Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-19
Wednesday May 10, 1897.
FORT MILL MATTERS.
The Crops-How to Get Good Roads-Dis-
satisfaction Over the Bridge Question.

rVhl NAL
The Crops-How to Get Good Roads-Dis
satisfaction Over the Bridge Question.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
GOLD HILL, May 1--we are about
through planting in this section bu
on account of the dry weather, the
crops are not up good yet and we are
not especially busy.
Wheat and oats are looking we'll
The only thing that is the matter with
the small grain crop, is that it is toe
small.
took trip to Charlotte yesterday
Everything is going on smoothly. The
election came off and there was nc
one killed. Mr.. Eli Springs "got there
Eli" by something over 400 votes. Oh
course, the Springsites are rejoicing
The other faction is down in the mouth
Politics are in q muddle. May the
good Lord forbid that the white people
of our grand old Palmetto State shall
ever stoop so low as to use the Negro
vote as a balance of power to destroy
the peace and unity Of the white race
Mr.. Editor, it is difficult to imagine
the pleasure of riding over the macad,
am roads. To pull buggy or wagon
is no burden to the stock, and it is
comfortable to those in the vehicles
Let me tell you. If we people of old
York would just 60 at it in the right
way, we would have just as good roads
as they have in Mecklenburg, and we
would not be long about it either. |
think that the road question is the
most important that we have to deal
with. Good roads are necessity
They not only save our live and roll
ing stock and shorten distance; but
draw US closer together and enhance
the value of our property. Then,
again, it is a demand of humanity.
Think of the number of poor beasts
that are destroyed in year, or worn
out before their time on account of the
miserable trails that we call roads.
This expensive waste of itself is suf-
ficient to macadamize every road in
the county within few years.
lam glad to see that our people are
at last inclined to make move on the
road question. That proposed three
mill tax is a good thing, and no
doubt, after good long time, we will
begin to see some benefits from it; but,
Mr.. Editor, I am afraid that my young
est baby will have to live to be as old
as Methuselah was, before even her
grandchildren would see good roads
all over York county. There is but
one way to get good roads, and that is
to build them. Well, how will we do
it? I will ask "How was the Three
C's railroad built? ?" The people IN
each township through which that
road passed, subscribed so much
money for the purpose and issued
bonds to cover the amounts. Why
can't we do the same thing to build
roads? Let each township use its own
money and not wait for the chaingang.
But enough of this for the present.
I now want to pay my respects to the
Catawba bridge, and ask few ques-
tions. 1 see that the bridge has been
located below Harris's ferry. Now,
Mr.. Editor, believe every citizen has
a right to express himself in regard to
public matters affecting either his own
interests or the interests of the COM
munity in which he lives. Now in
what I have to say, am expressing
the sentiment OF all the people in
this-the broad end-of the township ;
especially the sentiment of the tax
payers. We are grateful for the bridge,
or will be if it is put in the right place
and when I say the right place, l
mean where it will suit most of the
taxpayers, or all Of them best. Where
the commissioners have located it, it
will not do that. Why were we grant
ed bridge? Was it for the purpose
of opening up a way only for the
people of the town of Fort Mill to get
to Yorkville; or was it for the benefit
of the people of Rock Hill so they
could get to Fort Mill and Charlotte ?
If that is the purpose for which the
bridge is to be built, I must confess
that have all along been in the dark.
When the matter was discussed at
Fort Mill and committee appointed
to get estimates as to the amounts
necessary to do the work, | was
under the impression that the bridge
was for the convenience of the peo-
pie of Fort Mill township in going
to and from the county seat, and not
for the especial convenience of the two
towns of Fort Mill and Rock Hill. l
thought that the bridge was granted
to enable our people to get to York
Vile without being compelled to 60
too far out of the way. The outlook
now is that us country people will be
compelled to 20 three or four miles
out of our way, and for the life of me
I am unable to see what good the
bridge is going to do the people of the
broad end of the township. 1t will
not be much, if any, advantage over
the ferries, although for the towns OF
Rock Hill and Fort Mill, I confess it
is the very thing.
Again, l thought that the bridge
was granted to the people of Fort
Mill township with the express under
standing that the cost of the structure
and the approaches thereto should not
exceed $4,000. Now it seems that the
estimate at the place which Rock Hill
has selected and Fort Mill has SUBJ
mitted to, is $1,000. Now 1 did
not know before that 9 meant II
but l presume that all of US will get