The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-11-11

profoundest regrets. The sympathy of tho
entire community goes out to the family
| in their great bereavement. The funeral
services were held in the Baptist Church
Tuesday morning at II o'clock, the Rov.
Mr.. Beck conducting the services, after
which the remains were laid TO rest in
| Silver Brook Cemetery.
A beautiful and interesting wedding
| took place in the Presbyterian Church,
| Abbeville, S. c., on Wednesday evening,
the 4th inst. The contracting parties were
Mr.. II. Frank MCGEE, formerly of Ander.
son but now resident Of Abbeville, and
Miss Agnes P. Quarles, of Abbeville The
presence of Mr.. and Mrs. g. Frank Bam.
berg, who, that morning, were welded in
| Anderson. Mrs. Bamberg, nee Miss nellie
McGee, is a sister OF Mr.. Frank MCGEE,
and one of the most charming and popular
young ladies of Anderson. All the con-
| tracting parties have been conspicuous in
| society among tho young people, end the
dual wedding was looked upon as quite
social event. They carry with them into
their new life the hest wishes of host of
friends. Mr.. and Mrs. MCGEE and party
came to Anderson Thursday and, in the
evening, were given an elegant reception
by Mrs. G. M. Tolly, to which many
friends were invited. The welded pair
have returned to Abbeville, but Miss Jen.
ME Quares and Miss Elise Bowie Of the
party will spend several days here with
relatives of the groom.
We had hoped to chronicle the fact that
q new Court House and Jail would soon
ornament our city, but the votes of the
people were against it. They are both
badly needed. The Jail is old, insecure
and, in architectural design, painful to the
sight. Since the sitting of the last Court
here, the Court House has been condemn
ed and pronounced unsafe by the County
Supervisor and the leading architects and
builders Of this city. The Statute provid.
ing for the submission of this question to
the voters cf our County expires, by it's
own terms, with the announcement OF the
result of the votes cast and another Act
of the Legislature is necessary before the
people can vote upon it again. Having
talked with number who voted mo" on
the question, we are convinced that the
result of the vote was due either to misin-
terpretation of the Statute or the absence
of a correct understanding respecting the
tax levy and the powers delegated to the
County Board Of Commissioners, or both.
The tax levy provided for was only one
mill, which Is ten cents on each hundred
dollars worth of property returned for
taxation. Ten thousand dollars of taxa:
BILE property returned would have called
for only ten dollars in taxes. No one, we
think, had they understood it, could
scarcely have been found objeoting on this
score. The Act empowered the Commits
sioners to sell the Jail, Jail lot and Court
House, but they were not permitted to
sell the Court House lot or site. They
were authorized to exchange this site or
lot with the city authorities for one OF
equal value. provided the exchange could
be made without additional cost to the
County, but the city has no lot to offer in
exchange for it, and to buy lot with hard
cash and present it to the County is
thought never entertained for moment,
probably, by even one of our citizens. The
new Court House would have been built
upon the present site and we bave been
told, and firmly believe, that had the peo'
ple in the County been satisfied on this
point, the result Of their votes would have
been entirely different. Wea want new
Court House and Jail. Every one recog-
,nizes the fact that they are necessity.
The question of site alone, prevents the
people from being in perfect accord. We
shall not object to Its present site, but II
built there, we hope to see building
which will be an ornament to our city.
The Legislature meets the End of January
next, and our Representatives should be
urged to secure the passage of another Act
submitting this question once more, and
ut an early day, to the voters Of our Coun-
iy. It may be well to state the fact that
the present Court House and lot and Jail
and lot has not cost the taxpayers Of our
County dollar. When by an Act OF the
Legislature, passed Dec. Goth, 1896, the
District of Pendleton was divided into two
Counties, the Com missioners were author
lied to purchase tract not less than one
hundred nor more than four hundred
scres and, after laying out the village, de.
termining sites of public buildings and re-
serving such portion for public purposes as
they deemed advisable, to sell the village
lots at public auction. The money arising
from these sales was appropriated to the
building of q Court House. And from
that time up to 1868, as far as we have in
vestigated, the State has made direct ap'
propriatiors for repairing and remodeling
these buildings. When the Jail was NOV
ell from Granite Row to its present site,
sometime in the tifties, A. Evans acting as
Commissioner for the State, an appropria.
tion was made by the Legislature for its
erection and completion. We would fur
tier state that unless the Acts Of 1868
(statues at large vol. IA, page 134, Section
SG) vests the title of this property in the
equity Commissioners of Anderson Coun.
ty-and to our mind it is doubtful-these
buildings and sites still remain the property
of the State.