Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-07
Wednesday, July I, 1897.

to expenu @,UOO Tor an ordinary county
purpose, why did not they have the right
to expend $4,000; and If $4,000, why
not $36, 900 and so on? He had talked to
a great many people about the bridge
matter, and they had all expressed them
selves as either against it outright, or
thinking it should be submitted to the
people.
Commissioner Brice took the floor
again, and said that these petitions had
all been gotten up since this question of
changing the location bad arisen. The
petitions were from Catawba, Ebenezer
and Bethesda townships. Two of them
were ype-written-one a copy of the
other-and written by the same person.
The presumption is that If the change of
location question had not arisen, the pc
titions would never have been presented.
He repeated what he had already said
about the carelessness of people in signing
petitions, and went on to say: ~ am
willing to vote for the building of that
bridge and vote for it without any instruc-
tons from the people. Why? Because
if lived in Fort Mill and had the time,
I would not be afraid to undertake to 60
before the people and convince them Of
the justice of this claim. This board is
put here for the purpose of acting upon
such questions as this, and 1t is our duty
to act. So far as my township is concerned,
all to whom have TALKED are in favor Of
the bridge. But it is not for this reason
that am willing to take the responsible
ty of deciding the matter here. There
will be no canvass Of the county, and
only one public gathering, and it would
he great injustice to the people of Fort
Mill to submit the matter to the people
without giving them an opportunity to
present their claims"
Commissioner Gwin wanted to know
whether, if the question of building the
bridge should be submitted to the people,
the question Of location should be sub
mitted also?
Mr.. J. J. Hull said that this was very
important matter, as the preference of
5000 or 10000 people would be governed
largely by the question of location.
Commissioner Brice said that II any
thing was submitted, he would be in
favor of submitting the whole business
appropriation, location and all.
MIR. Ardrey again spoke against the
submission idea. He said that already
majority of the board had voted for the
bridge and the appropriation, and IL that
was hanging crime with the people,
they had already been condemned.
There was no use in trying to retreat
now.
Mr.. R. A. Steele, who had signed the
petition for submission, was introduced
to tell what he thought of the matter.
He said very emphatically that he was
opposed to the bridge.
Mr.. w. A. Barron wanted TO know why
the board had never examined the Neely's
ferry location in the first instance.
Commissi oner Stanton said, in effect:
~ said awhile ago that I would express
my views in my vote. I have already
voted OH this matter once, and cast my
vote to build the bridge. have had no
occasion to change my opinion, and am
bound to sustain my first VOTE"
From all that had been said, it was
pretty clear that the resolution was going
to be killed, and Commissioner Miller
moved that inasmuch as one of the men,
bers was absent, the matter be postponed
until another meeting. The motion was
lost for want of a second. The question
then came upon the adoption Of the reso-
luton by rising vote.
Upon the proposition to adopt. Messrs.
Gwin, Miller, Wilkerson and White
arose to their feet. On the other side,
there were Messrs. Ashe, Minis, Stanton
and Brice. This made tie. Supervisor
Culp, at first, declined to decide the mat
ter. Commissioner Minis insisted that he
cast his vote, and Commissioner Brice
made the point that unless the supervisor
should unite the tie, the proceedings must
remain at a standstill. Upon this, the
supervisor voted against the resolution.
Commissioner Minis moved the readop-
ton of the report of the committee which
had located the bridge at Harris's ferry;
but as to whether the motion received a
second the reporter is unable to state.
However, upon the suggestion Of Mr..
Brice, it wrs agreed that the committees
on Harris's and Neely's ferry locations be
heard from.
Mr.. Ardrey submitted a verbal report
in behalf of Harris's ferry, and against
Neely's ferry. He argued that on account
of the narrowness Of the river at Neely's
ferry, the water rose higher than at Har-
ris's ferry. He also said that there were
several branches that got up and made
the road on the east side of the river at
Neely's ferry impossible. He also spoke
of about mile of road that was entirely
covered by high water. The Harris fer
ry location he considered much more de-
sirable than the other, because it would
benefit the most people, and he also
thought that because the bridge would
not he so high as at Neely's, there would
be great saving in expense. He went
on to say that he had secured the rights
of way to and from the river on either
side, etc.
NJ. Crook argued for the Neely's ferry
location. He had secured right of way on
either side. He had gotten contractors
to come and make an estimate as to the
cost of building the road to the bridge on
the east side. The bluff on the west side
was % feet high. TO get out on level
ground would necessitate the building of
$50 feet of road 20 feet wide. Allowing a
level stretch of so feet, the grade would
have to be from Is to 20 feet in hundred
feet. He had drilled down into the hill
and found that it was soft rock, little
too hard to pick, and little too soft to
blast. The road could he built at COM
paratively small expense. On the other
side Of the river the sand bank was 243 feet
high, and the highest water mark ever
known is 24A feet in the mill above. This
WAS in 1865. He then went on to say that
L.. Sc. ,I,lnara tho