Maj. H. W. Cannon, of Georgia; Capt. J. M. Greer, of Ten? nessee; James T. Welsman and J. S. Murray, of South Carolina. Secretaries?W. W. Humphreys, J. W. Livingston and John W. Daniels. Col. Thompson then vacated the chair, and introduced Col. Gaut, the President elect, to the Convention. Upon assum . ing the chair, he said: Gentlemen of the Convention: My gratitude for the favor conferred upon me by your choice is only equalled by my surprise at the selection you have made. Had I been requested to serve, I should have declined to do so, except upon the condition that the President should not be expected to make any speech. All who Know me are aware tnat I am an earnest worker for any en? terprise in which I engage, but am no orator. No one has ever accused me of being an able advocate upon the floor, but as you have imposed this duty upon me, I shall endeavor to serve you- to the best of my ability, knowing that I shall have able assistance in the Vice Presi? dents you have selected. I presume this honor is given me more on account of my constituency than any supposed fit? ness, and in behalf of them my earnest efforts shall be given to this work. It is hardly necessary to recount the great im S>rtance of the completion of the Blue idge Railroad, for I presume the dele? gates present are alive to their interests in this matter and to the interests of their country. I am more impressed with the importance of the road than ever. Its completion would put your State in direct communication with East Tennesse, and the distance from Charleston to Middle Tennessee is shorter than to any other market. We now have a large surplus of products for market, but cannot com? pete with other points because our facili? ties for transportation are inferior. Not a car load of produce has been shipped from Knoxville to Charleston in the last eight years, because St. Louis, Chicago and Louisville have better positions for freights. The completion of this road would shorten the distance one 'hundred miles and give us competing lines. This direct through line was contemplated in 1836. It was three years before this that the first railroad in this country was built. The reason of the long delay in its con? struction is that the road traverses a mountainous country, and it was easier to go around than over the mountains. Hence we have roads running through the valleys and parallel to the mountains, but the time has come when this road must aud shall cross the mountains to reach the great mineral and agricultural resources which are bound up over there, and afford them a convenient outlet to market. We are here to devise means for completing this road, and I trust we shall be very successful. When we reach Knoxville, it will be time enough to speak of the Western connections, which will surely be made. At the conclusion of these remarks, the President announced the Convention ready for business, and called for the re? ports of committees. The standing com? mittees asked to be allowed until the next morning to submit a written report, which was granted. REMARKS OF JUDGE REED. Hon. J. P. Reed, upon being informed that he was considered a member of the Convention, in consequence of his ap? pointment upon a standing committee, said: That he had inquired into the condition and prospects of the Blue Ridge Railroad, and the possibility of a new corporation obtaining possession of it. He had not been very successful, but had some information which he would lay before the Convention in a written form relative to the subject. There are difficulties at present; the road ja in? volved in gaeat complication, in conse? quence of complex litigation, but he hoped these troubles would soon be removed. He was satisfied there is a spirit on the part of the people to complete the road, despite the political and social troubles and misfortunes by which they are sur? rounded. He said he had heard that this was a movement in the interest of the bondholders, but that such was not the case. This idea is entirely erroneous, for the projectors of this undertaking are neither bondholders nor stockholders. He thought there should be a committee appointed to ascertain and report what aid can be obtained in the several States interested, and he was satisfied that what? ever was done by the other States would be met by this State. He thought it would be a profitable investment for Charleston if her people were to give one-fourth the value of their real estate, if needed, for the completion of this road. Charleston would be repaid in one year by the increased population and business, without considering the increase in the value of her property. All the parties along the line are interested in opening up this highway to unlock the products of the Northwest, and let them flow un trammeled into this State and Georgia. Charleston should be awake instead of asleep over these interests. CHARLESTON SPEAKS. Mr. "Walker, of Charleston, moved the appointment of a separate committee j from each State to ascertain aud report what would be done by each, and in sup? port of his motion said that Judge Reed had libelled Charleston, and that he was the one who was asleep and not Charles? ton. The Blue Ridge Railroad was Charleston's first love, and although bad? ly jilted, she was ready to return as soon as open arms awaited her, but that Charleston does not understand this movement. Not that she does not appre? ciate the importance of the Blue Ridge Railroad. She knows well the additional prosperity it would give her, but her people are not yet alive to the who, the how and the when. She does not know who is controlling this movement; what are the prospects of and the means to be used for the completion of this road, nor when it is expected to begin or consum? mate the undertaking. Therefore, he wanted to hear from each State separate? ly. A joint committee could not make a report that would be read with the in? terest which separate reports would have. He said that speeches from men might be listened to, but would not be read, while a business report would command attention. Prof. Smith moved to amend by ap? pointing a committee of one from each State to form a joint committee to report upon this project? Col. Rucker moved to lay the amend? ment on the table, but when Dr. Love suggested that the adoption of this mo? tion carried the original with it, the mover withdrew his motion. Capt. Robinson favored the joint com? mittee, because he thought it would give the advantage of consultation, which would result more satisfactorily, and the action from the various States would be more harmonious. Col. Thompson favored the joint com? mittee, for this was one enterprise, and should be considered by a committee from all interested in its success. It was an indivisible undertaking, and ought to be so treated. The speaker then adverted to the report of which Judge Reed