Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-03-13
TO BRIDGE THE CATAWBA.

The building of bridge across Cataw-
ba river is now the great question before
the people of York county, and from all
appearances it is going to continue ques-
ton until the bridge is built. This fact
there is not the slightest reason to doubt,
for the people of Fort Mill, at least, are
thoroughly in earnest, and when these
people once set their minds upon thing
that is right, they never let 60 until they
have achieved their desire.
Although the report in The ENQUIRER
of Wednesday, of the bridge discussion OF
Tuesday, was complete as far as it went,
on account of the fact that the matter was
not disposed of until less than an hour OF
the time it was necessary for the paper to
20 to press, the proceedings were not
nearly as full as the importance OF the
question demands. There is nothing to
do. therefore, under the circumstances,
but to present more complete synopsis
of the proceedings.
The principal argument in behalf of the
bridge, as already reported, was made by
Rev. DR.. J. 81. Thornwell. He desired to
appeal to the board, he said, as practical
business men, and what he had to present
was plain business proposition. He de-
scribed Fort Mill township as the "cut
off'-cut off from Lancaster, cut of from
North Carolina, and cut off from York
county, of which it is part. Next he
took up the Inconvenience Of getting
across the river. In times of high water,
it was impossible, except on foot over
a narrow plank, on the railroad bridge,
and in times of ordinary low water, on
account of the fact that there is only one
wire ferry on the river for miles, and
none of the other ferries are reliable, to
get across, it is often necessary to travel
many miles out of the way. On this ac-
count, citizens of Fort Mill dreaded
to start for Yorkville in buggy in
the hope of getting back the same day.
To make the trip by rail, for the purpose
of transacting official business, he e1-
planned, required the consumption OF
three days of time and the expenditure
of something like $40. One of the three
days was lost by reason of the fact that ac-
cording to schedules, the traveller does
not arrive in the evening until the public
offices are about ready to close, and he
must leave in the morning before they
are open. 1t was here that DIR. Thorn
we'll related several dangerous expert
ences with which he had met in crossing
the river, and then he exclaimed that If
the people generally only realized the
needs of the people of Fort Mill town.
ship, he believed that they would say,
with one accord, that the bridge should
be built. "We are not asking you for
million dollars" he said. 1--WE are not
asking you for 800, 900 or any other great
amount. We have gotten an expert esti-
m ate to show that the work will cost less
than SO 1000; but that is not the question.
We are citizens of York county; that
bridge is a necessity, and I tell you, sir,
that we are entitled to it no matter what
1t COSTS" Continuing, DR.. Thornwell said
that he was not there to ask the board to
build a steel bridge, or any other par
ticular kind of a bridge. All that he ask
ed for was bridge of some kind, and
this he assured the board that the people
Of Fort Mill were determined to have.
If the board did not see fit to give it to
them, they would 60 down into their
pockets and help themselves as best they
could. He believed the construction Of
the bridge was work in which the
whole county was interested. and it
should be built at public expense. 1t was
true that Fort Mill township was to be
benefited most; but what would benefit
part, would necessarily help the whole.
On the question of right, DIR. Thornwell
said that Fort Mill township paid in the
neighborhood of one-tenth of the taxes
of the county, and had never before ask
ed for anything of the kind. He recited
the fact that his people had paid taxes on
the narrow gauge railroad bonds uncom-
plainingly, although they did not derive