The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-08
THE new COUNTY.
MANY AND GOOD REASONS WHY IT
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 10 light that for som c
! time there has been quiet but vigorous ef-
| fort Oh foot to form new county In this
State. with Greenwood as the county seat
| taken largely from Abbeville, with part
| from Edgetield and Laurens counties.
We are told that the survey has been made
and that the line In Ahbeville lies somewhere
between Hodges and Abbeyile c. H., not far
| from Long Cane creek and running down the
Augusta and Knoxville Railroad, and en-
bracing all the towns ON that road 10 McCor-
mick While we insist that IL Is unfair to
have worked up this matter secretly and not
openly, Sd That each and every man, afier
hearing both sides, could have formed nm IN.
teligent opinion upon the subject; and while
the time until the Legislature conVenes is so
limited as to place the opposition at rather
disad dvant tage, nevertheless, we, the under
signed committee. from all sections of Abbe-
Vile county, do present the following address
10 our fellow citizens, with the earnest re-
quest that they weigh the matter we'll before
they commit themselves upon this subject.
We cannot conceive any good reason for the
proposed change or possible good 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 leu
sons:
almost In half deserving careful thought.
Abbeville county Is one OF the most COM
pact in the State. II is nearly perfect
square with the Court House within mile OF
the mathematical centre. On two sides lie
the natural boundaries of the Savannah and
the Saluda Rivers, and between Anderson and
Edgeed the lines are well Defined These
more than one hundred years ago, and amidst
ri changes have remained fixed to this day.
They are in every sense "time honored."
fair proportions, by Topping of at least one,
third on one side, leaving an Irregular ana
badly shaped fragment, with the Court House
on the edge Of the portion lett.
ly shaped. with the Saluda River running d.
agonally through the county. Instead OF being
natural boundary.
vile C. n. too near Its lower boundary. and
Greenwood c. H. too near Its upper boundary.
The proposed change brings Savannah Riv.
er no nearer to Atbevllle nor Dysons any
nearer 10 Green wood.
The county seat should be in the centre Df
the county, and the proposed change would
throw the. respective Court Houses near the
5. The proposed change would take from
Abbeville county large portion OF her best
lands, including the historic fields Of old CAIN
bridge and Ninety.Six.
take more than the proper proportion OF the
ra airoad mileage and the towns, thus greatly
reducing the tax-produclns property OF the
county.
5. The proposed change would leave nearly
all the bridges in Abbeville, while Greer wood
takes the railroad mileage and the towns.
Bridges cos big money. It is therefore clear
that The taxes OF Abbeville would be 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 Abbeville-
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, COX esbpry Hodges,
Verdery, Bradley, Troy, Phoenix, New Mar
ket, and perhaps Mccormick. Would this he
Just?
Q. The proposed change would increase tax
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
ticers mean new salaries. New salaries mean
new taxes-besides Court House building, jail
and records.
I. The proposed change would disturb vest
ed rights. Numberless people have bought
property in Abbeville expecting the limits OF
the county 10 remain as they are. The change
and enhanc IL at others. This would be in.
equitable.
.The people of Abbeville invested their mon
ey In Tue ThllTONuS tA ptCtlNS anu OSI iic
that for all time they would reup benefit
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 l69 miles OF rail-
road, divided as follows:
Port Royal and Western Carolina, "A miles,
assessed at $1,000 per mile, S5SS,225.
Columbia and Greenville, 46H miles, assess
ed at $l050O per M lie, S495.76
Georgia, Carolina and NORTHERN, Az miles.
assessed at $4,000 per mile. Si25U5.
So far as the proposed new lines E, are knTWn 10 n
4OI miles; OF the G. 4 G. S5.N miles; and the
G.. G. n. 1855 miles.
Abbevile, 70.6O miles.
Greenwo d, 9l.40 miles.
Greenwood thus takes almost wo-thirds OF
the railroad mileage-leaving Abbevile with
the bridges and expenses as large as before.
In Gnnd lne Ss3e PsUper'S 0
| 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 a century. We are Justly
proud of our county. Her history and the
achievements OF her sons are legacy 70
which we are all entitled. The people of Alb
beville have been neighbors and friends for
more than one hundred years, and now 10
sever these relations-to place boundaries be,
tween US and 10 divide our interests,-would
| be to destroy the traditions, the memories aud
The friendships OF generations.
g. There is no necessity for the change.
Railroad facilities are better now In Abbeyille
county than ever before All aio sections sc OF TN lhe
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 Abbevile and Greenwood
with some half dozen trains daily between
| the points. You can leave Green wood In the
morning, spend the whole day In Abherille
and return 10 Greenwood that night. Where,
then, is the necessity for new county seat at
Greenwood
10. I'VE do not think II wise policy to d.
vide estab ished counties into too many sub
divisions for the Obvious 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 well, and now when we
have rapid transit 10 nearly all sections of
the ceunty,-where Is the reason or necessity
for the change?
we challenge the State for better county Of
| fees, more perfect and complete system OF
Vile county now has; and to cDnsiructa new
county from paris of three old counties
would be to throw the records In inlermina-
BILE confusion. Within the limits OF the new
county the old lines would soon be obliter-
ated and forgotten, and 10 examine the title
to land, there, one would be compelled TO
search the records at four Instead or as now,
at one county seat.
Again. All deeds and mortgages that now
exist ought TO be re-recorded In the new c0un-
ty. This would entail untold trouble, ex-
pense and confusion.
We have gotten on we'll in the past, we are
doing well now, then let us beware OF such
Confusion worse confounded."
IL. This Is not the time to agItate this ques
tlon. The times were never harder and II
would he a calamity TO Increase taxes and cx'
penSes. We have for twelve months been
passing through almost a money panic and
the end Is not yet.
| avpIn a TonstI,utional Convention has
| been called by the Legislature. Then and
there is the time and place 10 discuss this