Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-09
THE CATAWBA BRIDGE.

The county DOarQ OF commissioners
met in the office of the county supervisor
yesterday for the purpose of considering
the recently submitted petition for
change in the location of the proposed
bridge over Catawba river, from Harris's
to Neely's ferry.
All of the members of the board were
present except Major A. H. White, and
upon motion of Commissioner Brice, it
was resolved to reconsider the vote where
by the bridge had been located at Har-
ris's ferry.
Among the citizens of Fort Mill town.
ship, who were present in the interest of
the proposed change Of location, were
Messrs. C. T. Crook, s. P. Blankenship,
w. H. Windle, L. S. Nivens, w. E. Grif-
fin, S. H. Epps and j. G. Nivens.
Mr.. G. It. Crook was the principal
speaker. He said that the location ques-
ton had been settled without giving all
parties a proper hearing, and in his opin-
ion, without full investigation. If the
board would reopen the matter, he
thought, and consider the interest Of the
greatest number, the location would be
changed to Neely's ferry.
Now" he said, ''if Harris's ferry is
the proper location for this bridge for the
benefit of the whole of Fort Mill town.
ship, why is it that Harris's ferry has
been allowed to 60 down to the point that
they do not even keep boat there, while
Neely's ferry is still kept upT Mr..
Culp undertook to answer this question
with the statement that there was wire
at Neely's ferry, while at Harris's ferry
there was none. Mr.. Crook asserted that
this could not be the case, for people
went to Neely's ferry even when the river
was so low that the wire could not be used.
Continuing, Mr.. Crook said that with
the bridge located at Harris's ferry, the
people of the broad end of the township,
which included more than two-thirds of
the area, would have to 60 from two to
six miles out of their way to get to York.
vile, while if the bridge were located at
Neely's ferry, the Inconvenience OF the
people in the lower end of the township
would not be nearly so great. The peo-
pie he represented were willing to give
some and to take some; but he did not
think that they should be called upon to
give everything.
have here. he continued, petition
signed by 60 landowners of the township,
asking for this change. 1t has been
charged by one of the newspapers that
some of the men who signed this petition
had previously signed the petition asking e
for the location at Harris's ferry. 1 sign
ed the other petition. When the matter
was discussed, however, it was merely
asking for bridge across the river.
That is what I asked for. l did not know
at the time that Harris's ferry was men
toned in the petition.
Then again, in the original estimates,
you will find that the information was
that bridge at Carothers's island, which
is ut Neely's ferry, would cost $1,000. AT
Harris's ferry, bridge would cost Sl1 600,
and at Dinkins's ferry it would cost Sl5,-
600. When you voted on the question of
building the bridge, you did not have
these papers before you at all, and you
only meant to build bridge across the
river. When your committee Of four
went to locate the bridge, Fort Mill want
ed it up at Neely's ferry-and Rock Hill
down at Dinkins's ferry. There was
tie. Four men can't decide anything |;
so you had to compromise the matter by
putting it at Harriss ferry, whereas, as a
matter of fact, you should have only To-
Gated it where it was calculated to benefit
the most people. do not want to be
understood as charging you, or the COM
mittee, as having done any Intentional
wrong. The committee did the best thing
that was possible under the circumstan-
ces but the circumstances were such that
to do the right thing was not possible.
That is another reason why the matter
should be re-considered.
Mr.. Culp corrected Mr.. Crook with the
explanation that there are two places
known as Harris's ferry, and that it was
the lower one of these, not Dinkins's fer
ry, that a portion of the committee de-
sired for location.
Now as l understand it, although the
whole township will have to pay for this
bridge, the principal object of it is to con-