had spoken, and said that this move was not a selfish one. No man in the present movement was connected with the pres? ent Blue Ridge Railroad, and all were working for their own and their country's good in advancing this attempt to further its construction. As to Charleston's ig? norance upon this subject, he could only say it w:is her own fault. She had been invited to Walhalla and Knoxville and other points in the interests of this road, and if she had stayed at borne, while other places were active, she could only blame herself for being more ignorant of this enterprise than other Southern States. He said that the remarks of his friend from Charleston (Mr. Walker) that Judge Reed was the one who was not awake were incorrect, for he had never been asleep on railroad matters, and he ventured the assertion that his young friend would not be here to-day but for the influence of his friend, Judge Reed. He favored Prof. Smith's amend? ment. Maj. Cannon wanted separate reports, for he wished to see what each State was willing to do. The committees might meet together, but ought to report sepa? rately. AN IMPORTANT TELEGRAM. Dr. Love stated that an important tele? gram had just been received, and asked unanimous consent to have it read. The request being granted, Col. McAdoo read the following: Nashville, March 30,1876. To W. 0. McAdoo: We expect to commence survey of road to State line in April, and can complete building of road beyond doubt upon guarantee of connection at State line. ?ur people in earnest, but everything depends upon Southern end of the line. Urge prompt action. W. MORROW, President. This telegram from Dr. Morrow, who is State Treasurer of Tennessee, and President of the Tennessee end of the Blue Ridge R. R., and together with Messrs. O'Connor and Cherry owns the line in that State, elecited warm applause, and seemed to impart a new enthusiasm to the delegates of the Convention. Mr. Walker then obtained the floor, and replied to Col. Thompson's speech by saying that he wished the people to understand Charleston's true position in this matter. She had spent years and millions of money in the partial construc? tion of this road, and was to-day terri? bly taxed on this debt, for which she had neT<;r received any profit, and it behooves her to look carefully into this movement before she further commits herself. He wanted separate committees to report from the other States to ascertain what they were willing to do, that Charleston may act intelligently upon the applica? tion to unite in this effort to build the road. Prof. Smith then withdrew his amend? ment, and Mr. Hoyt offered the follow? ing substitute, which was adopted: Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed from the several States rep? resented to report to this Convention upon the condition and future prospects ot the Blue Ridge Railroad. The following is the committee appoin? ted under this resolution: Prof. C. D. Smith and Dr. W. L. Love, N. C.; Cols. R. I. Wilson and W. G. McAdoo, Tenn.; Col. H. W. Cannon, Ga.; and Messrs. G. R. Walker and J. A. Hoyt, S. C. The President and Mr. Louis Zimmer were, upon motion, added to the com? mittee. Upon motion of Maj. John B. Moore, it was Resolved, That when the Convention adjourns it stands adjourned to meet at 7i o'clock p. m., for the purpose of meet? ing the ladies and gentlemen of Anderson in mass meeting, to listen to addresses upon the subject of the Blue Ridge Rail? road. Hon. J. S. Murray moved the appoint? ment of a committee of three to select speakers, reserving the privilege of hav? ing other addresses after the regular pro? gramme is concluded, which was adopted, and Messrs. Murray, Thompson and Greer were appointed upon the committee. Upon motion of Mr. Walker, represen? tatives of the press were invited to seats upon the floor of the Convention. The Convention then adjourned to meet at 7i p. m. for the purpose of hold? ing a mass meeting. an enthusiastic meeting?splendid speeches and large audience. At the appointed hour, a large number of the ladies and gentlemen of Anderson assembled in the Court House to hear addresses from distinguished gentlemen from abroad upon the subject of the Blue Ridge Railroad, which is a theme of great interest in this place. The Court House was crowded with the grace, beauty and intelligence of the town, and many of the business men who were unable to attend the morning session of the Con? vention were present to hear the words of cheer to be spoken in furtherance of this great, enterprise. The President called the meeting to order, and Col. F. E. Harrison, President of the Hartwell and Augusta Railroad, and Maj. G. W. Maret, a Director of the said Road, were invited to seats and the privileges of the Convention. The President then announced that the meeting would proceed with the pro? gramme for the evening, as furnished by the committee to secure speakers, and introduced Col. McAdoo, who addressed the meeting as follows: Ladies and Genelemen: I cannot attempt to make a speech to you upon this occasion. I must content myself with saying a few words to you relative to the great enterprise which has brought us together. I am not in the habit of making speeches to mixed assemblies, and especially I am not accustomed to speaking before the ladies. Being a law? yer, I am very diffident, and am only accustomed to addressing courts and juries. I am sure that you will agree with me that brevity is a very good maxim, and therefore I will only say a few things about the Knoxville and Charleston Railroad, which was con? ceived and agitated by the pqpple of this State forty years ago. Sixteen miles of this road is completed, at a cost of nearly one million dollars, in the State of Ten? nessee, and has been forfeited to the State and sold into the hands of three men, Dr. Morrow, and Messrs. O'Connor and Cherry, who now own it. I come, from that country, and am authorized to say that they are ready and willing to make the road to the North Carolina line, and from consultation with gentle? men from North Carolina am at)le to state that it will be carried to the Georgia line. It will also be carried from this end to meet it, I hope, and in this way this great projected railroad will be com? pleted before long. I am sure the road will be built, but cannot say definitely how. long it will be before it is done. There is a spirit moving the people to this end, which will impel them to push it forward with vigor to its speedy com? pletion. This is a railroad age. I was scarcely aware of the feeling which would come over me in connection with this project, until I attended a meeting at Murphy, N. C, last year, which is about seventy miles from any railroad. It was a new feeling for me, and I was impressed by the eager sentiments of these people, and I am determined to lend my efforts to the building of this road. I yield the floor to