The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-12-19
SHOULD NOT ANNEX.


town should go to Richland cnly
proves that Brookland should remain
apa1tand parc=l Of Lexington county.
The writer starts our with the ad-
mission that he is not directly inter
ested in the matter and then pro
ceeds to give advice to those people
who are deeply interested in it. For
over quarter of century we have
been deeply interested in the welfare
of every foot of ground in Lexing-
ton county and have time and again
both in the capacity Of apublic news
paper and private citizen, been called
upon to advise our people affecting
their material progress, and never
once has that advice been found to
be against their interests. We have
with pride and qualification watched
the evolution of Brookland from a
hamlet to the present thriving and
prosperous town, and We are prepared
to state, without fear of successful
= contradiction, that a town that has
shown such marked improvements IN
80 short a time as Brookland has
done, the drawbacks of which our
correspondent complains have been
no drawbacks at all, but rather bless
ings in disguise. They have stood
as bulwalks of protection to Brook
lands businessinterests, consequently
her prosE9ity.
We are glad that our correspon-
dent is anxious to consider conditions
and we shall as briefly as we can
consider them. Now, what are they?
Only few years ago, comparatively
speaking, Brookle nd was but a pine
forest with but four houses and con-
fronted with that terrible drawback
to her growth toll bridge. This
was once her condition. Reverse the
picture and look at her condition to-
day. With the same drawback of q
toll bridge she has grown to be the
metropolis Of the county and an i'm
portant business town and is grow
ing more prosperous each day. The
conditions are favorable. and prove
that every consideration should in
duce Brookland to remain with Lex
ingtoD, and especially so since the
advocates of annexation never have
given logical reason to show that
her condition would be improved by
going into Richland.
Our correspondent argues that the
nearness to Richards county's seat is
an inducement. seemingly forgets
that large part Of legal business
can and is being transacted through
Sne mails and that but little legal
business requires the personal pres
ence of Columbia lawyers. Lexing-
ton has number of local attorneys
who are as we'll read in the law as
those of any other place and to re-
tain these will obviate the necessity
of the presence OF Columbia law
yer at all. So this is no argument
to show any benefit which is to come
from the change.
The "Duck Mill" people built their
operatives houses on this side of the
river to avoid the excessive taxation in
Richland, finding that it was cheaper
to pay the toll than the taxes. We
submit that this is strong reason
why Brookland should remain as she
now is. Again our friend complains
because the Brookland merchant has
to pay 25 cents toll on every one
horse load of goods. In reply, we
submit that it is known fact that the
Columbia merchants are paying the
same toll aud besides delivering
goods free to their customers in
BrookIand and were it not for ''those
closed gates" the merchants of Brook
land will find that instead of loosing
a portion of the trade of the factory
operatives by reason of having no
toll to pay, that a large portion Of
the other trade will be lost for the
same reason. But, then, the mer-
chants of Brookland can avoid pay
ing the toll by making Cayce their
shipping point.
1t is doubtful whether the four
large real estate owners will be bene-
fted by the proposed change. The
inducements to purchase homes in
Brookland are greater now than they
would be by the change. The refer
ence to the selling of 20 lots each is
: matter of conjecture only which
has foundation only in the writer's
supposition. But even if the lots
should be sold by reason of annex
ton, this change would increase the
valuation upon the home of the poor
man without increasing his wages