Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-11-17
OCONEE TO LOSE CLEMSON ?

neSday contained the following very
interesting, yet to OcOnee people not
at all agreeable, item OF news:
The community Of Clemson College
wishes to be annexed to Anderson
county. Governor Ansel yesterday
received a petition from a majority
OF the frec~holders in that territory,
asking for an election to be ordered.
The matter has been referred to the
Office Of the Attorney General.
1t Is not stated in the petition why
this change is desirable. The north
ern boundary line OF Anderson coun-
ty is now straight and this would
cause triangular bump, containing
about eight square miles, TO appear
on the map and corresponding in
dentation in OcOnee county. There
would be very little taxable property
to be added to the books, for Glenn
son College, while not State school,
Is yet an oleemOsynary institution.
The petition does set forth that the
area affected in the proposed change
is on the eastern, or remote, side Of
the Seneca river and / 5 miles from
Walhalla, the present county site.
Clemson College is about equally
distant from Anderson and from
Walhalla, and also about equal dist
anco from the Blue Ridge road and
the main line OF the Southern. 1t is
located in the southeastern corner of
Oconee county, within a mile of the
Pickens line on the one side and the
Anderson line on the other
The technical description of the
tract proposed to be annexed to An
dersOn county is as follows:
'Beginning on the northern bOun-
\
nee and Pic<cns counties corner, and
following the public road, the divid-
ing line between Pickcns and Oconee
counties, to RavcneIS bridge, over
Seneca river, thence down said river
10 the point where the northern
boundary line of Anderson crosses
said river, thence along said northern
boundary line Of Anderson county to
the beginning point"
1t Is set forth in the petition that
the "cutting off of this small part Of
Oconee county will leave said county
possessed OF all constitutional re-
quirements."
THE county OF Anderson will not
contain less than one-1 oath part Of
the population of the State nor will it
have less than s. 100000 of proper
ty, nor will it contain less than 400
square miles, it Is stated "and Oco-
nee county will not be reduced less
than 800 square miles, less than So
100000 In property. less than 900
inhabitants, nor cut within eight
miles OF court house; nor will cOun-
ty lines pass through any incorpo-
rated city or town" In this territory
there Is one polling place, Clemson
College.
The petition is signed by s. NJ.
Martin, A. NJ. Rcdfearn, p. II. T..
Sloan, II. Nj. Stackhouse, A. w. Mil
Ter, William G. Tucker, Samuel w.
Evans, l.. n. Seaso. w. NJ Riggs, G..
NJ. Fuman, J. II. Stewart. J. J. Stew
art, y. Wayne Fant, W. n. Trow-
bridge, a. j. Smith.
1t would be interesting to know the
reasons why this change is desired.
II seems to us that one OF the consti-
tutional requirements for the calling
OF an election to change a certain ter
ritory from one county to another
should be the stating OF good and
sufficient reasons" There is no real
son, so far as We are informed, as
signed for the desired transfer OF
Clemson from Oconcc to Anderson
county. The territory is almost cqui-
distant between Walhalla and Andcr-
son, the county seats OF the two coun-
ties. There would be no advantage
gained by the transfer in the matter.
or dlStanc" from the county seat.
The lines of the two counties arc bet
ter now than they would be should
the proposed change be made. II is
possible, OF course, for certain condi-
tionS to warrant the change Of conn
~ ines at times, but we see no good
reason for this proposed change. and
1t seems TO us utterly useless so far
as Oconcc and Anderson counties AS
whole are concerned
We call upon the citizens of the
territory which would be affected bv
the proposed change to consider we'll
the matter before they vote for the
change if the election Is ordered. The
change would be detrimental to Oco-
nee in an educational, territorial and
financial way. OCOnCc is fast grow
ing and making rapid strides along
all lines. Why hamper her progress
and decrease her territory by cutting
from her already small area and plac-
ing it in Anderson county, which IS
now larger than Oconee? Geograph
ically the proposed change is folly,
for 1t would mar the symmetry Of
both counties; educationally. 1t Is
seriously detrimental to Oconee, for