others, who will be more enter? taining than I have been. [Applause.] Maj. H. W. Cannon, of Rabun County, Ga., was next introduced, and said: Mr. President, Ladies and Gen? tlemen: I am before you to-night in the interest of the Blue Ridge Railroad. I have spent the day pleasantly in your midst, and am glad to have the opportu? nity of meeting you to-night. Whenever the Blue Ridge Railroad is mentioned I feel like the little boy whose parents were accustomed to having frequent quarrels over a bunch of yarn. After some time these quarrels ceased, and the little boy said one day: "Mother, I wish you would take down that bunch of yarn." His mother asked him why. "Because," he replied, "I glory in a row." I like to hear this question agitated, because I glory in a railroad row, and am here to? night for the purpose of having one. This is one of my pet questions, and I think I feel a deeper interest in this movement than any one who hears me to-night. In 1851, the late Gen. Coffee and I spent many hours looking over various railroad charters, and finally drew and passed this charter in Georgia. I was one of its originators, and hence I cherish it. It is like the lost sou who was thought to be dead .and afterwards returned. Even so I rejoice at the revi? val of this road, and hope it will yet live. I am proud to be here to-night, and would leave your city of Anderson with pain if nothing is done to advance this object. We have about nine or eleven hundred penitentiary convicts in Geor ?ia, and we are liberal with them. We o not know what to .do with them. Some persons wanted to rent an island to put them on and have them surroun dea by water to prevent escape, but this having failed, they are in the charge of the Governor, who is authorized to hire thein out at an average of eleven dollars a year. The Marietta and Georgia Rail? road used a large number of these con? victs, and became largely indebted to the State for them, but the Legislature forgave them the debt and two hundred and fifty hands for one year. The peo Sle of Rabun are poor, but are willing to o what they can for this road. We can Set the convicts to work upon it. I have elped the road in the past, by furnish? ing labor and materials, to the amount of five hundred dollars, and lost it all, but am willing to give to it again. The litigation is embarrassing, but we should !et rid of it and go on with the work, 'here is another project on foot for us, however, and if you cannot and will not help to built the road to your State, we will have to go by Athens, for there is a road now being built in that direction. This is my favorite route, hut our people must have n road in some direction, and if they cannot get this, they will have to take the other. Prof. C. D. Smith was next introduced, and said: Mb. President, Ladies and Gen? tlemen : If I had been consulted, I should not have spoken to-night. I was in a committee room until dark, and con? sequently am disqualified for speaking to a mass meeting. All that I shall say will be in reference to the road as a business enterprise. It is one thing to build the Blue Ridge Road and another to furnish it with freights. I apprehend that no capitalist would invest in its construction without knowing about the dividends he would be likely to receive from it. It is therefore important in enlisting capital and making a success of building of this road, to show that it will have a business which will pay after it is built. Railroad statistics show that no road pays where freights only go over it in one direction. This is a great draw back upon the pros? perity of the Georgia Railroad. I have seen as many as fifteen or twenty trains going back to Chattanooga empty. This, of course, reduces the income of the road. The completion of this road from Charleston to Cincinnati will secure large freight lists, pointing each way over the entire line. The bringing of Western produce to this country will secure freights in this direction, and the return of supplies to that country will secure an equally good business in the other direc? tion ; besides, there will be a large amount of way freights in both directions. Ra bun, Macon, Swayne, Jackson, Heyward, Clay, Cherokee and Graham Counties is a region of country which abounds in more varieties of minerals of use than any other section of our country. In Cherokee County there is a brown iron ore ef high per cent., and a pure lime? stone. In East Tennessee the iron is mixed with magnesian limestone. It is freer and better for flexing, and better] when extracted than the iron usually j met with in trade. It has been tested in a common forge under the direction of the Board of Trade of Cincinnati, and is reported upon as being equal to the best Swede iron. We have also a magnetic ore which is capable of being used profit? ably. I was for some time employed by an iron factory of Rome, Georgia, which used an ore from the West, and I am satisfied we have ores of just as good quality with us. The product of iron of the Lake Superior district was computed at seven millions of dollars, and the yield of copper at seven millions of dollars, also. It has been estimated that Chero? kee County can furnish one-fourth of this amount of iron, and the remaining counties one-seventh of the copper. The transportation of this product alone will give a large amount of freight to the road. We have corundum in large quantities, besides sapphires, rubies and the oriental topaz. We have manganese, which is used largely in the arts. We have large beds of mica which would serve many practical purposes, and chrome suitable for being used to many advantages. We have granite in quanti? ties of the very best quality for building, besides slates, which promise a good yield to the splitter for roofing, &c. There is also a fine soapstone, suitable for the manufacture of the finest china. It is also found to be the very best article for tips to gas burners, and is now being worked and wagoned for seventy or eighty miles, and then shipped north for manu- I facture. We have also a valuable timber growth. There are the cherry, black I walnut, birch, white oak, chesnut and I black locust. I have seen a black walnut tree that is twelve feet in the girth and eighty feet to its first limb; a cherry six-1 teen feet in the girth and sixty feet to its I first limb, and a birch twelve feet in the j girth. These things come in to ensure [ freights, and render this connection desi rable. There is also a very fine product of fruits in this country?especially ap? ples. I found a man from Kansas who was hunting a country in which he would be Becure from the ravages of grass hop? pers, aud he wants specimens of our fruits sent to the Centennial for exhibition to the world. Our dairy farms are another profitable resource of our people. Cheese is made by keeping milk on ice for the over night in order to keep it