Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-18
DANGER TO THE TREES.
"A Note of Timely Warning and Sus
gested Remedy.

Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
Kindly allow me a few lines OF
space in which to sound what l con-
slider to be a very important warning
| to the people Of Yorkville.
Unless prompt and effective action
is taken by the people, their beautiful
shade trees are doomed, especially on
Main street.
Permit me to say that the danger
does not come from cement sidewalks.
The putting down Of these walks is the
most progressive and creditable move
the people of Yorkville have ever made,
and anybody can see from the way the
work is being done the trees are not
endangered.
The shade trees have been a subject
of more or less discussion Of late. 1t
Is common to hear people declare that
the trees should come down: that II
will help business; that the town Will
never do any good until the trees are
removed, etc.
The origin of this kind Of talk, In the
opinion of the writer, Is interested. 1t
Is frequently repeated, however, by
others in more or less thoughtless
good faith. But how does the grateful
Shade of these delightful trees injure
business? How would the removal or
general business Is meant
Casual inquiry will very probably point
to the CONCLUSION that general business
Is not the consideration in this matter;
but that the menace to the trees comes
from those interested In telephone ana
electric light wires, especially telephone
wires.
People who were at the citizens
mass meeting in the court house re-
Gently, will remember the suave assur-
ance with which the Bell telephone rep
resentative told the people, how the
Bell was going to take its wires from
across back lots and gardens and string
them along the streets on pointed poles
out of the way Of the trees, etc. SO
liberal and obliging did this fellows s
talk sound that many would have been
glad to give assent on the spot; but
was he really liberal and obliging, or
only smooth?
II the town council allows the tele-
phone people to use the streets, they
will get a right of way wherever they
want without q cent Of cost. or course
the Bell people would rather have a
free right Of way along the streets than
to have to buy the right Of way over
private property. Anybody would.
Something was said In the meeting
about cables through the trees so as
not to do any damage This Is prac-
ticable: but II cables are permitted will
it stop at that? Won't we have cable
carrying as many wires as seem to be
necessary at the time. and then won't
there be constant additions of single
wires until there Is great bunch or
them? That has been the experience
In other towns. which have finally
found ii necessary to actually cut the
telephone poles off the streets. Large
towns have done this and so also have
small towns. Such action has been
found necessary even In towns that
had no shade trees, especially after the
wires had become so numerous as to
be a positive obstruction to business
and a menace to public safety.
But suppose the telephone people are
allowed to string their wires along the
streets, Is II not a fact that the trees
will be in their way? And II the trees
are in the way of the owners or the
wires Is II reasonable to expect that
the owners of the wires will feel friend
ly toward the trees? Then why expose
the trees to such fatal enmity, for the
hostility Of the telephone people Will,
In the course of time, surely extermi-
nate the trees.
II Is well understood now that elec-
llBul "lISS VIII tiSSS. - "S>N
claimed otherwise when the wires were
first put in. The wires were "insu-
lated" it was said, and they could not
possibly do any harm. But In many
cases the insulation has worn off and
trees have been killed. Several nave
been cut down because Of the electric
light wires and numerous limbs have
been Topped off.
The electric wries are absolutely nee
essary and the place for them Is along
the streets. With proper regulation
they can be handled. Let the under
limbs of the trees be trimmed and let
the wires be stretched on stout poles
not more than fifteen or twenty feet
high. There is no danger to the trees
except when they are touched by the
wires.
Under the law as it now stands the
telephone companies may condemn
rights of way for their lines, and to
allow them the use of the streets Is to
give them for nothing, at great incon-
venience to the people. that for which
| they ought to pay
If the people of Yorkville will pre-
serve their shade trees they will see
| to 1t that the electric wires are erected
in accordance with proper regulations,
and that the telephone lines are kept
off the streets. In the absence Of such
precautions. two or three years, GER
tainly not over five, will tell the story.
LEATHER STOCKING.