The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-15
THE NEW COUNTY.
MANY AND GOOD REASONS WHY 1T
SHOULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED.

Address on the Subject by Citizens
Representing Many Sections Of the
County.
To the People of Abbeville County:
1t has suddenly come TO light that for some
| time there has been quiet but vigorous Ell
fort on foot to form new county my. IN I'M, Inns
The territory for this new county IL 10 De
taken largely from Abbeville, with part
| from Edgefield and Laurens counties.
We are told that the survey has been made
| and that the line In Abbeville lies somewhere
between Hodges and Abbeyille 9. h., not far
| from Long Cane creek and running down the
Augusta and Knoxville Railroad, and en-
bracing ali the towns on that road 10 McCor.
mick. While we insist that IL Is unfair 10
have worked up this matter secretly ana not
openly, 80 that each and every man. aiter
hearing both sides, could have formed an IN.
| telligent opinion upon the subject; ana Whlle
| the time until the Legislature con venes is so
| limited as to place the opposition al ratfer
signed committee. from all sections of Aobe-
vile county, do present the following address
10 our fellow citizens, with the earnest re-
quest that they weigh the mauer WEI. h,e, oetore
| thew commit themselves upon this subject.
| We cannot conceive any good reason Tor the
proposed change or possible gooa 10 result 10
the State from II; we therefore earnestly pro,
test against the emascu lation OF our proud
old county for the following among other lea
i. It is a serious matter to cut our County
| almost in half deserving careful thought.
AbbevilIe county is one OF the most com.
pact in the State. 1t is nearly perfect
| square with the Court House within mile OF
the mathematical centre: on two sides ne
| the Saluda Rivers, and between Anderson ana
Edgeheld the lines are well defined. These
symmetrical boundaries were established
more than one hundred years ago, and amidst
ali changes have remained fixed to this day.
They are in every sense "time honored.'
The proposed change would destroy these
fair proportions, by Topping or at least one,
third on one side, leaving an Irregular and
badly shaped fragment, with the Court House
on the edge of the portion lett.
The proposed new county would pc 1e oaH- AZ
aconaily through the county, Instead OF being
q natural boundary.
The proposed change would throw Abbe.
yile G. H. too near Its lower ooanaaryi ana
The proposed change brings savannah Riv-
er no nearer to Abbevllle nor Dysons any
The county eat should be in the centre Of
the county, and the proposed change would
throw the respective Court Houses near the
confines Of each. x
Abbevil!e county Il large portion Of her best
lands, including the historic fields Of Old CAM
bridge and Ninety-Six.
4. The proposed change will necessarily
Jake more ludu luC pIOpSi PioP0t'oh Va
railroad mileage and the towns, thus greatly
reducing the tax-producing property OF the
county. ,.
ali the bridges In AbbeviIle, while Greer wood
takes the railroad mileage and the towns;
Railroads and Towns pay large taxes and
Bridges COST big money. IL Is therefore clear
that The taxes OF Abbeville would oe greatly
increased. Our expenses would be diminish
ed immaterially, while our source OF revenue
would be greatly decreased. ,,,,
The streams are all To be LEFT In Ab6eville-
Little River, Rocky River, Curl Tail Creek,
Long Cane Creek, McCord's Creek, Calhoun's
Creek and others-all requiring many bridges.
Greenwood would take the following towns
Greenwood, Ninety Six, Cokes6urS, hodges,
ket, and perhaps Mccormick. Would this he
just? ,,
es generally: The two counties would REQUIRE
an expenditure Of at least one-third more
than now exists.
New county means new officers. New Of
icers mean new salaries. New salaries mean
and records.
Z. The proposed change would disturb vest
ed rights. Numberless people have bought
property In Abbeville expecting the limits OF
ihe county 10 remain as they are. The change
would depreciate property at certain points
and enhance 1t at others. This would oe In
equitable.
that for all time they would reap beneht
from the same by way Of taxation. These are
vested rights and II would not only be unfair
but unconstitutional to destroy them.
Abbeville County now has 162 miles OF rail-
road, divided as follows:
Port Royal and Western Carolina, "A miles,
assessed ut $1,000 per mile. S533,225.
Colum6ia and Greenyille, 46h miles, assess
ed at $40 500 per mile, S495.76D
Georgia, Carolina and Northern, Az miles
assessed at $40 0OO per mile, S425,095.
4 1, n
Green wood would take of the p. Il. & w. c.
4O% miles; OF the G. Il G. S5.T miles and the
g., C. & N. 1855 miles.
Abbeville, 70.60 miles.
Greenwo d, 81 40 miles.
Greenwood thus takes almost two-thirds or
the railroad mileage-learing Abbeville with
the bridges and exrenses as large as before.
AbbeSiie b sGpae county %Uers anoun,s @ to oooo u
Greenwood would take one-third OF our
acreage and about one-half OF our taxable
property. Is this fair?
s. The proposed change would break up the
associations OF century. We are Justly
proud of our county. Her history and the
achievements OF her sons are legacy 10
which we are all entitled. The people OF Abb
beville have been neighoors and friends for
more than one hundred years, and now To
sever these relations-to place boundaries be
tween US and 10 divide our Interests Would
be to destroy the traditions, the memories and
the friendships OF generations.
8. There is no necessity for the change.
Railroad facilities are better now in Abbeville
county than ever before. All sections OF the
and from most points retarn TO their hon es
the same day. Greenwood and It's Vicinity,
above all sections of the county, have least
| reason 10 complain. Two railroad systems
| the Seaboard Air Line and the Richmond and
Danville-connect Abbeville and Greenwood
with some half dozen trains daily between
the points. You can leave Green wood In the
morning, spend the whole day In Ab6eville
and return 10 Greenwood that night. Where,
then, Is the necessity for new county seat at
fGreenwood
vide established counties into too many sub
divisions for tue oby ious reason that the per-
| Quisites in such small counties rarely afford
| sufficient means to command the services of
| the best men as county officers.
| Even before the day OF many railroads Alb
beville county got on we'll, and now when we
| have rapid transit 10 nearly all sections Of
the ceunty,-where is the reason or necessity
We challenge the State for better county OF.
fees, more perfect and complete system OF
public records, or better officials than Able
Vile county now has; and to construct new
county from paris of three old counties
would be to throw the records into Intern ina
BILE confusion: Within the limits OF the new
| county the old lines would soon be obliter-
ated and forgotten, and TO examine the title
to land, there, one would be compelled 10
search the records at four instead OF, as now,
at one county seat.
| ABdiu. AL uccOs ulOTtRdBeS IldI now
exist ought TO be re-recorded In the new coun-
| ty. This would entail untold trouble, ex-
| pense and confusion.
We have gotten on we'll in the past, we are
doing we'll now, then let US beware Of such
confusion worse confounded."
| II. This Ia not the time to agltate this ques-
tion: The times were never harder and 1t
would be a calamity TO increase taxes aud ex-
penses. We have for twelve months been
passing through almost a money panic and
the end Is not yet.
Again. A Constitutional Convention has