perfectly Eure and fresh, but up in our country we ave such cold springs that ice would not be necessary. These things, with our mut? ton, beef, wool, mules and horses, will furnish freights, also. Those who build this road will have one of the best paying trunk roads in the country, and will re? ceive good dividends. We have the finest water power, and there is no reason to prevent our country from becoming a manufacturing country, and noted espe? cially for the manufacture of the finest agricultural implements. The develop? ment of the resources of our country will greatly increase and diversify the freights of this road. If completed, the Blue Ridge line will be without competition for seventy or eighty miles on each side, and this, of itself, will ensure it to be a profitable road to its owners. Here the speaker entered into statistics in detail, to show that upon an average the Southern and Western roads pay a better dividend on their capital stock than the Northern roads do, and gave facts and figures to prove his proposition. He then continued: Of late years there has been a tendency to change the shipment of Western pro? ducts from the Northern to the Southern cities, and on this account the trade of. New York with this section has decreased. The effort to hurry up and rush the coun? try into specie payments is intended to force the South to make cotton for the North. It is a struggle for independence, and every road from the Northwest to the South Atlantic is a blow in favor of the South. Charleston, Port Royal and Savannah are interested in securing the benefits to arise f.om the construction of such a road. The cotton of the South is due to physical forces, and its culture cannot be given up. Men may change a government, but they cannot change nature. The productions of a country depend upon its soil, climate and altitude, and it has been found that the South makes by far the best cotton in the world, I and it is useless to speak of giving up the culture of this crop, for it cannot be done. It is the natural product of this section, and if this people will only do their whole duty, they will rise from their present troubles and make this land of ours free and independent. In view of the efforts for a union between the West and South lines, cutting the mountains diagonally, are most to be desired. Let us unite in our efforts to build this line, and if you will come up to the State line we will strike hands with you across the J mountains, and weave for our country a chaplet of rubies, sapphires and gems. Mr. G. R. Walker, of Charleston, was next introduced, and spoke as follows: Mr. President, Ladies and Gen? tlemen : It is not fair to you or to me that I should speak without notice, for you will have to hear while I speak. My colleague was to make this speech, but his courage has oozed out at his fin? gers ends, and he refuses to speak. He was speaking all the way up yesterday, and last night he was calling out "ladies and gentlemen" so vociferously that I had to chloroform him. I must there? fore make this speech, for Charleston must not fail to speak when called upon, and I have this advantage, you cannot see my blushes in the dim light.to-night. Evidently the reason why the Israelites wander is they have not found the true land of milk and honey. I have no such things to offer from grand old Charleston. Charleston is deeply interested in this movement?more deeply than is dis? played. This road is Charleston's first love, and although jilted, yet she wants to return to her old love as soon as she is satisfied there arc open arms to receive j her. This is a very great enterprise for I Charleston, and she will aid you in its construction when you are able to help yourselves. Her people have already given two million dollars, and are now heavily taxed upon the debt. We can? not allow these benefits to be turned to other quarters after having paid so much for it in the past. Ladies, you must wake up your husbands. I sympathize with the man who wanted you here to-night. He knows how it is to knuckle to his wife, and he shows that he listens to the advice of his wife. I know how this is myself, also. Horace Greely wrote a book called "What I know about farm? ing," and many persons thought him a fool. If I should undertake to tell you what I know about railroads I might be one myself, but I.hope you will be more charitable than to call me one. Several years ago I lived at a junction where several hundred trains passed each other every day. Since that time the number has increased to thousands. Then Lon? don and Croitcm were thirteen miles apart. Since then the intervening space has been built up until you cannot tell where London ends and Croiton begins. This great growth of London has been principally since the time of railroads. Omaha, Chicago, and even New York, are illustrations in our own country of the powerful advantages of railroads to a place. We have a country as fine; why may she not be as great and prosperous as any in the world? No one can answer otherwise than that it is by indolence. Wake up the men! We of Charleston will act from selfish motives in this rail? road movement, and we ask you to do the same. Your first duty is to your? selves. I have heard Tim. Hurley and other South Carolina legislators say this. Do your duty to yourselves and we will do our duty to ourselves in this enter Srise, and by so doing we will do our uty to our country also. Dr. W. L. Love, of Franklin, N. C, was next introduced, and said: Mb. President, Ladies and Gen? tlemen: I hesitate a little to address you this evening, and would not do so but for the purpose of acknowledging the compliment paid me by your invitation. I am from Franklin, North Carolina, which town is directly on the line of this road, and would like to make some state? ments relative to the practicability of the Blue Ridge Road. I am aware of the fact that men not in the habit of visiting the mountains believe a road cannot be built across them without a series of im? mense cuts and fills. This is a mistake, for there are roads going through these mountains which select the gaps and run through the valleys. One of the most remarkable of these passes is the Rabun Gap, where the intended Blue Ridge Railroad is to one day pass. There is not that great difficulty imagined in the construction of this road. It is about three thousand feet above tide water. Before and behind it is a level plain, with waters a few feet from each other, running in opposite directions, while on each side are high mountains. There is no point at which this range can be passed without tunneling except at these gaps or passes, and at none of them so easily as at the Rabun Gap. When you get to this gap it is level and lower than the surrounding country. There is a swamp right in the center of the gap, and you will have to run the road along the side of the