The Abbeville Press And Banner

The New Iron Road.

Last week we mentioned the proposed new railroad connection with the West, and again we ask the attention of our readers to this matter. We presume that all are convinced of the necessity of this road, and it only remains for our people to act in concert and with the determination to succeed. The Augusta and Greenwood road can be used in common for more than forty miles and by a combination of Lowndesville and Calhoun's the money can readily be raised to finish the road. The Greenwood road will eventually be built to Laurens and Spartanburg which will give Augusta a road more important than any now running into that city.

The Spartanburg and Asheville road is being pushed forward with great energy and perhaps thirty miles is now in running condition, and President Duncan thinks he will scale the mountains in less than a year from this time. Let the road be finished by Calhoun's Mills and Lowndesville to Anderson, and then with a little help the Blue Ridge road can be completed, which will give Augusta another equally important road, and at the same time build up the finest portion of Abbeville county. By the Lowndesville section going in partnership with the Greenwood enterprise forty or fifty miles could be built for a small cost to each, and then with some further assistance from Augusta Lowndesville could finish it to that town when those on the line of the route to Anderson could easily carry it forward to that point.

The stock of the company should be made receivable in payment of passage or freight. This plan has been adopted in some of the States with wonderful success. For instance if a merchant or other person owes a bill for freight, he should be allowed to pay a portion of the bill in his stock at par. Of course no railroad could pay running expenses if the whole was paid in stock, and to keep the road in running condition a portion, say two-thirds or three-fourths of the passage or freight bill should be paid in money. By making the stock receivable for part of any amount due the road much larger subscriptions could be secured for the enterprise, and the builders of the road would be made perfectly secure against a possible loss, while the business on this plan would be greatly augmented. All things being any way near equal, the stockholders would, as a matter of interest, patronize the road in which they were so much interested.

Let all stockholders have the privilege of paying twenty-five per cent. of any bill they may owe the road, in the subscribed stock, and in our opinion the money to build the road can be easily raised. The last convention which met in Augusta seemed to favor the Georgia side of the river for the location of the road, but we can beat them out of it easily enough. In the first place we can raise more money than they can, and in the next place the road can be built much cheaper on our side of the river-especially if the combination is made with the Greenwood road, as it should be.

Two things are necessary to build a road-money and labor. Of the first we have some, and of the latter enough to build forty railroads. Every farmer through whose plantation the road may run could take profitable contracts, and pay his subscription in work, and his stock, by making it receivable for freight or passage bills, would always command a fair price, even if he should be disposed to sell it.

We should be pleased to hear from any friends of either road and will take pleasure in publishing any suggestions which our friends may choose to offer. We know if Lowndesville and Greenwood will join teams that both roads can be built. There are now no political matters to divert our attention and we believe the present a good time to press the matter.