The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-08-08
AS TO THE NEW COUNTY.
Replies to What Our Correspond
ents Have had to Say.
Editor. Watehman and .South1oa

Edtof W1tchDaun ana S09LaTOQ
Please favor me by publishing the follow
ing in reply to what some of your cores
poldents are haviog TO say in opposition to
the proposed New County of Salem:
End but little in what has been written
that amounts to an argument against, or
that needs reply in favor of the new county.
Let US notice what "Little Farmer offers by
way of objection. he says "Wbat expense it
will be to taxpayers 20 build court house
and Jail aud to run out the county" If sL.
F. would inform himself, he wouldn't
write thus, for most people know if he
doesn't, that the servey is being made and
paid for by private individuals, and not by
the tax.pa5 ers will state further that if
Bishopvilie is fortunate enough to secure the
county seat, a large part Of the expense OF
building the Jail and court house will be
paid without making Il levy on the tax
payers of the new county. Ii L. F. remains
in Sumter he will be required to help pay for
a twenty-five or thirty thousand dollar court
house before he is much older. If be is
taken in Salem we think a ten thousand
dollar one will do US for the next half cen-
tury To keep pace with the other im-
provements in Sumter, u iue court house is
necessary. Now as TO it being "foolish to
think about running out the new county,"
some of us think it will be best when we
want to learn wisdom to look for other
instructors than. l.. F.
Next, we find '.Bes" shooting at random,
and hitting nothing. If be will wait until
our survey is flushed and map made of
Salem County together with the outlines of
the counties from which new county is taken,
if Sumter County dosen't show up in as good
shape as a majority Of the counties of our
State, will make him present of chrome.
am surprised that newspaper cores
popdent should make such wild statement
as that the people living beyond Spring Hill
would be thirty miles from Bishopvllle, and
those below Lynchburg nearly as far, when
the facts are that not citizen IN the territory
taken from Sumter will be over twenty, and
not a dozen families over II miles from
Bishopvile Did it ever occur to Bes's mind,
wonder, that in the new county there are
several hundred citizens who have all their
lives been obliged to travel bad road roads
which actually measure from % to 35 miles
to reach their county seats or any market, 10
which they can sell or buy to advantage.
When Bes writes about being removed from
his market cen,ers and railroad facilities, 1t
reminds US Of what occurred when Florence
County was being established; An old lady
upon being informed that she would be IN
Florence County when the lines were run,
exclaimed Lands alive-Mercy upon US,
we'll all die now sure, for always did hear
that Florence was sickly place" Comment
is unnecessary, for how the formation OF the
new county will put more miles, make the
sand beds longer or the mud holes deeper
between Bes and his market centers, &C., is
beyond my comprehension. Didn't you
slip up, somewhat, Mr.. Editor, along that
line, when you suggested that it might be
best for US to go farther and get TO better
market in which 10 buy and sell !?
In our issue of July 18th, we said ::
s'Let all parties interested get map and go
to studying the question. Let those who
live in the proposed new county ascertain
whether they would be benefited by the
change in any respect, whether they would
be nearer the Court House than at present, or
whether they would not rather come few
miles farther and have the advantage of a
better market both to sell and buy. '[1fthat
is what you refer to as slir-up, we don't see
anything wrong ED ". s.. s.
Now as to any necessary increase of taxa
ton, | beg to submit that instead Of taxes
being more; the probability is taxes will be
less, and in support of such assertion, pro
puse to show low. the new counties of our
State have sfaret in that respect when com-
pared with the old counties. My figures are
taken from the statutes of the State and are
j doubtless correct. Hampton County com-
menclDg With the yearlss4 ending 1898 paid
for coun1ypurposss thetotal sum of 654 mills
Ein ten. years; Chester County paid in same
time far same purpose, s7 5.mills : Chesterfield
paid same time, 76ss ,
Our baby County of Florence, during the
six years Of berexistence has paid 225 mills,
While Kersha W. has paid 355s, aud Marl-
Borough same time has paid 27 mills. Sum-
ter County has paid only 223 mills, but as
Eve are aware she is badly in debt-about, am
informed, thirteen Thousand dollars. It We
! - 20 :. no ri; &c Rarkele: Cnnnty and COM