mountain some eight feet above the level of the gap. The difficul? ties of the construction of this road lie entirely on this side of this gap in the mountains in this State and Georgia. If it could be built to the gap it woald be but little time until it would be com? pleted. As I have said before I live in the mountains, and I am proud of my home. It is in a beautiful valley, which must be seen to be appreciated. If you think this country is a rough, craggy region without roads you are mistaken, for such is not the case. There is in it a clear stream, running through beautiful and wide spreading meadows, without a water-fall for miles, and then there is a fall with power enough to turn most of the machinery in New England. You have heard something of our fruit crop, and may be surprised to hear that in a year of a full crop not one-tenth of the fruit is gathered or shipped. The re? mainder is wasted and goes back to en? rich the soil. The difficulty is, as I have said, in this State and Georgia, and we hope at this meeting to take a long step towards overcoming these difficulties. The difficulty of money is very great, but it is not the chief one. If we had capital we could not build the road without maturing our plans. The other difficulty is the unfriendly look and the unkind speech. This is very damaging to any enterprise. Let the people all agree to endorse an enterprise, and you will see how rapidly it will move along, but let one-third oppose any enterprise and two thirds even favor it and it will drag. Every one should endorse this road, and this opposition should be met. I heard once of an old bachelor who told his ser? vant to prepare a goose for his dinner. When he came to dinner he found that one leg of his goose was gone. He in? quired of John how this happened, and was told that the goose did not have but one leg. For this falsehood his master flogged him. On the next day they were driving, and came across a flock of geese, which were standing on one foot. John said to his master that he had flogged him unjustly, for the goose he had cooked the day before was one of that kind of geese. When they reached the point where the geese were standing the master threw out his hand and said shoo, and of course the geese put down both feet. John then said, "But master you did not say shoo to that goose yesterday." Now we have been appealing to the men, and I want to appeal to the ladies, too. If you know of any one who opposes this road just say shoo to them. This will be one of the best paying roads in the coun? try when it is built. If your husbands oppose this road just say shoo to them, and by then you say this twice they will come down in favor of the road. Young ladies if any of those young meu, who, you know what you expect them to be one day, say anything in opposition to this road just say to them that it is an enterprise which was inaugurated by the patriots of South Carolina for the good of your State. Just say shoo to them, and if you will make the young men and old men come down with both feet in favor of this road you can build it, and we will meet you at the line. Col. R. I. Wilson, of Blount County, East Tennessee, being introduced, said: Mb. Pbesidext, Ladies and Gen? tlemen : I thought my name had been left off, and as it has not, I am left at great disadvantage in having to speak now, for we have already had an address from a representative of the bar and pulpit, and we have been addressed by a gentleman from London, who stopped a while in Charleston on his way up to the Convention. If we had a few such con? ventions as this in the mountains, we would soon build the road, for we would furnish the ladies with a nice little stove, and give the gentlemen spades and picks and put them to work. I do not "propose saying much to you to-night, for I do not think it necessary, as Col. McAdoo says that Tennessee will come to the North Carolina line in building this road, and Dr. Love says that they will carry it to the Georgia line, and Col. Cannon says they will bring up the penitentiary gen? tlemen from Atlanta, and make them fill up that gap in the mountains eight feet, so that Dr. Love can find a place to lay the road without cutting off the side of the mountains to keep out of the swamps, and will bring the road on to South Car? olina, and then you all will come up from South Carolina* and punch a hole in Stump House Mountain, and we will have the work done. Of course, this meeting will accomplish something, for we have sent the longest kind of a dele? gation from Tennessee and Georgia in our Chairman, Col. McAdoo and Col. Cannon. It would not take many such to make a road to the North Carolina line. Our people made one omission, however, in the selection of its delegation, and left out an important interest. They have sent none but married men on their dele? gations to this point, although the young people are as much interested as any in a railroad, for it is a fine courting ma? chine, as it makes so much fuss that peo? ple cannot hear what is being said by those who are around. I was once on a courting expedition on a train, and there was a bald-headed preacher who was be hind me that looked like he had one of the kind of wives that the gentleman from Charleston says he has. Railroads dive into all sorts of thing3. They culti? vate our social relations, and improve our country. We used to carry our girls on horseback behind us to church, &c. Then came the stage, and carriages, and buggies, and last the railroad. We do not intend to make a business enterprise only of this. The two sections of our country will not be fully united until our boys come over to see your girls, and vice versa. We have various lines of road now in different stages of completion, to connect Knoxville with the West, so all that is needed to finish our railroad sys? tem is the building of this road. I have to traveled over three hundred miles to get here, when the distance is much less. If this road were built, you could buy corn for not more than sixty cents per bushel, for it is selling at forty-two cents per bushel in Tennessee, and the freight would make it something less than sixty cents here. If we lie idle about build? ing this road, our own interests will suf? fer, and those of our children, also. We have assurances that if this end of the road can be built it will all be completed soon. Judge J. P. Reed was next introduced as a distinguished gentleman from Charleston, S. C, and spoke as fol? lows : Me. President, Ladies and Gen? tlemen : I am sure my name should not have been on this list of speakers, for this people have been accustomed to hear me in years gone by nearly every night upon the subject of railroads, and since that time frequently upon other subjects. I have been connected with railroads for nearly forty years. In 1833, I was present at the celebration of the completion of