The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-07-26
HIGHEST BRIDGE IN CAROLINA
is OPEN TO TRAVEL
naghihcent Structure Completed b,
therokee County and Dedicated with

Exercises.
Gafney, July 21.--Erected 70 foo
aoo'e the level OF big Thicketty'
creek, and extending for a space O
lVV feet. Cheroffee county this morn
ing threw open to public travel wha
Is declared to be the highest bridr,
1or vehicle travel in use east Of III.
-'ississippl river and one Of the high
est TO be found anywhere in the Uni.
ted states.
l Fresent for he interesting exer
: clses carried out this morning were
: nigh officials OF Cherokee county MON
De's ol the county and state highway
departments, delegations from Spar
tanDurg and Greenville, and possibly
l'Voo cherokee county people The
crowd made brave showing when tho
exercises were begun, and even those
VINO mad the program in charge mani
rested surprise that there was so
much interest taken.
Inc program proper, carried out IN
lCherokee county's own inimitable
style, was declared to have been the
most successful "get-together" occa-
sion in the county's history and the
assertion was hazarded that the bridro
exercises would do much to cement RI
bonds of affection which have existed /
Tor the past quarter Of century be-
tween two Of the most progressive and
prosperous counties in the Piedmont
section of South Carolina-Spartan-
burg and Cherokee.
The hour set for this mornings OK
ercises to begin was 10 o'clock, but
long before that hour the stretch of
magnificent toosoil highway on the
national highway from Cherokee to ]
Spartanburg, leading from the point
"here Gaffney's asphalt streets end {
was fairly alive with automobiles of !
every size, color and description. and f
all of them loaded to the guards with |
good-roads advocates Of Cherokee d
hurrying to witness the cu)mi- i
nation of a long-cherished dream, the h
opening of the splendid bridge over
lhlcketty creek to connect Spartan s
)urg and Cherokee coutes and make "
hat particular stretch of highway one
'f the finest TO be found between Wash
ngton and Atlanta While today's !.
ormal opening was a matter for which
he people Of Cherokee county and the =
cherokee county highway commission .
re solely and entirely responsible, .
evertheless, SDartanburg county will
cap rich benefit from the magnificent NI
Improvement and that accounts for the ~
act that Spartanlburg people weire in
early as much interested in the affair IN
5 were Gaffney and Cherokee people, nc
lille Greenville county will reap ben
it in lesser degree and that fact is en-
sponsibe for the Greenvillc delega- w
on being in attendance.
This mornings program was in IL,
large of c. ID. Meadows, secretary of va
e Gaffney Chamber Of Commerce and
esident Of the Gaffney Rotary Club,
ID that genial presiding officer made A
real hit with the crowd from the hed
st sentence that he uttered. CIR
~ w . \. IldlllllCk, pGcSlQpnt or
ing OF Gaflney and Cherokee coun- l'lii r
cotton mills. and chairman of the thr
crokee county highway commission,
s the first speaker being introduced -
the man who has been more large
responsible than any other for good "a a.
Ids and splendid bridges in 'Chero- d
: county. Dr.. Hamrick began his n
lrcss by reviewing the legislation IN
ich made possible the construction H
the Thicketty bridge al cost OF IA
5htly more than $4,000, and mar 1
ed the difficulties and hardships en- E
uttered before the structure was fin Fl
y completed. He led up TO the sue X
sful conclusion of the enterprise, "
en- the contract was formally let E
t September, and declared that so n
as the Cherokee county highway II
nmission is concerned, the compile H
\ Of the bridge marks the fondest ii
am that body has cherished ever II
ce any such commission has exist y
S.ES. Ia