The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-10-21
County and Town Names

couoty proposed to be cut out Of Sun.
ter, Darlington aud Kefsba", aod
shows that the suggestion has
local interest at least We have no
prejudice in the matter, OF course. aud
onlv desire to secure for the county a
name Which will be satisfactory to its
people and ali their fellow citizens iu
the State. We cbeerfully give the
a-gumen, 10 favor Of Salem" there
fore, and will add to it that the name
has the merit. at any rate. of being
shared by only one other county In the
United States The Item says:
That section Of Sumter County that
will he cut off for the proposed pew
county has been known as Upper Salem
for a. least seventy-6ve OF one hundred
years. perhaps longer The oldest
maps aud records to which We have
access show that section to have been
kuowo as Salem iu the early part OF
the cen yrnt Salem it has been all
these years to the people whose homes
lie withio the territory and to those who
resided in other sections Of the county.
and now tba. they propose establishing
county Of their own it is but natural
that they should wish to preserve the
old and familiar name.
"On old maps Sumter District is d.
vidsd toto four sections, Claremont,
Clarendon. Upper Salem and lower
Salem. Clarendon was cut off and
With portion Of Lower Salem made a
separate district prior 70 the war
Sumter County at present comprises
the larger portion of the section known
as Lower Salem and all Of Claremopt
aod Upper Salem The new county
will take 10 portion of Lower Salem
aud all Of Upper Salem
I'VE approve Of honorlng the memo
ries Of tie States distinguished men
aud would gladly see the proposed new
county. towards the creation of which
Sumter will contribute so largely 10
territory and wealth. bear the name Of
a distinguished and worthy Caroliniao.
but if the ople Of that section prefer
to perpetuate the uame Of Salem it is
their concern and not ours
The uaming of new c unity is not
matter that concerns Only the people
of it's territory. as was proved in the
recent Constitutional Convention when
the naming Of What is uow Saluda
County was uoder consideration. and
led to straight drawing Of party lines
and the lively popping Of the party
whips. But the only question in re-
gard to Salem" happily, relates
solely to the merits Of the name. and l.
may be discussed accordingly. We
have only to add to what We have said
before that the name is by 10 means an
especial property Of the Sumter County
township A hasty Investigation shows
that there are seventy-seven Salems in
the United States. without counting the
East aud West and North ano South.
and Upper and Lower Sslems, and the
Salem "depots. y juuc'io-s. ''oen
tres" etc, which make large collec
tion of their own Leaving the post
Offices out Of consideration. again. there
are thirty two townships called Salem
scattered very evenly all over the ooun
try, from Maine to Texas. aod FROM
South Carolioa to California II
our friends Of Sumter, Kersbaw
and Darlington like the nsmc we'll
enough to call their pew country and
town by it, We shall not oppose their
wishes. but they will have 'be uncom
Portable rejection always LAT 1t is per
haps the most common and least sign q
cant name Cor their purpose that they
could 6od. 1t should also he noted in
time that there is Salem town in
North Ca olioa. acd if another shall be
established 10 South Carolina the people
Of the latter place wi have much er-
tertainment 10 future in waltlog for
looked for letters that have gooe to
the North Caroliea postof6ce 1t is as
we'll to consider ali these matters care
fully beforehand. It does not fall to
the 10, of many people to have the
privilege of naming SO large a part Of
the worlds area as is included in the
lines of county in South Carolina.
We hope the good people Of the terri
tory ia question will consider this. and
use their opportunity with credit to
themselves and to all of US They
might offer prize fer the best sueees-
ton and gallantly leave to the ladies Of
their county to compete for it, or to de-
eide the issue
The same suggestion is offered to our
fellow citizens Of other promised ue~
counties. Our Columbia correspondent
reports that it is proposed to call the
county to be formed Of parts of York,
Uaion aud Spartaoburg By the geolos'-