the South Carolina Rail? road from Charleston to Augusta. It was built on stilts, with thin, flat iron rails. Its engines had little boilers about like wash kettles, and the cars were some? thing like the ambulance wagons of this day. This road was the second and long? est road in the world?a short experi? mental road having been constructed a short time previous to this in England. Soon after the completion of this road, a grand through trunk was projected from Charleston to Cincinnati long before the Baltimore and Ohio, or any other road to the West, was contemplated. A conven? tion was held in Knoxville in 1836 in the interest of this movement, and was largely attended by such representative men as Calhoun, Hayne, Preston and others of National reputation. Mr. Cal? houn procured the survey of the Rabun Gap route, which is the same as present Blue Ridge, and great efforts were made to effect its completion. A company was organized, and Governor Hayne was made president. A short time afterwards, how? ever, he died, and for a time nothing was done. After three or four years this road was extended from Branchville to Colum? bia. Here it remained for some time. The next thing was the origination in 1844 of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad, at one terminus of which we are to-night. It was chartered in 1845. In 1846 efforts were made to raise fifty thousand dollars, the amount of capital stock required under the charter. Only thirty five thousand dollars was raised. Laurens County only gave five hundred dollar*. In the fall there was a meeting at Greenville which decided to allow the stock holders to locate their own road, and under this arrangement iu 1847, the requisite stock was more than raised in Anderson and Abbeville Counties. An? derson gave one hundred and fifty thou sand and Abbeville two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I attended bar? becues from Columbia up to this point, and made speeches in favor of this road almost every day. From my experience in building that road, I think I know what is necessary to build this road. .You arc pursuing the right course in discuss? ing this matter, and keeping its impor? tance before the people by frequent meet? ings. All that you have to do to insure ultimate success is to keep the ball in motion. I think I can safely say that it will be proposed to hold a convention in Charleston some time soon, then another in the mountains iu the summer, then at Knoxville and Chitwood, and possibly at Cincinnati. By thus stirring up the spirit of the people in this enterprise, tnere can be no sort of doubt that the undertaking will be a success. The en? thusiasm will run from the seaboard across the mountains to the lakes, and the road will be built. Mr. Calhoun was. right in selecting this route, for men have not been captured from it by a rival route to the East. The love of the. men of South Carolina .is here, and if aroused Charleston will do her whole duty. If she were to give one-fourth of her whole property to this road, she would be reim bursed in one year by the increase in her population and business, to say nothing of the increased value of her property. The arguments of Dr. Love and Prof. Smith show the road will pay, and if it is once completed to Knoxville, it is sure to go on to Chicago. Cincinnati has al? ready voted six million dollars to increas? ing her Southern connection, and a part of this amount is to go to this line. Cap? italists must see that it will pay. If com? pleted, the Port Royal road will be built, and thereby the road to Charleston will be shortened some seventy or eighty miles, and connection given to Port Roy? al, Savannah and Augusta. It will give a competing line to this place, and the return freignts will give the West its trop? ical fruits and supplies. It will be ? nearer, better and cheaper route to the sea for the people of Tennessee aud the Northwest. Although our people are poor, if this subject is properly presented to them they can raise the money. It will never do to regard the word fail. If. this meeting is in earnest it will succeed. There was State aid given to the Green? ville and Columbia Railroad, but the State is now poorer than the people, but if we have the principles of Carolinians, we should wish to see this country built up. If we cannot see it completed our? selves we should wish to leave it in a prosperous condition for our children. The appointed speakers having conclu? ded, the President announced that it would be in order to have any other re? marks that might be offered, and Col. E. M. Ruckcr was vociferously called for but declined making any remarks, as he had come out not to speak but to bear? not to give, but to receive light?and did not wish to attempt to add anything to what had already been so well said. . Capt. J. L. Robinson was called for, and responded : Mr. President, Ladies and Gen? tlemen : I think there is some mistake about this. I should have been pleased to have remained a quiet spectator in your meeting, and at your call nave only risen to make my bow in acknowledgment of the compliment. If I could add a word to what has already been said to increase the momentum of this enterprise I would gladly do it. If I could devise any scheme which would be advantageous to business matter at last, and it resolves it? self into the simple question will it pay. We have already been shown that it must pay, and therefore its construction should be accomplished. I had the honor of suggesting by letter to the meeting in Walhalla that the crime of our country ;is is a should be utilized in building this rail? road. Can South Carolina do anything in this direction, or are her legislators too closely connected by tics of affinity or consanguinity to the criminals of this State? Tne cnminals should be kindly treated, but should be made useful to society. The citizens of Anderson were upon motion invited to be present at the morn? ing session of the Convention, and the meeting adjourned to assemble again at 11 a. m., on Friday morning. second day's proceedings. The Convention met at 11 a. m. pursu? ant to the adjournment of the previous evening, and the minutes of both meet? ings of the previous day were read and adopted. The President then called for the reports of committees, whereupon Judge Reed submitted the following re? port, which was adopted: The committee appointed at a Conven? tion held in the interest of the Blue Ridge Railroad at Knoxville, Tennessee, in January last, under the following reso tion, to wit: "Resolved, That J. P. Reed and R. A. Thompson, of South Carolina; C. D. Smith and James L. Robinson, of North Carolina; R. I. Wilson and B. B. Lenoir, of Tennessee, be, and they are hereby, constituted a committee, whose duty it shall be to confer with the companies or individuals owning the sections of the Blue Ridge Road, within their respective