The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-08-02
GARNER'S FERRY CROSSING,
COLUMBIA PEOPLE WANT SUM.
TER COUNTY TO GO AHEAD
WITH WORK OF OPENING
CAUSEWAv

CAUSEWAy,
Reardon Pc out Status
of Project on su ,r Side No
Money Oh Hand, nty Could Not
do Work Witho 3 Legislation and
Many Business : Oppose Propo-
sition. s
Col. E. j. Wa1 Il, commissioner Of
hasS red President r.. B.
Belser the foV.S ng:
With Pee section out OF from
Columbia, ar IL bridges on Catawha
and Wateree~ zone with little hope of
early restoration, it seems to me that
now is Sumter's chance to join with
Richland and open Garner's Ferry
diverting tide of travel through Sum-
ter. Ascertain and wire me attitude
of Sumter's business men,"
Mr.. r. w. Holcombe. Secretary OF
Columbia Chamber of Commerce wires
Secretary Reardon, of Sumter as fol-
lows:
Are not your people thoroughly
convinced of the advisability of open
ing Gamers Ferry Entire Eastern
section of State is cut off from Wes-
tern section by recent floods. Now
necessary to detour Via Charlotte to !
reach western section Of this State.
Can't you arouse sufficient interest In
your citizens to at least establish,
temporary ferry? Think time was
never more propitious for this under
taking. Answer"
Commissioner Watson adds in a let /.
ter to the Sumter Chamber Of Conn
merce under date of July 2sth, 1915;
Il trust l may be pardoned for ,hay-
ing ventured to suggest to the business
men of Sumter what considered one
of the best opportunities that had ever
come their way.
The upheavals CT nature had pro-
duced a new and extremely acute sit
uation in regard to transportation.
There is, today not single crossing
of the Catawba- Wateree- -Santee water
way dividing the state.
When these conditions arose, II o.
|curred to me that by quick 4 astlop
Sumter could make herself the ,gate-
|kaxef ~ travel hetxeen thA sNerthy
and the Sonth. xSd DgfWSeil NJ =!
largest halves Of the STATE" ! sFss y y:
Messrs. Belser and Reardon have
written Messrs. Watson and Hoicombs
assuring them that the interest Of the
two Columbia gentlemen in Sumter u
appreciated very much indeed. IS
Mr.. H. j. McLaurin, Jr., director Of
the Sumter Chamber of Commerce.,
and member of the Sumter Colum-
bia committee appointed at the re-f
cent State Farm conference regarding
the Garner's ferry crossing was,
shown the kilograms above mention
ed.
Mr.. McLaurin says he has been un-
able to arouse any enthusiasm in Sum-
ter for the proposed Gamers ferry
crossing, but has met with consider
able opposition instead. ga,
The matter as 1t now stands IL
about as follows:
Where will the money come from
to build up the causeway and estab-
lish ferry at Garners ferry landing
on Wateree swamp?
The Sumter and Richland county
boards of commissioners will not and
can not, except by special legislative
action, appropriate money for this
purpose.
Opinion is divided as to the COM
mercial value to this city Of the Car
ner's Ferry crossing. The business
men Of Sumter. and q very small mi
nority Of them. will have to furnish
the money, il a popular subscription
is raised for this purpose, as past ex- !
perience has shown that the over
whelming majority. in city and coun-
try, who derive, the most benefits from
public movements contribute nothing
at all towards these public improves
ments when popular subscriptions are
going the rounds. About fifty Sumter
business and professional men have
to carry the load for every public SUBJ
scriptiOn for the entire county and
city
With this small aggregation of
public spirited contributors divided as
regards their opinion of the CONNER
cial value, and successful business
men only regard commercial values in
counting results, where will the thou
sands of dollars come from to build
a crossing over Garner's ferry?