The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-11-14
CONCERNING ANNEXATION.

mex portion OF Cepgaree 'o"hship
in this county to that OF Rlchland is
fsrthered by only a fe" prop
erty owners whose property mainly
lies in the suburbs of the town CT
Brookland proper and within theter-
, risory proposed to be cut, and VINO
are apparently inspired with hope
of personal aggrandizement and with
s the faint probability of freeing Con-
:. saree bride. We believe that the
motives underlying the movement
are so thoroughly understood by a
large msiority of the voters and
property owners within the territory
that they need no other lncen-
tive than self preservation to induce
them to vote against the proposition.
What is the inducement for the
small and large permanent property
owners to go into Ricbland county
. we cannot comprehend. Taxes will
8 certainly not be appreciatively lighter;
such movement will not be factor
in the enhancement of real estate ard
? j. is equally certain that change OF
citizenship will not increase in the
smallest degree the moral and social
prestige Of the people while in poi-
tics they will bsunder the domini,iou
of the people living in territory OF
Richlaud embraced in two square
miles. The land spectators, however,
are encouraged with the misleading
belief that BY annexation q demand
for real estate will be created by an
influx of summer swallows from the
over crowded city who will be induced
to build summer residences on Brook
land Heights by reason OF the pure
air and salubrious climate. Wehaye
only to show the untenableness of
this theory by pointing to the fact
that the residential suburbs of Go
eiubia are extending northward and
eastward while its manufacturing
development is ipYariable southwark
and westward which makes Brook
land Heights very undesirable for
suburban residences. These condl-
tions are well known and have time
and again been discussed by men
who would have long since purchased
the land when it could have been
bought for a mere song could it have
been utilized for the purposes for
which it's present owners vainly
imagine.
To free the Congaree bridge at
this time, and for that matter for
years to come, would be one OF the
most fatal commercial blunders that
could possibly overtake that grow
ing and prosperous town. With the
doors Of Lexington partially closed
TO Columbia by reason of the toll
natural const quence is that large
amount of trade stops in Brookland
which, if conditions were different,
would go over into Columbia, but as
they are now the business men, me-
chanics and residents of Brookeesr5
reap the benefit inlsreSsHn erative
trade: We Gisss'o Giss our Brookland friends
clamor SO Justify for free bride
to the sad experience OF Hamburg.
With a free bridge not a paper of pins,
nor yard of calico, nor a pound Of
bacon would be sold in Brooklaud.
Every one who had a nickle to spend
would cross the bridge to spend it in
Columbia. The necesssries of life
would be beyond the reach OF many
and following closely in the track Of
this decay and stagnation would set
in and progress and activity would
give place to desoiation and death.
This has been the experience tf
every town similarly situated as
Brookland is and there is no tangible
reason to argue that it will prove the
exception to the rule when facts and
experience are both to the contrary.
In our opinion what Brookland
needs most today to accelerate her
prosperity and enhance the value cf
her real estate is not anne xatiop, nor
a free bridge, but simply arailroal
line leaving the Columbia, Nswberry
and Laurens Railroad near the site
Of the old Saluda factory end con-
Meeting with the Southern and the
Florida Central and Peninsular R.il
roads at Cayce. This is practicable
and with little energy can be built
at comparatively small cost, and
this, together with the opening Of
the Congaree river to navigation, will
accomplish wonders for the town
free from all entsngling alliances aud
heavy taxation.
We are conf Dent that there are