The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-11-13
Another New County.

Now that Salem or Calhoun county is re.
! garded rs 4 certan's, other rev county nd
vocates are taking heart aud are moving fol
counties of their own. The latest new
county scheme is brand new, spck and
span affair that was never heard Of nol
talked about before The latest new county
in this section of the State is to be formed Of
that portion of Sumter County lying be.
tween the line of the Wilmington, Columbia
4 Augusta Railroad and the Carendo line
and the adjacent portion Of Clarendon Coun-
ty, bounded on the east by Lyuchea River
and on the vest By Black River. The exact
outlines of the proposed new county are not
yet ohtainable, if the lines have been decided
upon by those who are working for the estab.
lishment of the new county. The informa-
,ion at hand is tc ihe effect that meeting
was beld 10 the Beuleh section few days
sioce, at which a large number Of the citizens
Of the territory that seeks to be set off as a
new county, were present. The meeting !a
said to have been enthusiastic for the new
county, aud the bail was set in motion for
the creation of new county and the build
ing of uew court house town somewhere in
the vicinity of Shiloh.
If the new county usinezs goes on there
will be l.tle left of Sumter County, but If
49, .o,,.;-do, oe 4ho >o,ntv can otand II thia
par, of the county will have to get along as
best it can. and that will be pretty well, no
douot
The people in and around Lynchburg and
Magnolia are in quandarv. Many of them
are wholly averse to leaving Sumter county,
and when it was proposed 10 sake that Sec
tion 10 as part Of Sa,em county they pre-
pared to make 6ght against being taken
out of Sum'er County. They went so far,
the writer is Informed, as to prepare a petit
ton, which was unanimously signed, and
were just waiting for the proper tifae to
make an energetic and determined 6get
against being annexed to the new county, of
which Bishopvlle is to be ine county seat.
This was the situation un,il the new county
movement from below was sprung 90 them,
which was like bombshell in the camp
The petition against Salem county has been
laid aside, and thvse who were strong oppo-
uents of Salem are DOW rather more than
anxious to become part aud parcel of that
county. Sumter county seems to be out of
the question for Magnolia and Lynchburg,
aud since it has become necessary, seemingly,
for them TO choose between Salem aud the
still newer county, they find that they have a
leaning towards Bishopville and her county
of Salem. The Salem people are beginning
to feel independent and it is not now a
question of what territory they can get, but
what they will accept.
The situation is interesting, to say the
least, from an outside point of view, and all
of us over in this section will keep track of
the future developments in county formation
over on the environs Of Lynches River.
1t is now suggested 10 Magnolia and
Lynchburg that they unite forces and make a
bold move for county of their own. By
seizing goodly slice Of the territory wanted
by both Salem aud the other county, and
taking in portion Of Florence County, 8
very excellent county would be formed. with
a lot of railroad mileage to be taxed. How
would Lynchburg County, run on the fol-
lowing lines, strike the county builder? All
of Lynchburg, Mt. Clio, Mayesvlle aud
Shiloh townships, aggregating 22l square
miles, aud portions of Swimming Pens and
Concord townships, aggregating so square
miles more The remainder Of the territory
named could be taken from Clarendon aud
Florence Counties, and the deed would be
done. There is no better place for court
house than on through line Of railroad,
which will render it easy of access aud con-
venient to all who have to go to the court
house town.
Lyochburg and Magnolia should not
despair, for this is the hoodtide of their
opportunity Let them seize it and they can
snap their 6gurative fingers 10 the face of
Salem and Beulah.