States, on the subject of consolidating their several interests and organizing a" new company for the ownership and management of the entire line from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Anderson, South Carolina, and to ascertain upon what basis and terms said new company may be organized. Said committee shall report the result of their conferences to an adjourned meeting of this Conven? tion to be held at Anderson, on the 30th day of March next," Have discharged the duty assigned them, as far as practicable under the existing state of things, and beg leave respectfully to report: That a link in the chain of the contem Slated road, extending from the city of 'noxville, in the State of Tennessee, to the town of Maryville, in the same State ?a distance of sixteen miles?is com? pleted and in successful operation. This link, your committee have satisfactory assurances, can be consolidated on most favorable terms, with the entire line, upon the organization of a new company looking to completion within any reason? able period. The original charter, for the extension of the road through the State of North Carolina, was repealed by the Legisla? ture a few years ago, but a new one, covering the same ground, has been granted to a company under the name of "The Rabun Gap Short Line Railway Company," which has been regularly organized; and, at a meeting of the Pres? ident and Directors held at Franklin, North Carolina, on the 27th instant, the following resolution was unanimously adopted: "Resolved, By the Board of Directors of the Rabun Gap Short Line Railray Company, that, if a consolidation of the different companies, constituting the line from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Anderson, South Carolina, shall be essential to suc? cessful arrangements for the early com? pletion of said line, that this company will, when desired, authorize the proper officer or officers to sign a contract for consolidation, upon such terms as will be reasonable, just and equitable to said company, and the other companies in? terested." The charter originally granted by the State of Georgia remains intact, as con? solidated with the Blue Ridge Railroad in South Carolina, and will pass under any transfer or assignment of the latter. The only hindrance, therefore, to an immediate consolidation of the several links from Anderson to Knoxville exists in the State of South Carolina. Here, as is well known, the company is involved in a litigation that has already been" pro? tracted beyond all reasonable expecta? tion, and it is impossible to say certainly when it will be ended. This portion of the line, together with its existing fran? chises in the other States, was sold under an adjudication in bankruptcy, in the fall of 1874; and was purchased for the bondholders of the mortgage bonds; and it was hoped that by this proceeding the contest would be ended, and an opportu? nity offered for a new company to get Eossession and proceed to its construction, ut your committee are advised that, under an allegation of irregularity in the sale made, a new proceeding has been instituted in the United States Circuit Court, seeking to set aside the entire proceedings in bankruptcy, under which the sale was' made, and to remand the property to the trustees, acting under the original mortgage deed, for an early sale. However this may be, it is confidently believed that the litigation will be in some way terminated at the approaching April term of the United States Court; and that during the ensuing summer or fall an opportunity will be offered to acquire perfect title to this property, when the entire line to Knoxville can be readily consolidated. Your committee therefore recommend the adoption of the following resolutions: Resolved, That it is of the highest im? portance that the effort which was initia? ted at Walhalla in November last, and followed up by the Convention at Knox? ville, and the present Convention at this place, should be kept prominently before the people; and that a persistent effort be made during the ensuing summer and fall to enlighten the understanding, and enlist the sympathy and cooperation of the people from Charleston toKnoxville, Cincinnati and Chicago, in favor of this grand national enterprise in which we are earnestly engaged. Resolved, That a Conventiou of the friends of this great enterprise Be held in the city of Charleston on Thursday, the 25th day of May next, and that the sev? eral cities, towns, villages and counties interested therein be requested to send delegates to the said Convention. Resolved, That the delegates in this Convention from the city of Charleston be requested to bring the proposed Con? vention in that city to the attention of the authorities and people represented by them; and-make the requisite arrange? ments for its assembling and accommo? dation. Resolved, That, in the meantime and until otherwise ordered, the committee appointed at Knoxville, to inquire and report as to the practicability of consoli? dating under one company the line of road from Anderson to Knoxville, be continued, with leave to report to the Convention to be held in Charleston. Upon motion of Maj. John B. Moore, Mr. G. R, Walker was added to the com? mittee, which was continued under the last resolution. Prof. C. D. Smith then submitted the following report, which was adopted: Your committee appointed to procure information for the action of this Con? vention have elicited and submit the following: As to that portion of the line of this great enterprise lying within the borders of the State of Tennessee, the subjoined telegram from the President, Dr. W. Morrow, speaks for itself, and needs no comment at our hands: "Nashville, March 30,1876. W. G. McAdoo : We expect to com? mence survey of road to State line (of N. Carolina) in April, and can complete building road upon guarantee of connec? tion at State line. Our people are in earnest, but every thing depends on South? ern end of the line. Urge prompt action. W. MORROW, Pres." On the central portion of the line, ly? ing within the State of North Carolina, we have assurances which we think satis? factory fur the grading of that portion of the line south of Franklin, or for an equal or greater amount of work north? ward in the direction of Tennessee. Owing to the light character of the work in this State, (North Carolina,) lying I wholly in the valley of the Tennessee, I with an average grade of less than twenty feet per mile, and no where exceeding forty, we feel authorized to say to this Convention, that this enterprise shall not Aiil on the link in North Carolina. In Georgia a large per centage of the grading, masonry and tunneling has been1 accomplished, including the passage of the Blue Ridge. As to the residue of the work in Georgia, we are advised that convict labor can, in all probability, be procured from the State