The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-08-24

A delegation of more than so rep
resentative citizens of the town Of
Branchville, Branchville township
and portions of Cow Castle and Eds
to township met with the Orange
burg county highway commission
Tuesday afternoon to find out from
the latter why they have deferred
building the Branchville-Dorange
highway. After presentation of
views by both sides, w. Claude Mar
tin, of Branchville, principal spokes-
man for the delegation of citizens,
announced to the commission that
1--WE are not satisfied and will take
farther action"
The road in question runs from
Fits bridge at the Bamberg county
line for two miles to the limits Of the
town of Branchville and five miles
from the Branchville town limits to
Dorange on the Dorchester county
line. The Branchville people say this
is link in the regular Augusta
Charleston highway and is the only
link not in good shape.
1t was easily seen that the citizens
who came to meet the highway con-
mission are deeply concerned over
the matter. While the meeting was
free of personalities, those of the
delegation of citizens who talked
made their statements very plain
Activities of the legislative delega-
tion were automatically drawn into
the controversy. Those of the citi'
zens' delegation who did not talk
backed up their speakers with ap-
plause and close attention to every
word uttered and every development
at the gathering. Members Of the
highway commission spoke with an
evident desire to make the situation
clear to the minds of the citizens.
The meeting was held at the re-
quest of the citizens made of the
highway commission and took place
in the court house. J. W. Smoak,
chairman, J. Fisher Cleckley, J. L..
Shuler and C. F. Bergdorf, members
of the commission, were present. S.
j. Mccoy, the remaining member of
the commission, was not present, it
having been explained to those re-
questing tie meeting at the time Of
the request that unavoidable engage
ments would prevent Mr.. Mccoy be-
ing present at that time.
J. W. Smoak announced the pur-
pose of the meeting and called upon
Mr.. Martin. Mr.. Martin then told
the chairman that the citizens would
like to hear from the commission
first hand their reasons for their
position on the matter of the Branch
ville-Dorange road.
Mr.. Smoak related the circum-
stances of the first loan made by the
commission for roads with federal
aid and covered subsequent activi-
ties of the commission and circum-
stances developing up to and includ-
ing the action taken by the commits
sion onsthe Branchville-Dorange mat
ter.
Mr.. Smoak stated that when the
commission learned that $4,000
federal aid was available for roads
in this county under the usual pro-
vision. that it be matched with an
equal amount by the county, the
commission informed the Orange
burg county legislative delego Ion of
the situation and the legislative dele
CATION let the. commission borrow
.S15O,00O, and that later they got
more, making the total borrowed
around s163,O00. The commission,
he said, then set out to build roads
as directed by the state highway COM
mission having no say so in the mat
ter as, under the conditions of al
lowing federal aid, the "sayso" of
what roads are to be built is left with
the state highway commission.
After building the Orangeburg-
Bamberg road, the chairman stated,
the Springfeld-Neeses road was be-
gun and is now under construction,
the Bowman road to the Dorange
line has been about completed, the
St. Matthews road was begun and is
now under construction, and then
work was begun on the Ninety-Six