Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-05-10
WALL COMES UP FROM MADISON,
Conditions Are All But Unbearable.
Where Lies Responsibility?
Madison, May 8, 1922.


Please allow me to speak, throu gh
the columns Of your paper, Just a
few words to our hoaored County
Supervisor and his board, our county
delegation and the citizens Of Oconee.
in regard to the road and bridge Sit
uation.
We are very thankful for the pros
poets and promises we now have OF
having some work done on the
places" that were once called roads.
We are also mindful Of the MANY
considerations of the past, even down
to the administration Of tn, late w.
G. Foster. whose un.imely death
marked the close Of road building
and maintenance III the northwestern
corner Of Oconee.
The "r1lces" referred to above.
which Will hereafter be termed roads
are badly in need Of some attention.
Our present Supervisor on his cam
paign tour in 1920, expressed him
self of the opinion that we had been
given a dirty deal, and today we
find ourselves holding the same hand.
Is 1t not time for "suuare DEAF?
Indeed it Isl, and therefore we experi-
ercod pleasant thrill when inform
eu by Mr.. Shockley himself that he
shall be IN our section in a very few
days. Rumor has had it that, owing to
lack OF money, the Supervisor would
send the "chain gang" to the "peni-
tentiary,' and l shall be frank to
state that the comment was general
that IN such transaction Justice
would not have been done to the peo-
pie Of Oconee Unless the SUPERVISOR.
his board and the Oconee delegation
were sent there, too, for the remain,
der OF their terms Of office. However,
we shall be glad to forgive and for
get the past, once ,our roads are
worked out, so push forward, Mr..
Shockley, resting assured that your
good work will be much appreciated,
and that the name Of ]. G.. Shockley
will take it's place in history along
side that Of the late w. G. Foster
ana others as q man who dealt
square" to all in Oconee.
Yet, with all these bright and
promising prospects, there is still a
frightful, ghostly story in our story
book--onc whose sentiment and sem
sational incidents would rival our
most efficient imaginative fiction
writer's; yet we must record it MOI
as fiction, but as reality.
Years ago it was doomed essential
to the welfare and prosperity Of Oco-
nee to construct and maintain a
bridge over Tugaloo river, known as
the Prather Bridge. In the last DAYS
Of 1918 this bridge was washed away
and to-day (T922) we still have no
bridge. OF course, this bridge would
give lis a direct route to Toccoa. Ga.
thereby beneflting the city Of Toccoa
as we'll as the citizens of Oconee; but
Is the lack Of this bridge benefiting
Westminster, ,Walhalla, Seneca or
any other Carolina town? Tf il Is, Il
iS ali'at the expense OF tho rural citi-
Gems OF Onv county. The peonle who
&ro most accommodated By this
bridge reside &, from three TO twenty
Mttrg rem The town OF w cs.mi inSter.
We have seen our farm products
go to waste for lack Of marketing
facilities. We have known our rela-
tives and friends to be sick and in
need Of our attention and comfort
yet we could not go to them. Yes,
we have seen our dear little children
sick and suffering--seen our moth
ers suffer and die without the proper
attention Of physician, and all on
account Of the lack of this bridge.
Some one might ask If we depend
uron doctors from Toccoa, and We
answer that, for some reason (prob-
ably bad roads) the doctors Of West
minister do not want the practice Of
this corner. Upon making this state
ment to the Supervisor and his board
few months ago. 1t was suggested
by one that II we would pay the doc
tor he would attend us. Now, we
challenge this honored member to
cite us to any Of our unpaid doctor
bills In the State of South Carolina,
in order that we may at once settle
the same.
We have begged and plead for this
bridge until we are almost exhausted.
We have tried to be patient and man
ly. we are loyal to our State and
willingly pay our State and county
taxes at the same ratio as the rest of
the citizens Of Oconee, and local
school tax that rivals any rural dis
trict in tie county. Yet we TASK for
bread and are given stone; we TASK
for fish and are given a serpent"
We pleaded with the Supervisor
and he referred us to the Oconee del
egation. We pleaded with the dele
cation and they referred us to the
Supervisor. We pleaded with them
together. Opposition was made to
levying special tax for this bridge
On the ground that the boil weevil
had hit the people Of the lower part
Of the county in the cotton belt, and
a higher tax would be a burden to
them. Just here let us boast that,
although We get no consideration at
the hands Of the road and bridge Of
ficials, this 'honored visitor" the
boil weevil, to whom you pay