for its comple? tion. Of this we think there is but little doubt. In South Carolina the pending litiga? tion is embarrassing, but your committee arc of opiuion that, by judicious man? agement, this obstacle may be removed. With its removal,* we see no reason why work should not be resumed at an early day ; and with more than thirty miles of running road in good orderj and a large per centage of the work finished between Walhalla and the Georgia State, line at Chattooga River, ample means can be ?secured for the completion of the line to that point. If your committee should be in error in any of the hopeful views herein set forth, they are fully pursuaded that the city of Charleston, having done so much in the construction of the most costly part of this enterprise, cannot and will not permit the diversion of the line at Rabun Gap to other cities and other ports than her own. Inaugurated by Calhoun, Hayne, GnrnKny Frost and others, this great enterprise fern which* they predicted such grandeur and- pros? perity for the old "City by tfne Sea," i* still deeply enshrined in the hearts of her citizens, and cannot and will not be abandoned by ber. In conclusion, after reviewing the* whole field and feeling deeply sensible of the magnitude of this enterprise, your committee deem it advisable that, more permanent arrangements be made to se? cure concerted action in the progress of the work, and to this end we recommend the adoption of the following resolution: Resolved^ That an executive committee consisting, of five be appointed by the President of this Convention, whose duty it shall be to procure information in re? gard to the various interests involved in the Blue Ridge Railroad enterprise, and report from time to time to adjourned meetings of this Convention. Respectfullv submitted, C. *D. SMITH, Chm'n. Under this resolution the following committee was appointed: Messrs. R. A. Thompson, J. A. Hoyt, Jos. N. Brown, 0. H. P. Fant and Geo. A. Trenholm. Col. R. A. Thompson offered the fol? lowing resolutions, which were adopted; Resolved, That Committees be appoin? ted to inquire and report to the Conven? tion to assemble in Charleston: 1st, ont the character of the soil, climate and' productions; 2nd, on the timbers and mineral resources; 3rd, and on distances to, and with the connections of, the Blue Ridge Railrord. And that this duty be confided to 0. P. Temple and Adrian Terry, of Tennessee; C. D, Smith, W. L. Love and Louis Zimmer, of North Carolina; J. J. Norton and J. A. Hoyt. of South Carolina; H. W. Cannon and. J. M. Quillian, of Georgia. Resolved, That a committee of fiver consisting of S. Y. Tupper, W. L. Tren? holm, F. W. Dawson, Henry Gourdim and J. P. Reed be appointed to report upon the advantages to accrue from the: completion of the Blue Ridge Railroad] on the various States connected by and interested therein. Capt. J. L. Robinson offered the fol? lowing resolutions, which were unani? mously adopted, the latter being put to. the Convention by himself: Resolved, That the thanks of this Con? vention are due, and are hereby tendered,, the various railroad lines for courtesies shown delegates over their several lines;: and, also, in an eminent degree to the citizens of Anderson for the generous hospitality extended to the delegates in this Convention. Resolved, That the thanks of this body are returned to the President of this Con? vention for the impartial and able man? ner in which he has discharged the duties of his position. Also, to the very effi? cient Secretaries and reporters for the faithful discharge of their several duties. The President then returned thanks to the Convention for its consideration, and said he should have preferred the vote of thanks not to have passed, for it imposed the duty of responding to it in a'speech. He said: t hazard nothing in assuring you that whatever measures may be adopted in furtherance of this road, the people of Tennessee will sympathize and co-operate with them. East Tennessee has one road from Chattanooga to Bristol as efficiently,, justly and economically managed as any in the country. It has done and is doing all that could be expected of it, but our Eople feel the necessity for a competing le to the Southern seaboard. We want a direct short line. Our interests de? mand it. The products of our soil, the spirit of our people and the resources of our country demand it. For some parts, of East Tennessee this is the best line that can be built. It is true we have a large and influential part of our citizens who do not take much interest in this, enterprise, and look at us as rather fanat? ical. Their interests lie in other chan? nels, and they desire to see the country developed in these respects. I am satis? fied that we will continue to work and increase an interest in this enterprise. We had only a generalization of the sub? ject in Knoxville on the 20th of January. I do not know how this meeting will affect the people, but I expect something to be gained by its proceediegs. I appre? hend they will inspire confidence in some minds at least. I have promised to use my influence to cause a delegation to be sent from Knoxville to meet you in Charleston. I trust the time is not far distant when we -shall go to Dr. Love's and Prof. Smith's, and come over to the bar of Charleston to celebrate the com? pletion of this enterprise? The Convention then adjourned to meet in Charleston on the 25th of May next. ? ? It is said that Orvil Grant's deepest regret is that he was not born twins; for he could then have mado just twice as much money through his distinguished relationship. ? The grand jury has reported that nearly $2,000 of the funds of Chester County are at present unavailable on ac? count of the failure of the South Carolina Bank and Trust Company, and has re? commended that steps be taken at once for the recovery of the amount ? Ex-Governor Joseph E". Brown, of Georgia, said a lew days since in the course of a speech before a body of visi? tors from Cincinnati: "I am glad this war is over, and I want it understood that I am opposed to the next civil war, and 1 am not afraid of tho next foreign war." ? It is understood that General Sher? man will probably remove his headquar? ters to Washington again, and that he will, as General of tho Army, have onco more the control of tho Adjutant Gener? al's Department, with which he will probably be content, as this gives him the proper military control of the detail and discipline of the army. ? Mr. Blaine loses no opportunity to enhance'his Presidential prospects. His latest experiment in that direction was the entertainment at lunch at his resi? dence of a number of colored ministers from Southern >tates, who had attended a religious conference at Baltimore and were on their way home. Delegates to the Cincinnati Convention are the men Blaine is after, and he takes them wher? ever he can lind them.