The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-03-12
COL. WILSON'S VIEWS.
PRESIDENT OF NORTHWESTERN
r. X. FOR MUNICIPAL PROGRESS
City Council Has Taken Little Interest
In Municipal Affairs, Consequently
sumter Has Not Kept Pace With
Other IOwns-COl. Wilson Hopes to
See New Council Elected.

The Item man had the pleasure of
Interviewing Col. Thomas Wilson,
President Of the Northwestern Rail-
road, yesterday and of getting an ex-
preston from him on municipal af-
falrs in general. Col. Wilson is al
ways alive to the best interest of Sum-
ter, and what he has to say about city
affairs will be read with a great deal
of interest. He said:
L regret very much to see SO little
interest taken in the city of Sumter
by the present City Council. Our side
walks and streets, to put it mildly,
are a disgrace to a city of the size Of
Sumter. Now, if you will visit other
towns, some very much smaller than
Sumter, and see the condition of their
sidewalks and streets-that they are
better than ours-it will make a citi-
zen of Sumter feel ashamed.
| Take Florence for an example.
They have miles of nice concrete
sidewalks; and even Kingstree. a
town about one-third the size of Sum-
ter, has her streets and sidewalks in
much better condition than ours.
They have beautiful sidewalks all
over their beautiful little town.
I'm some cases in our city the prop
erty owners practically have the side
walks fenced in. Take Calhoun street
where it intersects Main as an ex-
ample. The sidewalk is not more
than two feet wide. Many other
streets are in the same, or worse con-
dition.
1.-THE present Council have made
considerable improvement on some of
the streets by substituting clay for
sand, but there is still great deal of
Improvement necessary to be made.
Broad street is very narrow street,
and has a very heavy traffic, being
one Of the main thoroughfares to the
country About three years ago saw
the Importance Of widening this street
and took the question up with Mr..
Boyle, the Mayor The Mayor, Mr..
Rowland and myself obtained the
signatures of most of the property
owners on Broad street granting the
city an additional width Of ten feet
on each side of the street free Of
charge. Before Major Scale retired
from the office of County Supervisor
he stated to me that if the City Coun-
Gil would authorize the widening of
Broad street he would gladly under
take the work before his term of office
expired, as the city had considerable
work to its credit from city convicts
put upon the chaingang He would
have done the work with the convicts.
II communicated this information
to Mayor Boyle, but Major Scale was
never authorized to do the work. 1
have written seevral letters, addressed
to the Mayor on this subject, none of
which had any attention, though Mr..
Boyle informed me that he had laid
them befor Council.
"Our present Mayor and members
Of our present City Council are good
men and gentlemen whom know
personally and have a very high re-
| gard for, but I would now be glad to
see good Mayor and new Board of
Aldermen selected from our young
and progressive men who would take
an interest in public affairs and work
for the interest and upbuilding of the
city.
Il would suggest the names of q
few gentlemen who I think would
make good Aldermen, who are pro-
gressive men and successful, having
made a success of their own affairs:
Messrs. c. G. Rowland, Geo. D. Shore.
II. j. McLaurin, Jr., 1. A. Ryttenberg.
G. A. Lennon, j. P. Booth, f. c.
Manning, w. II. Scale, Neill O'Don-
nell, j. H. Levy. DR.. J. A. Mood, and
many others whom 1 might mention.
|
Der of Commerce at its next meeting
take up the question and suggest a
body Of good men to be voted for at
the coming primary to serve the city
as a Board Of Aldermen for the next
two years.
Il don't think that any good citi-
oh l.;
serve the city. l am particularly anx-
ious to see the city Of Sumter improve
and build up and will do all in MY
power to help the city in every way
possible. L hope to see our city at
an early date have an attractive ho-
| may require on blank to be furniSh-