The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-10-11
EXPLAINS CANAL MATTER.
Il. w. Dabbs Tells Why He Went Dc.
fore County Board Asking County


fore County Board Asking County
to Bear Part Of Expense. g.
Editor Daily Item. 4;
In the report of the proceedings OF
the County Board, it appears that L
might have been asking for assistance
to d private enterprise. / must have
been very unfortunate in my choice
of words i'm presenting this matter to.
the board. 1 can not believe that
the board would take the view. as has
been suggested to me, that as 1 am
doing the work, / am plenty able to.
pay for it, and the county is that
much ahead.
had adequate drainage until
neighbors above me put in a system
of drainage that turned the water
from 1000 or more acres upon me all
at once, much of it turned from it's
natural water course, causing the wa
ter to empty on me in twenty-four
hours that formerly took three weeks
never came through. Once in 1914,
twice in 1915. and for nearly two
weeks this year, 1 was drowned out
by these waters, and the public road
at two places was impossible for foot
passengers, and in front of my sons
house impossible for vehicles for a,
o,,1 l.
for two weeks, if we had not waded
in and nailed the boards under the
water. We then tried to fill the holes
on each side that made it dangerous
and finally had to puncheon it with
slabs to keep autos from begging in
the mud. We have been paid for this
temporary work, but the road is still
bad and will remain so until the canal
is finished and properly bridged.
This road crossing and the Sumter
road crossing both obstructed the
flow of the water and backed it ON
us for Several days longer than it
would have done. We have not ask
ed damages for this back water, and,
by the way, there are three other
places on the new road where the
roadway packs water on me. Mr..
Pitts has promised for two years to
remedy them. We have not asked
damages for these either, what we
want is that the trouble be corrected.
In the case which 1 went before the
county boarl about, base my re-
quest upon the county doing it's prop
er share toward paying for a public
improvement without which it could
never have a good road. 1t world =
hundred dollars to build the road at
these two places high enough to MAIN
tain good road, and it would then
be liable for damages rorusar-iana by :
back water, and by the road washing
into our bitches and filing them up
at every high water. 1 wish to do Mr..
Pitts the justice to say that he told
me to take the hands I now have to
the worst place of the three 1 men,
toned above and have it drained at
the county's expense. 1 am sure that
if he and any member of the county
board will let me show them just what
high waters do to the roads at these
places they will see that 1 am not
asking for charity, but only for equf-
table cooperation in improving the
highways
understand the county board is
paying for ditching through private
lands below here that 1 know is not
of more benefit to the public road
than the work 1 am doing. 1t may be
said that this work is in aid of storm
sufferers. My work is equally aiding
storm sufferers, some of whom live on
the lands the drainage of which caus-
ed me all this trouble.
Pardon the length of this communi-
cation; it is matter Of public interest
and 1 do not wish to be put in the
light OF asking favors of the county
board. And / cannot believe the
county board would refuse to do what
they would have done, if / had not
started this work until they consented
to bear a share Of the cost.
E. w. Dabbs.
'ts