The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-29
CALLS FOR CARE
81 AN sc ROI TE
Correspondent Discusses High
way Across Wateree
River

wa across WdSeFees
River
i 70 the Editor off The State:
The announcenent that seriea:
3 3 effort as to be made to construct 8
IS hlghwas across the Naterees river ane lte
swamp is cheering news, but the pro:
jsetis so very expensive t hat the q u: ::
most care should be exercised IN Sc
sslecting the route the higyhsvayi IS 70
great deal Of prop paga1lRsea5. "a. ~
ssagor Of the old Gamers Ferry cross
sing N1Sch leads 10 Stateburss has beer, zen
pIaced before the pubic sdurlflss ! ne
s psast aea years aud many people d5lil3t-
#3ess heEeye that roaate is most desif2
afle nplS because there was a
crossing there in the old saa Us; Vixen
sStatebarg was town Of censlderab
irf1portanee with which q colslieat1on
ss MAS necessary Como ions have 7cyy- s
ser. changes very nauch: slneesStfssese
ssaays ana it is very doubtful now that
i BE old; route is even desirable. It fis
.saeerta inay no longer necessary, and the
changed conditions require a change
& Of route
IN selecting the route it must be
borne ia mind that the only purpose OF
hTghWaysis to serve the public and
that the route which serves most peo-
pie to the bes. advantage is most de-
ssirable This principle, OF the sound-
mess ef which there can be no doubt,
eatireIy 81 Eliminates at the: present time
crossing at CAREERS Ferry. The
seryicsaDle route between Sumter and
Coanr1se seia would pass through Wedge
field and Easteyef. prosperous Villages
ssef several hundred inhab bitants each.
sassrroanded BY thickly populated dis
tESesss OF fine farming lands. This
route eoming from Sumter and
sAedssaeld q would pass from Eastover
IortsiWesf to the Gamers Ferry road
which I'll weula enter at a point Il
males from Columbia, going on to Co
throngho Is entire distance
tthssns sH fine q farming section as
lea be found IN South Carolina On
st ne other rand, the Sarner's Ferry
route from the z Z mile post toSthes sriv-
er passes through a thinIy settled
sand hill; ceuntrs-, undeyeloped and
with very low taXyalues. It is with
telephones and other conveniences
ssssoff great te travellers: IN short,
ssthe route bv Csarner,s Ferry would
sEserye practically only autoIho obilists
passing betWeen Sumter and Colunl bia
while big through Wedgedeld
and Eastoxel. would serve automoSil-
s1sfs just as we'll as the other and in
Sicn would serve thousands of
people who need good highways for
local purposes as much as automobi!-
Ssists arsving for pleasure or business
between the cities mentioned need the
whole length OF the road.
AS a matter OF fact, this question
has been settled IN favor OF the East
over route by the law providing for
the 50, ,00G, 600 bond issue. It is therein
provided that the hard surface road
shall proceed from Columbia down
the Gamers Ferry road to the i Z mile
post where 1T must turn and conssi,, ne
80 Eastover. The road being thus
agreed on to .Eastover it VIII be an
.Fass matter togo to the river, dis
tance Of about four miles. Why
should Richland county be required to
build another hard surface road from
The IL mile post to Gamers Ferry,
merely for the reason that there was
crossing there in former tines
Further, a survey viii show that the
old Garner's Ferry crossing followed
"a northeast direction after entering the
swamp proceeding to stateburg dag
oalally, and emerged from the swamp
at q point about three miles north OF
IFS point of entrance. This would
make the crossing longer and more
expensive than should be necessary.
ssOf course, the actual costscan be de-
terninedsin advance only by a survey
EN- bracing al possible crossings. and
that one should be adopted which Will
BE most serviceable, but as the facts
rnw appear, the route from Columbia
TO Eastover, and thence. toeWedge ield
is decidedly most desirable, and even
IL the Gamers Ferry crossing is adopt
ed there, can 1be little doubt that in
time twill be found necessary to con
meet Wedgeae1d and Eastover by
public Highway. for the growth OF The
region viii require it. There is no
probability that the Gamers Ferry
ion viii ever develop to the same
degree. Before hastily making q
choice, let US. proceed carefully and on
full information, that is all we ask.
Lower Richiand.
Columbia State:
nrnnnr nr