The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-11-18

In future the license on carnival
shows should be made so heavy that
they will give Sumter a wide berth.
They are not elevating, entertaining
or in any wise beneficial to the city,
and therefore undesirable.
George Elliott was before the Mayor
today for disorderly conduct and carry
ing concealed weapons. He was proven
guilty and the sentence was 80 days on
the chain gang or 500 fine. He paid
the fine.
The insurance rate on dwelling
houses has recently been reduced to
tariff basis-75 cents per hundred
and property owners are now saved
one fourth of their insurance. Many
people would like to know why this
reduction was not made several years
ago.
The county board of control has
under consideration the establishment
of beer dispensary in this city. The
experiment was given trial once and
was discontinued for reasons satlsfac-
tory to the board then in Office, and
the same grounds of objection to this
annex to the dispensary system proba-
bly, exist now as at that time.
A horse belonging to Boyle's stables
ran away on East Liberty street about
Z O'Clock last Wednesday night
and scattered the croyd that
wss collected around the Snake
Eaters booth right and loft.
It was at first reported that several
persons were injured, but later these
reports were disproved. The only
damage done was to bicycle ridden
by the porter of the SuEter Dry Goods
Co. The wheel was wrecked, but the
negro escaped uniniured.
Supervisor Scale mas called out the
hands to do road duty on the, public
roads as required by law. and is having
them worked ahead of the chain gang
under systematic superintendence 50
as to insnre good and substantial work.
The chain gang and road machine
force follow and put the finishing
touches on the work done by the
others. He has consented to the hands
working two days week until they
baye worked out the number of days
required by law, as most Of the hands
are dependant for support on thir daily
labor and it would be a hardship to
require them to work on the roads for
the full number of days without inter
mission.
The survey of Turkey Greek, which
is being made by Mr.. W. Loring Lee,
will be completed within short time
and it will then be up to the City Coun-
Gil, the County of Sumter and the land
overs whose property is drained and
rendered arabic bv the canal to say
what they propose doing to improve it.
Mr.. Lee finds that there is very little
fall in the canal and that the volume
of water discharged into it by the city
drains, the bitches along the public
roads and field bitches is TOO great to
be carried off promptly by the flow, be-
ing so sluggish that after every heavy
rain the canal overhows and the low
lands are flooded by back water. This
condition can be remedied only by en-
larging the canal and by lowering the
water level to Dingle's mill into which
the canal empties.
It is well established principle of
South Carolina law, based upon con
Stltutlonal provision that no exclusive
franchise may legally be granted, and
it is also well known that the City
Council has no right or power to grant
an exemption from taxes to any enter
prise save manufacturing establish
ments. It was useless to ask for these
concessions, and by doing 80 the pro-
moters weakened their application.
The people of Sumter to man would
be glad to have street railway and
they will sanction the granting by
Council of liberal franchise in which
all reasonable concessions shall be in
corporated, but when the promoters
begin by asking for the impossible,
the people of the town, if the
writer knows anything of their feel
ings, will not sanction it even if by
any chance the City Council should
undertake to grant all that is asked,
which is most unlikely.