The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-09-04
OF WEDGEFIELD
ROUTE.
1t Would Benefit the Public at Large
And Connect Prosperous Sections
OF Sumter and Richland.

Mr.. Editor:
II there is any serious purpose to
construct a road through the Wa
teree swamp, there is a consideration
that should not be disregarded.
namely: Service of the people al
large. Of course, if the road is to
be built sOley for automobilists who
desire run between Sumter and CO.
lumbia added to their pleasures, their
wishes alone should be consulted, and
the needs and highway requirements
or the people at large need not be
considered. But, as the road will be
built largely with public funds and
maintained in that way also, the
main consideration should be to con-
struct a road that would serve the
most people to the best advantage.
road that would serve other people
as we'll as automobilists, a road that
would furnish a means Of travel
where needed. is the road that should
be built. These requirements are not
met by crossing at Garner's Ferry,
for there Is scarcely any local de-
mand or need for a crossing there.
On the Richland side such a road
would penetrate barren sand hills,
very sparsely settled, for a distance
Ah0nf OF toI, -
over which scarcely any but auto
mobilists would ever pass going to
Sumter. AS a trade-bringer 1t would
necessarily be failure, for there is
no trade on the Richland side to
bring anywhere worth striving for.
Such a route would benefit only the
automobilists. On the other hand,
the proposed Wedgefield route would
put Sumter into easy communication
with the richest section Of RichIand
County. a section not surpassed any,
where in South Carolina, having
considerable commerce and much
trade that could be diverted to Sum-
ter, and besides, such highway
would be of great service to a thick
ly settled portion of the State, pos
sessing several prosperous villages,
and between which there is already
frequent communication by rail. This
road would be Of great advantage To-
cally, and would also serve our
friends, the automobilists far better
than the other, because of the tele-
phone and railway stations along the
route. The choice is between a route
that would serve one class of people
almost exclusively and a route that
would serve many, locally and we'll
as generally. There can be no doubt
which should be chosen. The Wedge
| field route would connect PROSPEROUS
| and we'll settled communities, and the
local use of the road would justify it's
cost.
The objection urged in your paper
does not apply with so much force to
the Wedgefleld route, for, as has been
Il
| shown, that way would be of great
| service to many besides automobil-
| lists. Nor should we forget that the
fact that the State farm authorities
| have built a crossing, IL it be a fact,
10 no guarantee that the county would
| not in the long run And the one as
| expensive as the other, when the pri-
vate subscriptions are considered,
| and due regard had to the protection
| afforded the crossing at Wedgefield
| by the Coast Line fills. 1t cannot be
regarded as sufficient to turn the
course Of the road towards Garner's
Ferry simply because a causeway Of
greater or less extent has been found
there. Many other things are to be
considered, and while it is very de-
| sirable that a crossing be constructed
| across the Wateree swamp, care
should be employed in selecting the
route in order to avoid the appear
ance of considering the wishes of the
| few, and disregarding the needs Of
the many.
WEDGEFIELD.
Wedgefeld, S. c.. Sept. l, 1909.