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Friday, September 27, 2019

C.W. Hunt Proposes Brevard-Seneca Railroad, Sept. 26, 1919

From the front page of the Brevard News, Sept. 26, 1919

Brevard-Seneca Route Suggested

By C.W. Hunt

God-speed and all praise to those progressive citizens who are striving to give us the inestimable advantage of another railroad.

The “C. K. & W.” is dead, may a better route arise, Phoenix like, from its ashes.

It is not necessary to write a long argument in favor of this proposed railway, practically a through route. All can look and read what great things our one little railway has done for us, but now our great, progressive country and section is like a giant trying to walk on one leg.

By all means give us another road. It is a vital necessity. Our prosperity will not only be doubled; it will be quadrupled.

Lest we forget what great things can be accomplished by imagination, hope, faith, energy and push, it is in place and instructive to refer to the inception and beginning of our present road, which will be interesting history, showing us how it was done, what great things developed from a very small beginning.

Before this road was made all can remember that in winter we had an ever present deep mud hole 20 miles wide connecting us with Hendersonville. That Brevard and Transylvania County were dead, no trade or development from one year to another.

One gloomy day the writer was sitting in Mr. W.B. Duckworth’s office, in company with him and Mr. Nath. McMinn—peace to be their ashes. We three introduced and discussed the time-worn subject of getting a railroad to Brevard, and decided that we must have a railroad and that we would “make a spoon or spoil a horn” in trying again to interest the people who seemed to have lost hope.

It was decided to vote bonds for $60,000 to bring the road to Brevard and not require the builders to take it to Estatoe Ford for that sum, as had been tried years before.

It was agreed that Mr. W.B. Duckworth should go with the writer to Hendersonville and interview her business men. This was done at once, a long drive in a buggy, there one day and all of the next day to return. Mr. Jonathan Williams was one of the principal men interviewed.

The next step—a railroad meeting was called. Mr. Williams came up and made us a railroad speech. Only a handful of progressive men attended this meeting. The writer went to Mr. Duge Hamlin’s school and induced him to come and act as chairman of the meeting, which he did with dignity and success.

Then a petition was started, requesting our Commissioners to call an election for railway bonds. A great many became enthused in favor of the road and a great many opposed the movement, good citizens, who could not see the advantage of the road that stopped at Brevard, and those who could not see the many dollars of gain for a few pennies of tax. The whole upper end of the county was practically against the road. Bonds only carried by a hair’s breadth, after the most exciting and hardest campaign ever waged in this county.

Many subscribed to a campaign fund. Mr. A.E. Boardman upon being requested to subscribe, did so, but business was then so dead that he expressed the opinion that if we got the road, it would not make enough to pay for its grease.

All now see what this road has done for us and I believe that every man in our county would vote bonds for another road, and all of the women, if they could vote, and I wish that they could.

Look at the map. The best route and the one that I most earnestly advise, is a road connecting with our present road at the Curved Trestle, above Rosman and running through Maple Gap, the lowest gap in the Blue Ridge. This would save the building from Brevard to the trestle, 12 and two-tenths miles, then a short line of 40 miles would give us the desired connection with Seneca, S.C., and thereby almost a direct connection with Atlanta, Ga.

Of course it would be much better if we could come from Asheville through Sandy Bottom to Brevard, Rosman and Seneca.

Do not forget that the proposed Brevard-Seneca road would give us practically a direct connection with Atlanta. Coal and other northern freight would have a road about 100 miles shorter than the steep, dangerous Saluda route.

On the South Carolina side there are now great quantities of timber waiting for this road.
After all of the lumber and wood is shipped from our county, we will need something else, this something else is crowds of tourists coming from the south, direct to Brevard each season.

Brevard’s geographical position is such that with this road she would become the greatest tourist center in Western North Carolina. Made accessible by good roads, her climate and scenery would become an invaluable and inexhaustible asset.

The above route will give us a real southern connection much better than a connection with Greenville, though as soon as we get the Brevard-Seneca road, we should then get an electric road to Greenville, if a practical route can be found and if the citizens of Greenville will co-operate.

An electric road, I am told, is cheaper to build but more expensive to operate.

The Brevard-Seneca road would be the greatest thing that could happen for both places, a steam road, bringing tourists to Brevard from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, and pulling innumerable freight trains all of the time.

I appeal to the business men of our county to get busy at once and discuss these matters, decide upon the best course to take, and get the work under way. It is self-evident that something must be done at once if we are to properly develop our resources and keep abreast of the times.

Our rich corporations, successful business men and prosperous farmers could easily form a stock company and build and own this road themselves, or our rich county could easily vote bonds. The citizens of Seneca and Oconee County will doubtless upon proper representation from us, do their part in building this road. In fact those owning the great timber interests along this proposed line could even afford to build it themselves.

Please remember that the Brevard-Seneca Road would be the greatest thing possible for Brevard and Seneca, and I honestly believe that the people will see the matter as I do and will built the road. Let us hear from all.

--C.W. Hunt

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