The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-06-23
3arnefs elFl:y BHidllge
Mr., R. B. Beiser Makes Lucid
Statement Of His Position
and Gives Reasons Why
Bridge Should Be Built

FreClly..7 -. s..-..,r -;
81 stated that j would favor the pros.
position if the county were only re-
duired to put up .sS77,5o0. and the l rest
| Of tile money necessary to build the
{: ct:asuseMay we're raised BY popnlar sub
f;scriptfon; and then proceeded TO show
the advantages which would be gain y I !:
cd Cd BY. the road and the conditions nn-.
taaer which the county commit ssioners
! had approved the use of sssSS7. 500 OF
fine funds accruing 60 the county nm
Eaer the proYi Sons of The State sl1igsa-
i5awav iva commission actor 1920. It mist
t.be understood that the act providihg
| for the State hig hway commission had
| Il X two1fola purpose: First, TO make
layaSla Bic to every count in ti1ssSsStats 8,
frst-class engine ering advice andSass-;
sistanee for an. county road and
bridge projects of importance; and, ];
second. to provide "a, system ofsSeate
highways connecting up the different
county road systems at tie county.
seats
! Now, the plans of the state nigh
way commission Tor a system :Dt.
State roads provide for three bridge
scressings,of the 'Wateree=Santeet Fiver:
-olle on the old yNlurray.s- Ferry land. ~ :.
1 ing near Gourdm, one at sPint;kney.s
| fanding near st. Paul i'm Clarendon
county and .Parler,,s in Oranseburgi
! county, and the third between Sumter
and Columbia al or near the zoId Gar. :.
nerss Ferry crossing, This latter cross
I ing is the one in which weeare inter. G I. :.
ested and it Will .put samte on the
main line. of travel s. from eastern m
North Earolina sia Aagion saao Ftor- ;
|ences.to Columbia, would also se,
| bring .throa ugh Sumter the traffic frem 1!
Hprav, Marion, Dillon End aFsloEenee
fhcounfies. Now just ash sthrouEh lines Of,
r:aiilroads add to the bus ls in
! portance Of a city so these mala State
iroads with through lines OF a a9tonno- q sI,
| Bile traffic and truck traffic whichJs: = ls $!
sure 10 foIiow-wili add TO the lbnsl-.
ness and imp Dortance OF the city !; and n !.
make il better distr ting point Tor or
iali lines of business: Sooner q. ater
This viii be. one OF the main hig ghTays
Of the state and viii be ard5surfaced
from the State line at the edge OF
marion county4to Columbia As stat
Fed already II. is one of The main high:
ways. .,of the State system and its up
keep is provided for in stile present
highway act, and If that act at all
meets the expectat of its trainers
.Ithe entire State system will ultimate:
Ely be CONSTRUCTED and kept up by
Estate funds: or at least by funds under
the control of the State highway
commission.
The appropriate 4of s37,S6e from
the funds which Accrue to the county
under the State highway commission
Fact is in direct conformity wish that
| purpose. These funds are really State
J, funds but have. simply been apper-
/ toned to the counties IN order TO in
sure every county getting its proper.
ton of the funds arising under the
| tact..
! The state engineer came to the
county board Of commissioners at its
May. meeting and stated that owing to
4 bridge project on the Savannah r1v-
sr SorsswhIch funds had been set aside
having fallen down. It was possible
for the state to secure s 1900 Of fed
eral money (Which would Otherwise
Ireceft to the general federal fund and
be sapportioned to other states il
Sumter county would put up 1897 500
land Rich4and county .5s37, 500 to.
build The bridge at Garner's Ferry.
fTRe State engineer also stated that
they had estimated the. cost OF the
bridge and it would not exceed 1885,
isaDo. The bridge would be bulttsat "a
| level above high water. And all nee
fessary approaches, including a three
foot gravel fir: along the old 'GarnerS.
Ferry road bed. could be constructed
for. $4,000 appitional. This would
fnot make a road bed which was
above extra high floods but would be
above everything except .eStraordi-
nary freshets and could be used more
than so per cent Of the time. ! .aues-
Etioned them particularly as to its
washing away and they stated hiatt:
built. Of gravel as they contennp plated
with proper openings along the ttTfhe;
Eof flow through the =swamp, which.
could readily be. determined. tie
.causeway would not wash away to.
any great extent if at all; that the
water which filed the swamp was
largely back water and except along.
|certain channels there was little flow.
Certain it is that the old 5Garner's-
Ferry road bed has stood. there fora,
hundred years and Isknow another
dam few miles below which has
been there for more than a hundred
years and goes into the swamp more.
than two miles and there are only
two.sor three washes across it. I am 4
frank to say. however. these are mat
ters on which 1 do not attempt ITO
pass, and am basing my opinion on
theastatementso tsof' the engineers. -.
At IS nifidoubt edly the intention Of
the State highway aep,a aitttment to
eventually }bnld, an an The. year round
seauseway and ROAD ae2ta1is poiat But !
it&is contemplated that this viii only !
be done after the State highway sys-s
TEN is developed :stoe,a point where It |
will have sufficient support to cob
90 ~, ~ +pasrno n AL e{ ,,3icI, or0SSsI