The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-07-27
ONE WHO KNOWS TALKS
OF BROAD RIVER RBIDGE
1t Should Be Located at Strothers
Because of Convenience and
Natural Advantages.
Editor Herald and News:

Sixty-two years ago / made my
first barefoot tracks in the sand on
Broad river. have continued to
track along it's course ever since (but
not always barefooted). I think /
know the stream and the country
from Columbia to Shelton as well as
any man my age and I can not un-
derstand why our new or late gen.
Grafton see things so different to
what / know them to be. A party
goes. out from Columbia via Montl-
cello in Fairfield county, thence by
Salem church on up through Fairfield
lover the hilliest country God ever
made) to Smiths ferry, and there
decided on a location for bridge
to cross over into Union county,
stating that it would be convenient
for Newberry folks to come via Ca
pers or Gillian1s chapel to cross this
bridge to get III Fairfield, dis
tance of about 80 miles to reach
Winnsboro, when the old thorough
fare, the Ashford ferry road, almost
bee line from Newberry to Wins
boro, is only 81 miles. Let the
highway commission search the banks
of Broad river from Columbia to
Shelton. If they can find a place
with a bluff opposite each after COM
ing as close to the bank of the river
as they are at Strother just above
the ferry, l will give it up. In fact
there would be short trestle work
from the water edge to the bluff or
hill where the abutment of the bridge
could rest on a solid formation of
rock where nature seems to have de-
signed for bridge. will donate
the land and show the commission
where they can locate the road on
the Newberry side without hill to
climb. On the Fairfield side the
road has already been changed
around the hills so that one can run
a Ford car (from the bank of the
river) five miles without changing to
low gear (for l did this myself two
weeks ago.. If this can be beaten
for road out from the river any
where l will give it up again.
Now what does Columbia want
with a road up through Fairfield
where they can cross the bridge at Co
lumbia and come right up the river
on the old Columbia road to Spar
tanburg and on to the mountains,
while Fairfield could cross the river
at Shelton and reach this Columbia
road within mile of the river. Then
the counties of Newberry and Fair
field would be linked together at this
central point, and the traffic ply be-
tween the county sites. wish to
state that I have no selfish motive
in the location of this bridge, but l
do hope that the commission will ex-
anime and consider this location,
consider the hnveniences of the peo-
pie along this river and if better
place be founas>;,t the bridge there.
But bridge at Shelton would be no
earthly use to Newberry county.
Would the people of Peak and this
side feel like going 20 miles straight
up the river to cross bridge at Shell
ton to get to Winnsboro in Fairfield
county when Strother is 121 miles
from Peak and nine miles from Shell
ton. A blind man can see that
Strother is the most central point and
those with their eyes half open car
see that Strother offers the narrow
est place in the river and the best
banks for the approaches. So come
down, gentlemen, let me show you
the place. I can give you as good
dinner as Shelton gave the other fel'
lows.
| j. S. J. Suber.