The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-12-11
From the Pickens Sentinel.
A Drainage Meeting.

A public meeting was held IN the Court
House on last Monday. Owing to the Masonic
meeting which took place about the same time,
and other causes, the attendance was slim.
The spirit of the meeting, however, was excel
lent.
On motion Mr.. W. A. Lesley was called to
the chair, and j. R. Glazener requested to act
as Secretary.
On motion of Maj. Russell Committee of
five was appointed to draft business for the
meeting. The Chair appointed the following
gentlemen to constitute said committee, viz:
1. A. Rogers, J. G.. Ferguson, j. W. Brown,
W. T. Bowen, and Hardy Gilstrap. On mo-
ton Mai. Russell was added to the Committee.
After short absence the Committee made
the following report as memorial to the Leg
islature on the subject of drainage:
To the Honorable, the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatives in Legislature assembled:
The memorial of the citizens Of Pickens
county, S. c., in public meeting assembled, res
pectfully sheweth-That there has been good
deal of sickness in the Southern portion of the
county along the Anderson line, and extending
northward, arising from malaria, produced, for
the most part, from undrained bottom lands,
living on the Eighteen Mile Greek, Brushy
Creek, and other streams in the Southern halt
of the county,-that we have reliable informa-
ton of an extensive and alarming amount Of
sickness, arising from the same causes, porva.
ding many portions of our sister county of An
dcrson. Realizing the threatened dangers to
ourselves, and sympathizing deeply with our
suffering fellow. citizens of Anderson, we desire
10 unite our efforts with theirs, in memorable
ing your honorable body, to pass a general
drainage law, as matter of hygienic and ag-
ricultural public importance; and would sug-
gest the following conditions as calculated to
effect the object desired:
l. That the Board of County Commissioners,
with two physicians, shall constitute Board
of Health for each county.
g. That upon the petition of two-thirls OF
the land-holders, living on any of the water
courses whose lands are to be drained, said
Board of Health shall constitute Jury of Sur
vey, who shall view the premises; and if the
drainage of said land. is deemed necessary or
conducive to the general health, as we'll as de-
manded as an agricultural necessity, shall Or
der an engineer or surveyor to lay out route
for the main ditch or canal, through said lands,
having the right to enter upon any PERSONS
land for said purpose.
3. That the said Jury of Survey shall be au-
thorized and required to remove, or cause tG be
removed, all natural or artificial distractions
in streams or water-courses, when necessary for
the purposes of drainage, and at the expense of
the iandholders Provided, hoacever, that if the
obstruction consist of dam for milling OF
manufacturing purposes, the owner of said dam
or dams shall be required under the direction
of the Jury of Survey, to put in food or sand
gate, and keep said gate open from Saturday
evening till Monday morning of each week in
the year, except during the months of July,
August and September. Ind Provided, further,
That in any case, where it becomes necessary
for an effective drainage of said lands, the said
Jury of Survey may remove, or cause to be re-
moved, said dam or dams, whereupon reason"
able compensation shall be assessed the owner
of said property, as damages, which amount
when ascertained, shall be paid out of the
county funds provided, that the said Board
of Health, shall levy an annual tax pro rata
upon the value of the lands to be drained, a
sufficient amount to pay the interest, and uitl-
mately the principal of the expenditure:
4. That in case of the inability or refusal OF
parties, to defray the expenses of ditching
through his, her, or their lands, said amount
shall be paid out of the county funds rs atore-
said Provided, hoaoever, That an annual tax
shall be levied upon said lands, by the Board
of Health, of q sufficient amount to pay the
interest, and ultimately the principal of the
expenditure
And your memorialists will ever pray, &c;
On motion the memorial was adopted, and a
copy ordered to be sent to each of the Pickens
and Anderson delegates in the Legislature; !;
and the Pickens, Anderson, Abbeyille, Oconee
and Greenville papers are requested to copy
the proceedings.
On motion the meeting adjourned.
w. A. LESLEY, Ch'mn.
J. r. GLAzENER, Sec.