Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-02-10
PROGRESSIVE CLAYTON T!

Last week we noted the fact that
Clayton, Ca, was taking steps toward
securing electric lights and water-works.
The Tribune of last Thursday makes
this interesting announcement:
The amount requisite to install an cleo
trio plant has been raised, and the cleo
trical plant people have been notified,
and before Judge Kimsey convenes court
on the 22d, Clayton will be sparkling,
it looks now, with the glitter of electric
lights, and the hotels and stores and
private residences will be adorned with
the incandescents. This is a sounding
note of progress.
Some may say, we cannot afford TO
we are not going to stop at this. We are
soon to have railroad; we have bank.
Now come electric lights, and we hear
cries for water. We are offered the
money by outside parties to put in sys
tenn of water-works, but after our bank
and electric lights, and the railroad, the
money will be found at home to get
water. You see it does not cost much
to do such things, and our citizens are
no longer drones. The spirit of enter-
prise has caught among our people and
1t won't be long till you can't stop them.
They will go anyhow.
Our mayor and council are bent on
keeping order. They are doing SO. now.
The city authorities are marvelously sue
cessful. They begin in earnest and re
main so. We no longer appeal, but
praise. We made our appeal when they
were installed into office. We do not be-
lieve the people will have any room to
complain. Blind tigers are gone, drunk
enness is suppressed and all is serene.
Our streets will be beautitied, sidewalks
I1 81,
come, beautiful homes. good people,
monoyed people, and ''all will be lovely
aud the goose hangs high"
Good for Clayton! When the citizens
of town work together as these people
seem to be doing, the town and commu-
nifty are bound to prosper and move for
ward.
What we need most here in Walhalla-
and what we must have before real,
genuine spirit of progress can be noted
in :he town-is unity of action, de-
termination to work for Walhalla from
January to December Of every year; the
laying aside OF personal differences,
when it comes to matters pertaining to
the welfare of the town and community.
Walhalla is now town of practically
1900 inhabitants and she is one of the
best and most substantial towns of South
Carolina. Yet in some respects she is
behind the times. She certainly needs
and needs badJy-electric lights and
water-works, and there is no surer way
of getting them than by going to work
and getting them ourselves. We are in
formed that there is a company ready to
put in about one-half the necessary CAPT
tai for installing system of waterworks
and electric lights, provided the citizens
will meet them half way in tho matter
of raising the funds. Such proposi-
ton ought to be taken up the instant it
is made; provided, of course, the propo-
sition calls for no unreasonable grants
and does not carry unjust charges for
the use of water and lights. And on
both these scores, we are informed, the
proposition made is not only not OPP
pressive, but exceedingly liberal. We
not only need them, but justice to the
old town demands them. SO long as we
are without them we are in peculiar
sense standing in ourown light"
Another thing we need is better
streets. The early beginning of the
ments is commendable. In our opinion
there should be certain amount of per-
manent street work done each year, re-
serving always a sufficient amount of the
funds raised from "street tax" to keep
all the walks and streets of the town in
good repair. Probably one block of
permanent work could be done each
year, and while this kind of work calls
for greater outlay of money than the
system of "patchng" that has always
prevailed, it will be a matter of economy
in the end.
There is also need of replacing
many of the trees along the sidewalks.
Some have died, some have been injured,
and all should be replaced. If the town
finds its funds inadequate for making
such an expenditure, there is another
and probably better-way of securing
shade trees. That is, the annual OBJ
servance of Arbor Day, at which time
our citizens could well afford to get to-
gether, and by uniting individual efforts,
and at slight personal cost, donate to
the town and set out a sufficient number
of trees, to give back to Walhalla her
triple line of shade trees, for which at
one time her principal street was noted.
Let us get to work
Let us have water!
Let us have lights!
Above all, let us have unity! And
when we get full measure of it, the
others will follow as a natural conse-
quence.