The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-06-11
CITIZEN OPPOSED
TO NEW COUNTY
Continued from Page Two.)


that the county has only one good
road in it, the National highway, and
that its roads and bridges are of the
cheapest order, and that they are
now trying to sell bonds to keen
things going. | am told over in Geor-
gia, where they have many small
counties, that they are about bust
ed with taxes about doubled. | was
cited to one county that could not
pay it's jurors, and that the sheriff
was serving for $40 per month.
The most serious thing with me is
the severing of our connection with
Spartanburg city, which, as already
said, pays a large share of county
taxes, and is a large, growing city,
which in tins is to be a wealthy
place, capable of keeping up the roads
and bridges of the county. can
see what the future status may be
by going out to Atlanta, Ga, where
L see magnificent roads leading out
In the country in every direction-in
fact, the whole country for 10 or 20
miles, is supposed to be her suburbs.
Agnes Scott Female college, as good
as Converse college, nine miles away,
is supposed to be a part of Atlanta,
and so, too, with Oglethorpe univer-
sity, IL miles away, to both of which
n1Dpnc
are or will be extended. All this re-
minds me to say what | said at the
beginning, that the new county would
start dreadfully poor and would like
ly continue poor | have already
shown you that it's taxable value
would be not over $3000,O0O: that
an assessment of mills, as in Spar
tanburg at present, would raise only
the nitiful sum Of $4,000, which
would not be drop in the bucket to-
wards county expenses; that the rate
of taxation would be enormous U will
now say double or quadruple what
We now pay); and that this eXcessiv.,
taxation would tend to drive away
labor and capitol. Drawing a line
eight miles from Spartanburg is not
going to build up the new county
or to attract trade to the town of
Woodruff, which, i suppose, is intend
ed to be the county seat, but trade
will still tend towards Spartanburg,
building it up at the expense of the
new county. Who would go % a
miserable one-horse town like Wood
ruff with the great city of Spartan
burg with its magnificent wholesale
and retail stores in reaching dis
tance. Why the very town of Wood
ruff itself would do it's trading in
Spartanburg as it now does, all of
which would detract from the new
county.
Why should Cross Anchor want n
new county when they have in view
a trolley line to Spartanburg, which
is sure in time to be built, and the
prospect that when the c. c. e O.
road is extended, which also is sure
to be done at an early day, will go
through the township, by reason of
which they will be in hourly COM
munication with Spartanburg, the sec
ond Atlanta? They ought to stop and
consider and see which side of their
bread Is buttered.
Why any one from the Greenville
line by Riedville, Duncan, Moore,
Bishops and Glenn Springs should
vote for the new county is beyond my
comprehension. They would simply
be cutting their own throats. How
will Walnut Grove, Glenn Springs,
Hebron and all the eastern part of
the new county ever get to the county
seat over all the creeks and rivers
and branches across the country with
poor roads, and it may be no bridges.
1t seems to me they will have to go 10
Spartanburg, Roebuck or Moore and
take the trains of the c. w. e. G..
railroad to their county seat.
This is vital matter Let every
one Of us therefore be certain to reg
lister and vote against it, and snow
it under so deep that we will never
hear of it again.
| remain Yours truly,
r. j. MOORE.