Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-07-08
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

held its regular monthly meeting in
the office of the supervisor last Tues
day. All of the members were present,
and although they did not accomplish
great deal probably, they put in a
hard days work.
One of the first matters to engage
the attention Of the board was a petit
ton signed by freeholders of York
and Bethel townships, and presented
by Mr.. Sam NJ. Grist, asking for the
opening of a public road from the
Mrs. n. D. Tate place, on the Arm
strong Ford road, to connect with the
Charlotte road at point about four
miles northeast of Yorkville.
This matter has been before the
county board of commissioners for
quite while. 1t appears that all the
property owners interested but one
Mr.. James Gordon-is willing to give
the right of way, and Mr.. Gordon not
only refuses to give or sell the right of
way, but avows it as his purpose to
exhaust all remedies at law to prevent
the opening of the road. The COM
missioners sometime ago gave their
consent for the opening of the road,
provided the right Of way was pro-
cured without cost to the county, and
failing to comply with this condition,
Mr.. Grist and the other petitioners
are now trying to force condemnation
proceedings.
The petitioners were represented be-
fore the board on Wednesday by w.
B. de Loach, Esq. Mr.. de Loach
stated that the road was desired by
people of Kings Mountain, Bethel and
York townships. They especially want
ed it, because it would enable people
who came to Yorkville by way of the
Armstrong Ford road to take ad-
vantage of that portion of the Char
lotte road that had been improved by
the county at an expense of several
thousand dollars. The connecting
link, he explained, was especially de-
sirable in winter when portions of the
Armstrong Ford road were virtually
impossible. He explained that Mr..
Gordon's objection was based princi-
pally on the fact that the change
would leave his residence some dis
tance away from the new road. MIR.
de Loach, however, claimed that such
would not be the case. The present
road, which is an impracticable one,
has been in use for more than so years,
and it cannot now be closed against
Mr.. Gordon or any one else who may
desire to travel it. He then submitted
a number of afidavits from freehold
ers, setting forth that the opening OF
the road was a necessary and desira-
BILE convenience, calculated to pro-
mote the interest of commerce.
Mr.. Gordon was not present at the
meeting, nor was he represented. In
quiry into the law developed the fact
that if, in the opinion of the county
board of commissioners the opening OF
the road is necessary, then the right Of
way can be condemned. Mr.. de Loach
argued that the board had no discre-
ton in the matter; but was duty bound
to act. The board preferred not to
take any decided action at the time !;
but postponed further consideration
until another meeting to be held on
next Tuesday, and at which meeting
testimony will be taken as to the COM
mercial necessity of the proposed new
road.
The next matter that came up for
discussion was in relation to the sale
of York county's holding of stock in
the Carolina and North h-Western rail-
road. Mr.. Thomas H. White, of Ches-
ter, appeared before the board with a
request for an option until July Is, or
August /.
Mr.. White made a frank, straight
forward statement of the situation,
which, in brief, was about as follows:
He and his associates had undertaken
to sell the bonds, and to that end had
formed a pool. Mr.. Elliott, of Winns-
boro, and himself, had gone north in
search of a market. They had tried
to sell the road to the Southern and
failed, and Mr.. Williams had said pos
itively that the Seaboard did not want
it. They got proposition from par
ties, whose identity he was unwilling
to disclose, offering so cents on the
dollar, for from S150,000 to 100000
worth of the bonds, and $3.50 share